Baseball Continues Road Trip at Tulane This Weekend
3/1/2012 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
March 1, 2012
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. - The Alabama baseball team will play a three-game non-conference series against the Tulane Green Wave this weekend. The series opens on Friday night with first pitch scheduled for 6:30 p.m. (CST) from Greer Field at Turchin Stadium. Game two is scheduled for Saturday at 2 p.m. (CST), and the final game of the series begins at 1 p.m. (CST), on Sunday.
The games on Friday and Sunday will air on WFFN-FM 95.3 in Tuscaloosa, and Saturday's game will air on WTSK-AM 790. Lee Tracey will provide the radio broadcast for all three games of the Tulane series.
PROBABLE STARTING PITCHERS
FRIDAY W-L ERA G/GS IP H R ER BB SO
UA-Taylor Guilbeau (Fr., LHP) 1-1 0.82 2/2 11.0 5 1 1 6 8
Tulane-Randy LeBlanc (R-Fr., RHP) 1-0 3.27 2/2 11.0 10 6 4 5 10
SATURDAY W-L ERA G/GS IP H R ER BB SO
UA-Charley Sullivan (Jr., RHP) 1-1 3.60 2/2 10.0 9 4 4 0 7
Tulane-Tyler Mapes (Jr., RHP) 0-0 6.75 2/2 8.0 10 7 6 3 6
SUNDAY W-L ERA G/GS IP H R ER BB SO
UA-Justin Kamplain (Fr., LHP) 1-1 3.38 2/2 8.0 6 5 3 6 10
Tulane-Alex Massey (Fr., RHP) 1-0 1.69 2/2 10.2 11 4 2 1 12
UA is coming off a 14-2 loss at Southern Mississippi on Wednesday night. It was the first road game of the season for the Crimson Tide (4-4), who will play five straight games away from home. The loss to USM snapped a four-game win streak for the Tide. UA defeated South Alabama on Tuesday to open the week, in the final game of a season-opening seven-game homestand.
Alabama is 1-1 in its mid-week games following a win over South Alabama, 4-3, on Tuesday, and a loss at Southern Mississippi, 14-2, on Wednesday. Alabama got a game-winning, two-run single by Jared Reaves in the bottom of the eighth inning against South Alabama. Freshman Jake Hubbard threw 1.2 innings of relief against South Alabama, to earn his first career win at UA. Junior Ian Gardeck threw a scoreless ninth inning against South Alabama to earn his first career saves. Gardeck has made five appearances, throwing 5.0 innings without allowing a run this season.
Alabama suffered its largest defeat since 2010, following a 14-2 loss at Southern Mississippi on Wednesday. Alabama allowed 14 runs on 16 hits to the Golden Eagles, who scored 13 of their 14 runs in two innings. Taylor Dugas led the Crimson Tide with a 2-for-3 night at the plate against USM. In his first career start, Case Nixon threw 3.0 innings, allowing three earned runs on four hits with a career-high five strikeouts. Nixon took the loss in the game.
Tulane enters the series with an 8-1 record, and is riding a four-game win streak following a 12-1 win over Southeastern Louisiana on Tuesday. Tulane posted a series sweep over Indiana last weekend. The Green Wave's only loss was on the road at Louisiana-Monroe, 9-3, on Feb. 21. Tulane has played eight of its nine games at home, and has a perfect 8-0 record at Greer Field this season.
Tulane enters the series with a .341 batting average and has outscored its opponents 59-32 this season. Nine players on the Tulane roster are hitting over .300 this season. Brennan Middleton leads the team with a .517 average, while starting all nine games at shortstop for the Green Wave. Third baseman Garrett Cannizaro is hitting .378 and leads the team with 11 RBI. Catcher Jeremy Schaffer has two of the team's five home runs to lead the squad. Nick Schneeberger is second on the team with a .389 average and leads the two with three doubles.
Tulane Friday night starter Randy LeBlanc has a 1-1 record with a 3.27 ERA in two starts. LeBlanc his holding opponents to a .250 average, while allowing six runs (four earned) in a team-high 11.0 innings pitched. LeBlanc is second on the squad with 10 strikeouts. Saturday starter Tyler Maples has thrown 8.0 innings, allowing seven runs (six earned) on 10 hits with seven strikeouts. Tulane's Sunday starter, Alex Massey has been effect in his time on the mound, holding opponents to a .256 average with a 1.69 ERA. Massey leads the team with 12 strikeouts, while allowing four runs (two earned) in 10.2 innings pitched. D.J. Ponder leads the team with three appearances, a 0.90 ERA and a .067 opponent batting average. Ponder has one of the teams three saves.
The series between Alabama and Tulane will mark the first meeting between the two teams since 2005. Alabama leads the all-time series, which began in 1897, 60-26. The last time UA and Tulane met was in the NCAA Regional when the no. 1 ranked Green Waves defeated the Tide twice. In the regional championship game, Tulane defeated the Tide 7-4.
Following a five-game week, Alabama will play four games next week. The Tide opens the week against Auburn in the Capital City Classic on Tuesday, Mar. 6. First pitch is scheduled for 7 p.m. (CST) from Riverwalk Stadium in Montgomery, Ala. UA closes the week by hosting the DRASH Alabama Baseball Classic on Mar. 9-11. The six-game event includes East Carolina, Louisville, and Oral Roberts.
