Baseball Team Closes Regular Season at Auburn
5/13/2009 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
2009 ALABAMA CRIMSON TIDE BASEBALL
No. 10 Alabama (36-15, 17-9 SEC) at Auburn (29-24, 9-18 SEC)
Thursday, May 14 (6:07 p.m.) (CSS-TV)
Friday, May 15 (6 p.m.)
Saturday, May 16 (3:07 p.m.) (FS South)
Hitchcock Field at Plainsman Park (4,096) - Auburn, Alabama
FIRST PITCH: In search of its 15th Southeastern Conference baseball championship and its second title in the last four years, No. 10 Alabama hits the road for the final weekend to face arch-rival Auburn in a three-game SEC series that could decide the league title. Alabama (36-15, 17-9 SEC) trails first-place LSU by one-half game heading into the final weekend of the regular season. Mississippi and Florida are one game behind league-leading LSU with three games to play. Alabama (at Auburn), LSU (at Mississippi State) and Mississippi (at Arkansas) all close the year on the road. Florida is at home against Kentucky. Alabama finds itself in a similar situation to the 2006 season. The Crimson Tide trailed first-place Kentucky by two games entering the final weekend. The Wildcats dropped two games at Georgia while Alabama swept Tennessee on the road in Knoxville to earn a share of the regular season title. Alabama has won 25 conference baseball championships in its storied history, including 14 SEC titles. Alabama closes out the regular season on the road for the fifth straight year, wrapping up the last five seasons against Auburn (2005), Tennessee (2006), Mississippi State (2007), Georgia (2008) and Auburn (2009). Alabama and Auburn have met on the final weekend of the season 12 times (1979, 1980, 1983, 1984, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1998, 2005 and 2009) since the Tigers moved to the SEC Western Division in 1977.
RANKINGS: Alabama's recent play on the field has not gone unnoticed in the national polls. The Crimson Tide made the biggest jump this week in the national polls after its three-game sweep of then-No. 11 Arkansas in Tuscaloosa. Alabama is ranked 10th by Collegiate Baseball newspaper, 12th by Rivals.com and Baseball America and 19th in the NCBWA and ESPN/Coaches polls.
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 624-315 (.664) record in 15 seasons 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 on Jan. 16, 2009. Overall, Wells has compiled an 816-404 (.669) record in 1,220 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 (.371, 26 HR, 76 RBI) hit his 26th home run of the season on Tuesday night against Jacksonville State to move to within one home run of the UA single-season home run record. Doug Duke hit an Alabama record 27 home runs during the 1986 season. Matthes is tied with Middle Tennessee State sophomore center fielder/pitcher Bryce Brentz for the national lead with 26 home runs this season. Matthes has homered in three straight games against Arkansas (May 9-10) and Jacksonville State (May 12), while Brentz has hit five home runs in his last four games, including one against Tennessee on May 12. Alabama sophomore second baseman Ross Wilson (.352, 9 HR, 45) is riding a season-best 11-game hitting streak. Senior right-hander Austin Hyatt (11 GS, 8-1, 3.13 ERA) is the reigning SEC Pitcher of the Week following his three-hitter against then-No. 11 Arkansas on May 8. He leads the SEC with 89 innings pitched this season and ranks fifth nationally with 0.9 walks per nine innings. Sophomore right-hander Nathan Kilcrease (21 G, 4-2, 2 SV, 3.60 ERA) has two wins and one save in his last three relief appearances for the Tide.
TIDE IS RED HOT: Alabama is one of the hottest teams in the nation, having won 19 of 24 games since April 1. The Crimson Tide has won eight straight games and six straight SEC games, both season highs. This is Alabama's first eight-game winning streak since the 2006 season. The Tide has not won nine straight games since posting a 10-game winning streak in 2003. Alabama's six-game SEC winning streak is the longest since the 2002 season when UA posted back-to-back sweeps over Florida (3) and Kentucky (3). The Tide has not won seven consecutive SEC games since winning eight straight SEC games from April 20-May 10, 1997. Overall, Alabama is 19-5 in its last 24 games, dating back to April 1. The Crimson Tide has won six straight, 10 of 11 and 14 of 17 SEC games during that span. Alabama has won four straight SEC series and six overall series this season. The Tide also owns a five-game SEC road winning streak, following consecutive sweeps at No. 28 Vanderbilt and Mississippi State. The five-game road winning streak is the longest since UA won five straight SEC road games in 1997-98. Alabama had not won five straight SEC road games in the same season since 1983, winning two at LSU and three at Auburn to close out the season. Alabama's last six-game, SEC road winning streak came in 1957-58 when the Tide won eight straight SEC road games, Alabama also went 7-0-1 in an eight game SEC road stretch in 1981. Alabama has not won six straight SEC road games in the same year since 1955. Here are some notes on each of the Tide's winning streaks.
Eight-Game Winning Streak - Alabama is hitting .330 during its eight-game winning streak ... averaging 8.5 runs and 11.4 hits per game ... The Tide has scored 29 of its 68 runs in the seventh, eighth and ninth innings ... Senior center fielder Alex Kubal is the leading hitter with a .556 (10-for-18) average ... he has added three home runs and nine RBI ... May is hitting .515 (17-for-33) and leads UA with four home runs and 17 RBI ... he is averaging 2.13 hits and RBI per game during the winning streak ... Wilson is hitting .448 (13-for-29) with 11 runs scored and seven RBI and Jones is hitting .364 (8-for-22) with eight runs scored, two home runs and three RBI ... Senior right-hander Austin Hyatt is 2-0 with 1.69 ERA in two starts ... Sophomore Nathan Kilcrease has two wins and one save in four relief appearances ... he had a win and save in UA's sweep over Arkansas last weekend ... Jake Smith and Tyler White have one save each.
Six-Game SEC Winning Streak - Alabama's six-game SEC winning streak has come against Kentucky (3-2), Mississippi State (10-8 and 17-16) and No. 11 Arkansas (2-1, 8-6 and 6-5) ... The Tide is hitting .314 with nine home runs and 45 RBI ... the Tide is averaging 7.7 runs and 10.8 hits per game ... Kubal is the leading hitter with a .600 (9-for-15) average ... he has added two home runs and eight RBI ... Wilson is hitting .440 (11-for-25) with nine runs scored and seven RBI and May is hitting .423 (11-for-26) with three home runs and 13 RBI ... Hyatt is 2-0 with 1.69 ERA in two starts ... Sophomore Nathan Kilcrease has two wins and one save in four appearances, including a win and save in the series sweep over Arkansas.
Five-Game SEC Road Winning Streak - Alabama has won five straight SEC road games, after back-to-back sweeps over No. 28 Vanderbilt and Mississippi State ... the Tide is averaging 10.2 runs and 12.6 hits per game over its last five SEC road games ... Alabama has outscored the opposition 6-0 in the fourth inning and 10-1 in the seventh inning ... Kubal (.421, HR, 8 RBI) and DiFazio (.412, HR, 3 RBI) are both hitting over .400 in the Tide's last two SEC road series ... Wilson and May leads the club with 10 RBI each in the last five SEC road games ... Hyatt is 2-0 with a 3.52 ERA and has 15 strikeouts in 15 1/3 innings ... Howell, Kilcrease and White have the other three wins, while Smith and White have earned saves.
All Games Since April 1st - Alabama is 19-5 (.783) in its last 24 games ... UA is hitting .341 over the last 24 games and averages 9.25 runs and 12.25 hits per game ... Jones is hitting .463 (25-for-54) with 16 runs scored, four home runs and 18 RBI ... May is hitting .402 (41-for-99) and has a whopping .828 slugging mark ... he has added 10 doubles, nine home runs and 33 RBI in the last 24 games ... Matthes (10 HR, 34 RBI) and Smith (9 HR, 26 RBI) have combined for 19 home runs and 60 RBI in the last 24 games ... Hyatt (4-0), Howell (3-1) and Kilcrease (3-1, 1 SV) have 10 of the 18 wins.
Last 11 SEC Games - Alabama is 10-1 (.909) in its last 11 conference games ... the current stretch is the best 11-game stretch in the Wells era ... the Crimson Tide went 9-2 in an 11-game stretch during the 1999 season ... Alabama also won 11 of 13 SEC games in 1999 ... The Tide has won four straight series with sweeps against No. 28 Vanderbilt, Mississippi State and No. 11 Arkansas ... UA is hitting .298 (115-for-386) with 19 home runs and 78 RBI in those 11 games ... the Tide is averaging 7.5 runs and 10.5 hits per game ... DiFazio is hitting .452 (14-for-31) with one home run and five RBI ... Matthes (.342, 5 HR, 13 RBI) leads the team in home runs ... May (.277, 3 HR, 14 RBI) leads the team in RBI ... Hyatt is 3-0 with 3.23 ERA in four starts ... Kilcrease is 3-0 with one save in seven relief appearances.
Last 17 SEC Games - Alabama is 14-3 (.826) in its last 17 SEC games, with two losses coming to No. 2 LSU ... The Tide was one-out away from a 5-4 win in the series opener before an error led to four runs and an 8-4 loss ... The Tide is hitting .313 (186-for-595) with 31 homers and 122 RBI ... UA is averaging 7.2 runs and 10.9 hits per game ... Kubal is the leading hitter with a .435 (20-for-46) average with two home runs and nine RBI ... May is hitting .371 (26-for-70) with six home runs and 27 RBI in 17 games ... he is averaging 1.52 hits and 1.58 RBI per game since April 1 ... Hyatt (4-0), Howell (3-1) and Kilcrease (3-1) have won 10 of the 14 games on the mound ... Smith (2) and White (1) have three saves.
SEC CHAMPIONSHIP RACE: In one of the most hotly contested baseball races in recent memory, LSU, Alabama, Mississippi and Florida are separated by one game in the standings heading into the final weekend of the regular season. Three of the four teams - LSU, Alabama and Mississippi - are all on the road this weekend. LSU leads second-place Alabama by one-half game, while Mississippi and Florida are one-game back of the Tigers. Alabama travels to arch-rival Auburn this weekend and will need to do one game better than LSU to win its second SEC championship in the last four years. The Tide has a one-half game lead over Mississippi and Florida in the standings and would need to post the same outcome this weekend or better to hold off the Rebels and Gators. In 2006, Alabama trailed Kentucky by two games heading into the final weekend and went on the road to sweep Tennessee in Knoxville. Kentucky dropped two of three at Georgia to give UA a share of the league championship.
ALABAMA OFFENSE AMONG NCAA LEADERS: The NCAA stats were released on Tuesday, May 12 and for the eighth straight week, the Crimson Tide offense is among the national leaders in a number of categories. Alabama is among the top 10 teams in the nation in home runs (4th, 103), home runs per game (5th, 2.00), slugging (.589) and runs scored (466).
MATTHES SHARES NCAA LEAD NCAA IN HOME RUNS; HOMERS PER GAME: Matthes and Middle Tennessee center fielder Bryce Brentz continues to lead the NCAA with 26 home runs and 0.52 home runs per game. Matthes ranks second in slugging (.902), fifth in total bases (157), fifth in RBI (76) and sixth in RBI per game (1.54).
HYATT RANKS FIFTH NATIONALLY IN FEWEST WALKS PER NINE INNINGS: Senior right-hander Austin Hyatt ranks fifth nationally in fewest walks per nine inning this season, with an average of 0.90 walks per nine innings. Hyatt, who leads the SEC with 89 innings pitched, has recorded 75 strikeouts and nine walks this year. He has made 12 starts on the mound and has not issued a walk in six of those games. Hyatt did not issue a walk from April 4-May 1, a span of 25 innings before a first-inning walk at Mississippi State on May 1. He walked a season-high four batters in the win over the Bulldogs.
UA PLAYERS AMONG NCAA LEADERS: Matthes isn't the only Alabama player making noise in the national stats this week. The Tide has 11 players in the top 50 nationally in key offensive categories. Junior third baseman Jake Smith is 25th in home runs (16), 26th in home runs per game (0.36), 28th in slugging (.738) and 46th in total bases (124). Junior DH Brandon May is 28th in RBI (59) and 40th in RBI per game (1.31), Freshman left fielder Taylor Dugas is 22nd in doubles (19), 25th in runs scored (59), 27th in runs per game (1.31) and 37th in doubles per game (0.42). Matthes is also 41st nationally in runs scored (56), 44th nationally in runs per game (1.24).
SEC STATS UPDATE: The Crimson Tide continues to field one of the most productive offenses in the nation and leads the SEC in 11 offensive categories, including hitting (337), slugging (.589), on-base percentage (.421), runs scored (474), hits (621), RBI (442), doubles (127), home runs (103), total bases (1,085), at-bats (1,842), plate appearances (2,029) and hit batters (67). Alabama has five of the league's top 10 hitters, including Matthes (5th, .371), Dugas (6th, .367), May (t7th, .362), Smith (t7th, .362) and Wilson (t7th, .362). Matthes leads the SEC in home runs, home runs per game, RBI, slugging percentage and total bases. Dugas is second in doubles (19) and fourth in hits (76).
CLOSING ON THE ROAD AGAIN: Alabama wraps up the 2009 regular-season with a three-game series at arch-rival Auburn (May 14-16), marking the fifth straight year the Crimson Tide has ended the season on the road. The five straight road series have come at Auburn (2005), Tennessee (2006), Mississippi State (2007), Georgia (2008) and Auburn (2009). LSU is the only other SEC team to close on the road in each of the last five years. In fact, the Tigers have ended the season on the road for the last seven years (2003-09) and the last time they closed the year in Baton Rouge they hosted Alabama (2002). Mississippi has closed the season on the road four times (2005, 2006, 2008 and 2009) in the last five years. On the flip side, Florida and Mississippi State have had the advantage of ending the season at home each of the last five years, while Arkansas (2005, 2006, 2007 and 2009), South Carolina (2005, 2007, 2008, 2009) and Vanderbilt (2005, 2006, 2007, 2009) have played the last weekend at home four times since 2005. Here is a look at the 12 SEC teams and their final weekends, dating back to 2005.
Team Home Series Road Series
Alabama 0 5 (2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009)
Arkansas 4 (2005, 2006, 2007, 2009) 1 (2008)
Auburn 3 (2005, 2008, 2009) 2 (2006, 2007)
Florida 5 (2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009) 0
Georgia 2 (2006, 2008) 3 (2005, 2007, 2009)
Kentucky 2 (2007, 2008) 3 (2005, 2006, 2009)
LSU 0 5 (2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009)
Mississippi 1 (2007) 4 (2005, 2006, 2008, 2009)
Mississippi State 5 (2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009) 0
South Carolina 4 (2005, 2007, 2008, 2009) 1 (2006)
Tennessee 2 (2005, 2006) 3 (2007, 2008, 2009)
Vanderbilt 4 (2005, 2006, 2007, 2009) 1 (2008)
ALABAMA-AUBURN SERIES COULD BE FILLED WITH HOME RUNS: Alabama and Auburn are the two most prolific home run hitting teams in the SEC this season. The Crimson Tide tops the charts with 103 home runs, while the Tigers are a close second with 100. The teams combine to average 3.88 home runs per game. Both teams rank in the among the national leaders in home runs and home runs per game. Alabama has three players with double-figure home runs, led by Kent Matthes' NCAA-leading 26 round-trippers. Jake Smith (17) and Brandon May (12) also have double-digit homers. Auburn has five players with 10 or more home runs, including Joseph Sanders (18), Brian Fletcher (16), Trent Mummey (15), Ben Jones (12) and Tony Caldwell (10).
ALABAMA AMONG NCAA HOME RUN LEADERS: Alabama leads the SEC and ranks fourth nationally with 103 home runs this season. The 103 home runs are the fourth-most in school history. Only three other UA teams have hit 100 or more home runs in a season. The Tide hit a school-record 160 home runs in 1997 and followed with 122 home runs in 1998 and 120 four-baggers in 1999. The Crimson Tide swatted a season-high eight home runs during its three-game series at Vanderbilt (April 17-18). The 1997 and 1998 teams have been the two most prolific home run hitting teams in school history. The 1997 team is the most prolific home run-hitting team in school history with 160 four-baggers in 70 games. The 1997 team homered in 62 of 70 games that year. The 1999, 2000 and 2003 squads are consistently among the top five home run-hitting teams in school history. The 1999 team made a significant jump during the 39th game of the season with a then-NCAA record 13 home runs in a 30-4 win at UAB on April 14, 1999.
MATTHES NEARS HOME RUN MARK: Alabama right fielder Kent Matthes has 26 home runs this season, leaving him one home run shy of the Alabama single-season record held by Doug Duke, who swatted 27 home runs in 1986. Matthes has homered in three straight games and hit his 26th home run of the season in the first inning against Jacksonville Sate on May 12. Matthes and Middle Tennessee State center fielder Bryce Brentz share the NCAA lead with 26 home runs. Brentz has five home runs in his last four games, including one on May 12 against Tennessee. Matthes is one of 13 players in school history to hit 20 or more home runs in a single season. Beau Hearod was the last UA player to hit 20 home runs during the 2003 season. Matthes has homered in 22 of 49 games this season and has four multi-homer games against Southeast Missouri State (Feb. 22), Texas A&M-Corpus Christi (March 7), Mississippi (March 22) and Troy (April 7). Matthes has also homered against 16 of the Tide's 22 opponents, including eight of nine (MSU) SEC teams. Matthes' 26 home runs this season surpasses his three-year total from 2006-08 (20 home runs). His previous best was 11 home runs in 61 games last season. He is currently tied with Jeremy Brown (1999-2002) for fifth place on the school's all-time home run list with 46 career round-trippers.
*NCAA co-leader with 26 home runs
*One of 10 players nationally with 20+ home runs this season
*Homered in 22 of 49 games
*Homered against 16 of the Tide's 22 opponents this year (UT Pan American, Alabama A&M, UAB, MVSU, USA and MSU)
*Homered against 8 of 9 SEC teams (Miss. State)
*Homered in nine different innings, including season-best five home runs in the fourth inning
*Hit 20 of 26 home runs against right-handers (5 vs. LHP)
*Hit 17 of 26 home runs at home (8 HR on road; 1 HR at neutral site)
*Hit 17 of 26 home runs during the day (9 HR at night)
*Hit nine HRs with no outs; 11 HRs with one out; six HRs with two outs
*16 of 26 home runs have tied the game or given Alabama the lead; 10 HRs have given the Tide the lead
*Has two-game winning home runs against Nicholls State (Feb. 25) and UIC (Feb. 28)
*Hit walk-off home run in 10th inning vs. NSU; one night after hitting for cycle
ALABAMA-AUBURN SERIES COULD BE FILLED WITH HOME RUNS: Alabama and Auburn are the two most prolific home run hitting teams in the SEC this season. The Crimson Tide tops the charts with 103 home runs, while the Tigers are a close second with 100. The teams combine to average 3.88 home runs per game. Both teams rank in the among the national leaders in home runs and home runs per game. Alabama has three players with double-figure home runs, led by Kent Matthes' NCAA-leading 26 round-trippers. Jake Smith (17) and Brandon May (12) also have double-digit homers. Auburn has five players with 10 or more home runs, including Joseph Sanders (18), Brian Fletcher (16), Trent Mummey (15), Ben Jones (12) and Tony Caldwell (10).
ALABAMA AMONG NCAA HOME RUN LEADERS: Alabama leads the SEC and ranks fourth nationally with 103 home runs this season. The 103 home runs are the fourth-most in school history. Only three other UA teams have hit 100 or more home runs in a season. The Tide hit a school-record 160 home runs in 1997 and followed with 122 home runs in 1998 and 120 four-baggers in 1999. The Crimson Tide swatted a season-high eight home runs during its three-game series at Vanderbilt (April 17-18). The 1997 and 1998 teams have been the two most prolific home run hitting teams in school history. The 1997 team is the most prolific home run-hitting team in school history with 160 four-baggers in 70 games. The 1997 team homered in 62 of 70 games that year. The 1999, 2000 and 2003 squads are consistently among the top five home run-hitting teams in school history. The 1999 team made a significant jump during the 39th game of the season with a then-NCAA record 13 home runs in a 30-4 win at UAB on April 14, 1999.
MATTHES NEARS HOME RUN MARK: Alabama right fielder Kent Matthes has 26 home runs this season, leaving him one home run shy of the Alabama single-season record held by Doug Duke, who swatted 27 home runs in 1986. Matthes has homered in three straight games and hit his 26th home run of the season in the first inning against Jacksonville Sate on May 12. Matthes and Middle Tennessee State center fielder Bryce Brentz share the NCAA lead with 26 home runs. Brentz has five home runs in his last four games, including one on May 12 against Tennessee. Matthes is one of 13 players in school history to hit 20 or more home runs in a single season. Beau Hearod was the last UA player to hit 20 home runs during the 2003 season. Matthes has homered in 22 of 49 games this season and has four multi-homer games against Southeast Missouri State (Feb. 22), Texas A&M-Corpus Christi (March 7), Mississippi (March 22) and Troy (April 7). Matthes has also homered against 16 of the Tide's 22 opponents, including eight of nine (MSU) SEC teams. Matthes' 26 home runs this season surpasses his three-year total from 2006-08 (20 home runs). His previous best was 11 home runs in 61 games last season. He is currently tied with Jeremy Brown (1999-2002) for fifth place on the school's all-time home run list with 46 career round-trippers.
*NCAA co-leader with 26 home runs
*One of 10 players nationally with 20+ home runs this season
*Homered in 22 of 49 games
*Homered against 16 of the Tide's 22 opponents this year (UT Pan American, Alabama A&M, UAB, MVSU, USA and MSU)
*Homered against 8 of 9 SEC teams (Miss. State)
*Homered in nine different innings, including season-best five home runs in the fourth inning
*Hit 20 of 26 home runs against right-handers (5 vs. LHP)
*Hit 17 of 26 home runs at home (8 HR on road; 1 HR at neutral site)
*Hit 17 of 26 home runs during the day (9 HR at night)
*Hit nine HRs with no outs; 11 HRs with one out; six HRs with two outs
*16 of 26 home runs have tied the game or given Alabama the lead; 10 HRs have given the Tide the lead
*Has two-game winning home runs against Nicholls State (Feb. 25) and UIC (Feb. 28)
*Hit walk-off home run in 10th inning vs. NSU; one night after hitting for cycle
ALABAMA-AUBURN SERIES: Alabama leads the all-time series with Auburn, 138-113. The two teams played at the 2009 Capital City Classic at Montgomery's Riverwalk Stadium earlier this year (March 10), with the Tigers pulling out an 8-7 win. The two teams first met on the diamond in 1896 with Auburn winning the first two games played in Auburn. Alabama swept a two-game series the following year in Tuscaloosa for its first series win. The two teams split the first 10 meetings, before Alabama won 14 of the next 21 meetings (1901-08) before the series was halted. Alabama and Auburn did not meet in football (1908-48) or baseball (1909-48) for a 41-year period. The series was finally resumed in 1949, with the Crimson Tide and Tigers playing in opposite divisions in the SEC from 1949-75. Alabama has been a long-standing member of the SEC Western Division, while Auburn moved from the Eastern Division to the Western Division after the 1975 baseball season. The Tide and Tigers annually played four games each season, but none of those counted in the SEC standings until 1976. When the series was finally resumed in 1949, Alabama posted a nine-game winning streak en route to a 28-8 record over Auburn during a 36-game stretch from 1949-58. Alabama and Auburn met in the best-of-three SEC Playoffs in 1958, with the Tigers sweeping two games from the Tide at Rickwood Field to win the 1958 SEC Championship. The SEC championship series was part of six-game series winning streak for the Tigers. From 1958-79, Auburn posted a 34-18 record against Alabama. The Tigers had a series-long nine-game winning streak from 1978-79, winning three straight SEC series with two sweeps. Alabama regained the upper hand in the 1980s, posting a 35-19 record from 1980-89, including a 10-game winning streak from 1980-82. Alabama RHP Vince Barrentine fired a seven-inning no-hitter against Auburn at Plainsman Park in 1981. The Tigers went 14-8 against Alabama from 1990-94. Since Coach Wells arrival, the Tide 31-22 against the Tigers and has won nine of the 14 series. Alabama beat No. 1 ranked Auburn two out of three in 1995, including a 10-5 win at Montgomery's Paterson Field in front of a then-state record 8,543 fans, on May 12, 1995. The Crimson Tide beat the Tigers four times in 1996 as Auburn managed only one run in 36 innings against Alabama. UA came within two outs of no-hitter against the Tigers at Paterson Field on April 2, 1996 as Corey Spiers, Manny Torres and Skip Ames combined on the one-hitter. Alabama also went 4-0 against Auburn in 2002, including a 6-3 win in the NCAA Tuscaloosa Regional at the Joe. Alabama and Auburn have met at 11 different sites in the 112-year history of the rivalry. Alabama owns a 72-41 all-time series lead in games played in Tuscaloosa, including a 58-34 mark at the Joe since 1948. The two teams have also played in Auburn, Selma, Birmingham, Mobile, Dothan, Huntsville, Baton Rouge, La. (1986, 1993 SEC Tournament), Montgomery, Huntsville and New Orleans (Winn Dixie Showdown).
2008 ALABAMA-AUBURN SERIES RECAP: Alabama won its seventh straight SEC home series as the Tide took two of three from arch-rival Auburn, April 25-27, at Sewell-Thomas Stadium. The Crimson Tide hit .342 (38 for 111) in the series with four home runs and 23 RBI. Alabama averaged 8.67 runs and 12.67 hits per game against Auburn. The Crimson Tide hit four home runs, including three in-a-row in the seventh inning, to cruise to a 17-7 series-clinching win in the finale. Rutledge and sophomore third baseman Jake Smith had four hits each to lead the Tide's 21-hit attack. Avila added three hits and senior first baseman Matt Bentley cracked two home runs and drove in a career-high six runs. Alabama scored three runs in the bottom of the seventh inning to even the series with a 5-4 win on Saturday in front of the fourth-largest paid crowd (6,459) in stadium history. Junior Tyler Odle had a pinch-hit single and May added an RBI single to right in the inning. Junior right fielder Kent Matthes had a two-run double in the first inning and turned in a highlight-reel catch to rob AU's Joseph Sanders of a home run in the fourth inning. Senior Josh Copeland (1.2 IP, 1 H, 1 K) was the winning pitcher, while sophomore Austin Graham (2 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 K) earned his first career save. Auburn's Michael Hurst (0 IP, 3 H, 3 R, 2 ER) suffered the loss. Auburn used a four-run sixth inning, including Brian Fletcher's three-run home run, to beat Alabama, 5-4, in the opener. Grant Dayton (5 IP, 7 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 1 BB, 6 K) earned the win on the mound, while Bryan Woodall notched his 10th save of the year. Rutledge had three hits to lead the Alabama offense, while freshman second baseman Ross Wilson and junior first baseman Wes Henderson added two hits each. Avila knocked in two runs with a bases loaded single in the fifth inning. Junior Miers Quigley (5.1 IP, 9 H, 5 R, 5 ER, 2 BB, 5 K) took the loss.
IN-STATE SCHOOLS: Alabama holds a 506-241 (.677) all-time record against teams from the state of Alabama. The Crimson Tide is 9-4 (.692) against teams from the state of Alabama this season. The Tide is hitting .361 (169-for-468) with 30 home runs and 145 RBI. UA averages 11.9 runs and 13 hits per game. Junior third baseman Smith leads the Tide with a .541 (20-for-37) batting average with six home runs and 18 RBI in nine games against Alabama teams this year. Freshman left fielder Taylor Dugas is hitting .431 (22-for-51) and has a .525 on-base mark. Matthes six home runs and 23 RBI in 12 games. The pitching staff is 9-4 with a 5.55 ERA, with two shutouts and two saves. Kebodeuax (7 G, 4 GS, 4-0, 5.40) leads the Tide with four wins against Samford, Alabama A&M, Troy and South Alabama. After losing back-to-back games to Troy (March 3) and Auburn (March 10), Alabama reeled off seven straight wins against Samford, Alabama A&M (3), UAB (2) and Troy. The streak was snapped with a 14-13 loss at Samford on April 15. Coach Wells is 121-52 (.699) in his career against in-state schools.
