First Roadtrip of the Season Sends Baseball to Mobile to Take on South Alabama
2/28/2019 2:27:00 PM | Baseball
The Crimson Tide and Jaguars will meet for the 105th time in series history when the two teams start the series on Friday
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – Alabama baseball hops on the bus for the first time this season as the team travels to Mobile to square off with South Alabama for a three-game weekend series at Stanky Field. The opener on Friday is scheduled for a 6:30 p.m. CT first pitch with Saturday's game set for 2 p.m. Sunday's finale is slated for 1 p.m. on getaway day. All three games can be seen live on JagNation TV through South Alabama's website, USAJaguars.com.
FOLLOW THE TIDE
Fans can follow this weekend's series via the below outlets:
Watch: JagNation TV
Listen: 102.9 FM / CTSN / TuneIn App
Twitter: @AlabamaBSB
Live Stats: USAJaguars.com
PROBABLE PITCHING MATCHUPS
FRIDAY: UA – Sam Finnerty (Sr., RHP) vs. USA – Drake Nightengale (Jr., RHP)
SATURDAY: UA – Connor Shamblin (Fr., RHP) vs. USA – JoJo Booker (So., RHP)
SUNDAY: UA – Brock Love (R-Jr., RHP) vs. USA – Caleb Yarbrough (R-Jr., LHP)
LEADING OFF
• Alabama and South Alabama will meet for the 105th time in series history when the two teams square off for the series opener on Friday night at Stanky Field. The Crimson Tide holds the all-time series advantage, 56-48, but the Jaguars maintain a significant advantage in Mobile, 30-18.
• The two in-state foes last met on April 20, 2016, in Tuscaloosa, with USA securing an 8-2 win in the midweek affair. This weekend's three game series will mark the first time Alabama and South Alabama have met for a three-game series since 1981 when the team played three games series in both Mobile and Tuscaloosa. The two teams have played multiple single home-and-home series along with multiple home-and-home two-game series since that 1981 campaign.
• Alabama will call on a trio of right-handers this weekend in Mobile. Senior Sam Finnerty gets the nod in Friday's opener followed by freshman Connor Shamblin for game two of the series. The Crimson Tide will close out the roadtrip with redshirt junior Brock Love making his first weekend start of the season.
• South Alabama will begin the series with junior right-hander Drake Nightengale on Friday. The Jaguars will follow with sophomore JoJo Booker, a righty on Saturday, followed by redshirt junior left-hander Caleb Yarbrough on Sunday.
ABOUT ALABAMA
• Alabama is 4-1 over its last five games, defeating Ball State in two of three games last weekend before sweeping a quick two-game set over North Alabama on Tuesday and Wednesday.
• Senior starter Sam Finnerty's strong effort on the mound helped UA claim a 7-1 win over Ball State in Friday's series opener at Sewell-Thomas Stadium. Finnerty was dominant, using just 68 pitches to cruise through 7.0 shutout innings for the win. The righty did not issue a walk and allowed just three singles, retiring 10 straight at one point. He added six strikeouts to his line for a new career-high mark as a starter. A rain delay ended Finnerty's night early.
• The Crimson Tide offensive output was headed by senior Keith Holcombe once again. The senior finished 2-for-4 with a home run, a pair of runs scored and a career-high tying four RBI. Also contributing a multi-hit effort was Kolby Robinson, with the junior going 2-for-3 with a double and adding a walk and a run.
• Alabama rallied late but was unable to complete the comeback in an 8-5 loss to Ball State that started on Saturday and was completed on Sunday. The Tide entered the ninth down four and rallied for a run but could not complete the comeback.
• UA used three arms to one-hit Ball State in the Crimson Tide's 6-0, shutout win over the Cardinals, earning the Sunday victory while also claiming the series. Connor Shamblin earned his second win as many starts with 5.0 no-hit innings. The freshman starter added five strikeouts with just one walk before handing it over to the bullpen.
• Junior Casey Cobb followed with 3.0 frames that included one strikeout, and graduate transfer Jeremy Randolph closed things out with a 1-2-3 ninth, all by way of the strikeout.
• Alabama's offense matched the effort on the mound with 11 hits, including a season-high four doubles, on the way to six runs. The Tide's 1-through-4 hitters combined to go 9-for-17 with all four of the two baggers and added six RBI along with four runs scored.
• Holcombe wrapped up his day a perfect 3-for-3 with a double, a stolen base and a career-high tying four RBI. Matching Holcombe in the hit column Brett Auerbach, with the junior finishing 3-for-5 with a double, an RBI and a team-high two runs.
• A six-run third by the offense, combined with a solid effort on the mound from five pitchers helped UA come away with an 8-0 shutout win on Tuesday. Alabama jumped out front early, putting up a six-spot in the third to put the game out of reach.
• Redshirt junior Gene Wood highlighted the Tuesday offense, finishing 2-for-3 with a team-high two runs and a pair of RBI to go with two walks.
• North Alabama would never threaten the lead, as five Crimson Tide pitchers combined for a season-high 15 strikeouts while allowing only two hits. Junior Wil Freeman tossed 4.0 scoreless innings with four punchouts for the win. Four more arms worked the final 5.0 frames, allowing just one hit and striking out 11 with each pitcher recording at least two punchouts.
• The Tide came away with a 4-1 win over UNA on Wednesday. Alabama scored first in the bottom of the third, but North Alabama matched with one run of its own in the top of the fifth to even things up. The Crimson Tide then tallied two in the fifth and added one int he seventh to come away with the Wednesday victory.
• Redshirt freshman Chase Lee collected his first career win while Jacob McNairy earned a save with 2.0 scoreless innings to close things out in the series finale with the Lions.
• Alabama returned 13 letterwinners while losing 18 from the 2018 squad. The 2019 Crimson Tide welcomed back three positional starters and two starting pitchers while hosting 22 newcomers.
ABOUT SOUTH ALABAMA
• Mark Calvi is in his eighth season with the Jaguars in 2019 and owns a 243-177 entering this weekend's series. Calvi is joined by assistant coaches Brad Phillips, Chris Prothro and Alan Luckie.
• South Alabama returns 22 letterwinners, including four positional starters, 14 pitchers and three starters, from the 2018 team that finished 32-25 overall and 18-11 in Sun Belt action to finish third in the East Division. The 2019 roster is without 12 lettermen from a season ago, a number that includes five positional starters, four pitchers and one starting arm.
• The Jaguars were selected to finish fourth overall in the Sun Belt and second in the East Division in the league's preseason poll, as voted on by the conference's head coaches.
ON DECK
Alabama returns to Tuscaloosa next week to begin a stretch of six straight games at Sewell-Thomas Stadium, first with UAB on Tuesday, March 5 at 5 p.m. CT. The Crimson Tide will close out the midweek with newly scheduled game against South Dakota State on Wednesday, first pitch at 6 p.m. Both contests will air live on SEC Network+.
