Roadtrip Sends Baseball to Columbia for Three-Game Series at Missouri
4/5/2018 10:02:00 AM | Baseball
The Crimson Tide and Tigers will meet for the 11th time in series history when the two teams square off on Friday
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – The Crimson Tide will take to the road this weekend for a three-game SEC series with the Missouri Tigers. The trio of games will begin on Friday with a 6:30 p.m. CT first pitch. Saturday's contest is slated for 2 p.m. and will be followed by a 1 p.m. start on Sunday afternoon. All three games can be seen live on SEC Network+.
FOLLOW THE TIDE
Fans can follow this weekend's matchups via the below outlets:
Watch: SEC Network+
Listen: 102.9 FM / CTSN / TuneIn App
Twitter: @AlabamaBSB
Live Stats: MUTigers.com
LEADING OFF
• Alabama and Missouri will meet for only the 11th, 12th and 13th times in a short series history when the two teams began the weekend on Friday evening in Columbia. The series began in 2013 with the first matchup coming as part of a three-game set following the Tigers' entrance into the SEC in 2012.
• The Tigers own a slight advantage in the series, 6-4, and are 2-1 when hosting the Crimson Tide in Columbia. Alabama won the initial series between the two teams from May 10-12, 2013, in Tuscaloosa, but Mizzou has since won both of the most recent three-game sets between the two schools.
• Missouri traveled to Tuscaloosa in 2017 to close out the Crimson Tide's 20-game homestand to begin the season. The Tigers came to Sewell-Thomas Stadium with a 16-game winning streak after falling in their home opener and continued the streak with a three-game sweep of UA to start each team's Southeastern Conference slate from March 17-19.
• Mizzou welcomes the Tide to Columbia at 22-7 overall, including a 5-4 conference record and an impressive 15-1 mark at home. The Tigers spent last weekend in Auburn, winning the final two games of the three-game pairing to secure the series win over then-No. 16 Auburn. The SEC schedule for MU began with a home series against Mississippi State, with Missouri winning the bookend games of the weekend to claim the series win.
• Most recently, the Tigers took down SIU-Edwardsville, 12-1, on Wednesday evening at Taylor Stadium. Missouri totaled 12 runs on 14 hits and nine walks to cruise past the Cougars.
• Alabama continues with its regular SEC weekend rotation. Friday's opener will feature junior right-hander Sam Finnerty, followed by senior righty Jake Walters on Saturday and Garret Rukes, a redshirt freshman left-hander, on getaway day.
• Missouri will throw a pair of southpaws followed by a right-hander on the weekend. The series opener on Friday will feature sophomore left-hander T.J. Sikkema followed by junior Michael Plassmeyer, also a lefty, on Saturday. The Tigers will send redshirt junior righty Bryce Montes De Oca to hill in the weekend finale.
PROBABLE PITCHING MATCHUPS
FRIDAY: UA – Sam Finnerty (Jr., RHP) vs. MU – T.J. Sikkema (So., LHP)
SATURDAY: UA – Jake Walters (Sr., RHP) vs. MU – Michael Plassmeyer (Jr., LHP)
SUNDAY: UA – Garret Rukes (R-Fr., LHP) vs. MU – Bryce Montes De Oca (R-Jr., RHP)
ABOUT ALABAMA
• Alabama enters this weekend with a 2-2 mark over its last four games. The Crimson Tide claimed a series victory over seventh-ranked Kentucky last weekend, winning each of the first two games of the three-game set. Most recently, UA was shut out by in-state foe Jacksonville State on Tuesday night.
• Jacksonville State used four arms to combine for the 4-0 shutout of the Crimson Tide on Tuesday. After a combined four scoreless innings, the Gamecocks struck for four runs in the top of the fifth. Alabama had its chances, placing runners in scoring position in each of the first four inning and in the eighth, but was unable to capitalize on the opportunities.
• Alabama paired a standout pitching effort with timely hitting for the 4-2, series-opening win over Kentucky on Friday evening. The Crimson Tide received a solid pitching performance from its starter, Sam Finnerty. The junior tossed 5.2 innings, allowing two runs – only one earned – on eight hits, while issuing three walks and striking out three for his third win of the season.
• The tandem of Brock Guffey and Deacon Medders combined for the final 3.1 innings, holding the high-powered Wildcat offense scoreless. Medders collected his team-leading third save of the season, working the final 2.0 frames, to secure the win for UA.
• A game-winning grand slam from Hunter Alexander provided Alabama baseball with the necessary offense as the Crimson Tide defeated Kentucky, 4-2, on Saturday afternoon. Alabama's offense totaled two hits on the day, with the first coming in the seventh inning to break a no-hit bid by Kentucky starter Zach Haake. The second came from Alexander in the eighth, as the senior took the 0-1 pitch deep to left to clear the bases. The Tide was able to load them up for Alexander with three walks in the inning before the game-winning grand slam.
• Tide pitchers held the Wildcat offense in check for a second consecutive day on Saturday. Senior starter Jake Walters was handed the no-decision despite another impressive outing that saw the right-hander throw 7.1 innings of one-run baseball. He gave up seven hits and issued only one walk while striking out seven before turning things over to the relievers with the Tide trailing, 1-0.
• Dylan Duarte earned the win in the eighth thanks to the Tide's four-run output in the home half. Duarte recorded one out in the ninth before loading the bases. Medders then entered in a jam, with the right-hander closing out the final 0.2 of an inning for his fourth save of the season and second in as many games
• Alabama fell to the Wildcats, 5-2, as Kentucky's three runs across the final three innings proved to be the difference on Sunday. The Crimson Tide carried a 2-1 lead into the top of the sixth, but Kentucky would score three runs across the sixth and seventh innings to take the advantage before adding an insurance run in the ninth. Alabama did not go quietly, threatening in the bottom of the eighth with the tying runs on base, but a call to the bullpen by the Wildcats halted the Tide offense.
• The series victory for the Crimson Tide marked the eighth consecutive series win over the Wildcats at Sewell-Thomas Stadium, with UK's last win over a three-game set coming in 1993.
• Alabama returned 21 letterwinners while losing 11 from the 2017 squad. The 2018 Crimson Tide welcomed back eight positional starters and three starting pitchers while hosting 11 newcomers (including one transfer who sat out last season).
ABOUT MISSOURI
• Missouri returned 14 letterwinners, including eight positional starters and nine pitchers, from the 2017 squad that finished 36-23 overall and 14-16 in SEC play. The 2018 roster is without 13 lettermen from a season ago, a number that includes a pair of positional starters and six pitchers. Mizzou also welcomed 21 newcomers for the new season.
• The Tigers were selected to finish sixth in the Eastern Division and 12th overall in the SEC in the league's preseason poll, as voted on by the conference's head coaches.
• Steve Bieser is in his second season with the Missouri baseball program and his fifth year overall as a head coach. Bieser began his head coaching career at Vianney High School in St. Louis from 2004-10 before moving into the college ranks as an assistant at Southeast Missouri from 2011-12. He was promoted to the head coaching role at SEMO in 2013 and held the position through the 2016 campaign before taking the job at Missouri. A 1989 graduate of Southeast Missouri, Bieser is assisted by Fred Corral and Lance Rhodes along with volunteer assistant Jonathan Roof.
• Missouri baseball was founded in 1891 and entered the new season with a 2,290-1,561-20 all-time record. The Tigers have won 15 conference titles in program history with the most recent coming in 1980 when MU was a member of the Big Eight Conference. Mizzou has made 15 NCAA postseason appearances with the most recent coming in 2012 and have advanced to the College World Series six times with the last trip to Omaha coming in 1964.
• The University of Missouri was founded in 1839 as the first public institution of higher learning west of the Mississippi River. Located in Columbia, it is the flagship campus of the University of Missouri System and boasts an enrollment of 30,870 students.
ON DECK
Next up for the Crimson Tide is a quick trip home on Tuesday, April 10, to complete the home-and-home series with the UAB Blazers. The two in-state foes are scheduled for a 6 p.m. CT first pitch at Sewell-Thomas Stadium with the game airing live on SEC Network+. Following the midweek matchup, Alabama will travel to College Station to take on the Texas A&M Aggies from Thursday, April 12 through Saturday, April 14.
