Four-Game Stretch at Home for Baseball Begins with Troy on Tuesday
4/1/2019 4:38:00 PM | Baseball
The Crimson Tide and Trojans will meet for the 35th time in series history on Tuesday night
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – The Crimson Tide returns to Sewell-Thomas Stadium on Tuesday night as Alabama baseball plays host to the Troy Trojans. The two in-state foes are scheduled for a 6 p.m. CT first pitch with the game airing live on SEC Network+.
The Tuesday matchup with Troy will feature the Crimson Tide's "$2 Tuesday" promotion. The deal is one of Alabama's season-long promotions at Sewell-Thomas Stadium. The "$2 Tuesday" promotion allows fans to purchase $2 general admission tickets at the gates or online. Once inside The Joe, those in attendance can take advantage of $2 hot dogs at all concession stands.
FOLLOW THE TIDE
Fans can follow Tuesday's game via the below outlets:
Watch: SEC Network+
Listen: 102.9 FM / CTSN / TuneIn App
Twitter: @AlabamaBSB
Live Stats: RollTide.com
PROBABLE PITCHING MATCHUP
TUESDAY: UA – Connor Shamblin (Fr., RHP) vs. TROY – Max Newton (Jr., LHP)
LEADING OFF
• Alabama and Troy will meet for the 35th time in series history when the two teams square off on Tuesday night at Sewell-Thomas Stadium. The Crimson Tide holds the all-time series advantage, 23-11, as well as a 19-4 lead in games played in Tuscaloosa.
• The Tide and Trojans last met on April 24, 2018, at The Joe, with Alabama securing a 4-3 win in the midweek affair. The Crimson Tide used a combination of seven arms with Brock Love earning his second win of the season and Kyle Cameron earning his first career save. The Alabama offense was highlighted by Chandler Avant who finished 2-for-4 on the night for his team-leading 18th multi-hit game of the season. Avant also contributed a team-high three RBI and added one run scored. Sam Praytor joined Avant with a multi-hit game, going 2-for-3.
• Alabama will send right-hander Connor Shamblin to the mound on Tuesday. The freshman is 2-0 on the season and holds a 3.07 ERA (5 ER/14.2 IP). He will be making his eighth appearance and fourth start of the season.
• Troy will look to junior Max Newton in the start. The lefty is 1-3 on the season across five appearances, including four starts, and sports a 5.30 ERA (11 ER/18.2 IP).
ABOUT ALABAMA
• Alabama wrapped up last week with one win against a top-25 opponent, defeating 12th-ranked Auburn in Montgomery on Tuesday evening. The Crimson Tide then traveled to Gainesville to take on No. 15 Florida, falling in all three games.
• Drew Williamson put together a big week with a hot four-game stretch. The freshman batted .467 (7-15) with a double, his first career home run, one RBI, four runs scored and a stolen base. Williamson's four-game run made up part of his current five-game hitting streak and 14-game reached base streak. Both streaks are current team-longs for the Crimson Tide.
• A three-run eighth helped Alabama secure a 6-3 win over 12th-ranked Auburn in the annual MAX Capital City Classic on Tuesday evening in Montgomery. The victory was UA's first in the neutral site matchup since 2014.
• The Crimson Tide scored one in the second but was matched by Auburn in the top of the fourth. Alabama rallied in the bottom half of the fourth for a pair with AU countering once again with a run. The Tigers posted one more run in the seventh to tie things up for a short period of time before the Tide recorded three runs in the bottom of the eighth to secure the win.
• Leading the UA offense was Williamson who was named the game's Most Valuable Player. The freshman finished a perfect 4-for-4 with a double and two runs scored. Senior Joe Breaux also contributed a multi-hit effort, finishing 2-for-3 with a double plus a team a team-high three RBI and two walks. The Crimson Tide utilized a season-high eight arms on the mound with Jeremy Randolph earning his first win of the season. The graduate tossed the final 2.1 scoreless innings, striking out two including the game's final out.
• A tight game between Alabama and Florida saw the 15th-ranked Gators come away with a 3-1 win on Friday evening at McKethan Stadium. Sam Finnerty suffered the loss, giving up three runs on five hits and three walks with a pair of strikeouts across his 4.0-plus innings of work. Finnerty saw his night end in the fifth when he ran into trouble, but redshirt freshman Chase Lee and junior Casey Cobb entered in relief, combining for the final 4.0 innings and keeping the UF offense at bay.
• Alabama suffered a 12-3 loss to Florida on Saturday. Home runs were the story of the game as the Gators tallied five with three solo shots and a pair of two-run homers to secure the series-clinching win.
• A solo home run by both teams made it a 1-1 game after two innings of play. The Gators tallied a solo shot in the first to kick off the scoring, followed by Williamson recording his first home run of the season in the next half inning to even things up. Florida then used three home runs in the third to make it a 5-1 contest. Two of the three roundtrippers were solo shots with the third going for two runs.
• The Crimson Tide scored two runs late but was unable to complete the comeback in a 6-3 loss in Gainesville on Sunday afternoon. Alabama jumped out front early with one in the second but was countered in the home half by a pair of Florida runs. The Gators added two more in both the fourth and the eighth to take a 6-1 lead.
• A two-out walk for junior Brett Auerbach in the ninth put one on for pinch-hitter T.J. Reeves. The freshman homered to straightaway center to narrow the gap to 6-3 and give the Tide life, but a groundout ended things in favor of Florida.
ABOUT TROY
• Mark Smartt is now in his fourth season with the Trojans in 2019 and entered the new year with a 105-72 mark during his time at Troy. Smartt is also in the midst of his 10th season as a head coach and came into the year with a 269-234 career record. Smartt is joined by assistant coaches Shane Glerke and Matt Hancock along with volunteer assistant coach Peyton Fuller.
• Troy returns 17 letterwinners, including six positional starters and nine pitchers, from the 2018 team that went 42-21 and 19-11 in Sun Belt action to finish second in the East and third overall. That Trojan squad advanced to the NCAA Athens Regional where TU finished up the season 1-2. The 2019 roster is without 15 lettermen from a season ago, a number that includes four positional starters and five pitchers. The 2019 Troy roster also features 15 newcomers.
• The Trojans were selected to finish seventh overall in the Sun Belt Conference in the league's preseason poll, as voted on by the conference's head coaches.
ON DECK
The Crimson Tide will welcome the South Carolina Gamecocks to Sewell-Thomas Stadium for a three-game series from Thursday through Saturday. The two teams are scheduled for a pair 6 p.m. starts on Thursday and Friday followed by a 1 p.m. first pitch in the series finale. Games one and two of the series will air nationally on SEC Network with the series finale showing on SEC Network+.
