Baseball Team Hits The Road; Takes On No. 12 Mississippi
3/19/2009 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
March 19, 2009
Alabama Game Notes (March 20-22, 2009) 
2009 ALABAMA CRIMSON TIDE BASEBALL
#24 Alabama (14-5, 2-1 SEC) at #12 Mississippi (13-4, 2-1 SEC)
Friday, March 20 (6:30 p.m.)
Saturday, March 21 (1:30 p.m.)
Sunday, March 22 (1:30 p.m.)
Oxford-University Stadium/Swayze Field (5,000) - Oxford, Miss.
Site: OU Stadium/Swayze Field
Series: Alabama leads, 191-132-1
Tickets: Available at Swayze Field Box Office
Radio: Crimson Tide Sports Network
WFFN-FM (95.3) - Tuscaloosa
WAPI-AM (1070) - Birmingham
Chris Stewart and Mick Gillispie
XM Radio - Channel 199 (Saturday)
Internet: www.RollTide.com
Alabama Starting Pitchers:
1 - RHP Austin Hyatt (4 GS, 4-0, 2.00 ERA)
2 - LHP Adam Morgan (4 GS, 3-0, 3.33 ERA)
3 - TBA
Mississippi Starting Pitchers:
1 - LHP Drew Pomeranz (3 GS, 1-0, 3.27 ERA)
2 - RHP Phillip Irwin (4 G, 3 GS, 3-0, 1.59 ERA)
3 - RHP Brett Buckvich (5 G, 3 GS, 3-0, 0.90 ERA)
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. - Alabama hits the road for the first time in Southeastern Conference play when the Crimson Tide travels to Oxford, Miss., to take on the Mississippi Rebels in a three-game SEC series at Oxford-University Stadium at Swayze Field. The series opener is set for Friday, March 20, at 6:30 p.m. (CST). The two teams will also play Saturday, March 21 and Sunday, March 22, at 1:30 p.m. (CST) each day. Alabama, winners of six of its last seven games, brings a three-game winning streak to Oxford after dominating Alabama A&M this week in Tuscaloosa. The Crimson Tide .436 (41-for-94) in the three-game series and outscored the Bulldogs, 42-1. The pitching staff recorded a microscopic 0.43 ERA in three starts. The pitchers allowed nine hits - eight singles - in the three games and recorded 35 strikeouts and four walks. The Tide played 25 different players in the series and 13 of the 16 position players had at least one hit and one run scored.
RANKINGS: After its series win over then-No. 1 Georgia, Alabama vaulted into the national rankings this week after an impressive showing against the Bulldogs. The Crimson Tide is ranked 24th by Baseball America, Collegiate Baseball newspaper and Rivals.com and 26th by the NCBWA. The Crimson Tide is not ranked, but is receiving votes, in the USA Today/ESPN Coaches poll. Mississippi is ranked in all five polls, with their highest ranking at No. 12 in the Baseball America poll.
HEAD COACH Jim Wells: Coach Jim Wells became the seventh coach in Southeastern Conference history to win 600 games when the Tide posted a lopsided 24-0 win over Alabama A&M on March 17. Wells joins former SEC greats Ron Polk (1,218), Skip Bertman (870), Keith Madison (735), Rod Delmonico (699), Roy Mewbourne (655) and Hal Baird (634) as the only coaches with 600 wins at an SEC school. Wells has compiled a 602-305 (.664) record in his 15th season as the Crimson Tide's head coach. He was named the school's 29th head baseball coach on June 4, 1995. He was inducted into the Alabama Baseball Coaches Association Hall of Fame in Jan., 2009. Overall, Wells has compiled a 795-393 (.669) record in 1,188 games over 20 seasons at the Division-I level. Prior to Alabama, he spent five years at Northwestern (La.) State, where he compiled a 192-89 (.683) record and led the Demons to three Southland Conference championships and two NCAA Regional appearances.
WHO TO WATCH: Senior right fielder Kent Matthes (.645, 13 HR, 36 RBI) continues to lead the NCAA with 13 home runs this season. He is also riding an 18-game hitting streak headed into the weekend series at Mississippi. Freshman left fielder Taylor Dugas (.406, 2 HR, 14 RBI brings a nine-game hitting streak to Oxford. He is hitting .396 (19-for-48) as the Tide's leadoff hitter with 14 runs scored, eight extra base hits and 11 RBI. Junior utility man Brandon May (.361, 2 HR, 17 RBI) has raised his season average 91 points in the last eight games. He was 6-for-9 with six RBI in the Alabama A&M series. Senior right-hander Austin Hyatt (4 GS, 4-0, 2.00 ERA) and freshman left-hander Adam Morgan (4 GS, 3-0, 3.33 ERA) are 7-0 with six quality starts.
QUOTING Jim Wells: Here are some comments from Coach Wells on the Ole Miss series.
(On Playing Mississippi):
"They will run out some real good starting pitching and have a real good closer. It is a solid team. It will be a typical SEC road series. They swing the bats very well. They are very aggressive with the bat. Mike (Bianco) has done a great job. They always have a talented team. "
(On Alabama's offense):
"We thought we'd be able to hit. We have a number of guys (who can hit) and others guys can pick each other up when guys are struggling. We don't have to depend on one or two guys, where if they don't hit, we don't have a shot (to win). Offensively, right now, we have enough weapons to stay in the game."
