Weekend at The Joe – Baseball Hosts 14th-Ranked LSU from Friday through Sunday
4/25/2019 5:31:00 PM | Baseball
The Crimson Tide and Tigers will meet for the 373rd time in series history on Friday night
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – Alabama baseball returns to Southeastern Conference play this weekend, hosting the 14th-ranked LSU Tigers from Friday through Sunday at Sewell-Thomas Stadium. The series opener is slated for a 6 p.m. CT first pitch with a 2 p.m. start on Saturday. Things wrap up on Sunday afternoon at 1 p.m. All three games will air live on SEC Network+.
This weekend at The Joe will feature numerous promotions when UA hosts the Tigers. The series opener on Friday will be the Tide's "Night at The Joe". The first 500 fans through the gate will receive commemorative pennants along with a throwback Alabama T-shirt. Friday's matchup will also feature a postgame fireworks show, the third in the history of The New Joe (since 2016).
Fans in attendance at Saturday's matchup will get an Alabama white replica jersey at the gate (first 500). Sunday's series finale will resume the Tide's "Kids' Day at The Joe" promotion. All kids 18-and-under can purchase a $5 general admission ticket. Children 12-and-under will also have the chance to get postgame autographs from the 2019 team.
FOLLOW THE TIDE
Fans can follow this weekend's game via the below outlets:
Watch: SEC Network+
Listen: 102.9 FM / CTSN / TuneIn App
Twitter: @AlabamaBSB
Live Stats: RollTide.com
PROBABLE PITCHING MATCHUPS
FRIDAY: UA – Sam Finnerty (Sr., RHP) vs. LSU – Zack Hess (Jr., RHP)
SATURDAY: UA – Brock Love (R-Jr., RHP) vs. LSU – Eric Walker (So., RHP)
SUNDAY: UA – TBA vs. LSU – TBA
LEADING OFF
• Alabama and LSU will meet for the 373rd time in series history when the two teams square off for the series opener on Friday night at Sewell-Thomas Stadium. The Crimson Tide holds the all-time series advantage, 202-167-3, including a 115-69 mark at home.
• The two conference foes last met for a series from May 11-13, 2018, in Baton Rouge, with LSU claiming the series win. After late 7-5 Tide loss Friday, Jake Walters spun a gem on Saturday night to help UA come away with a 6-1 win over the Tigers. Walters worked a then-career-long 8.0 innings, allowing only one run on four hits and three walks. The Tide starter was aided by an Alabama season-high four double plays and added three strikeouts across his 102 pitches of work before handing it over to his bullpen. LSU countered with a 7-3 victory on Sunday to secure the series.
• Alabama starts the series with its right-handed duo of senior Sam Finnerty on Friday night followed by Brock Love, a redshirt junior, for game two of the weekend on Saturday. Sunday's starter is still to be announced.
• LSU will counter with a pair of right-handers, first with junior Zack Hess on Friday. The Tigers will send sophomore Eric Walker to the hill on Saturday with Sunday's starter to be announced.
ABOUT ALABAMA
• Alabama enters the series with LSU at 1-3 over the last four games. The Crimson Tide fell at home in three games last weekend against fifth-ranked Vanderbilt before Wednesday night's trip north when UA defeated Jacksonville State at Rudy Abbott Field, 6-3.
• The Crimson Tide fell in a back-and-forth contest with fifth-ranked Vanderbilt, 7-4, on Friday night.
• Vandy got on the board in the top of the first, but UA was able to answer with two runs in the bottom of the second. Vanderbilt tied things up with one in the fourth and took a lead with three in the fifth, but Alabama came right back once again. The Crimson Tide posted two in the home half of the fifth to make it a one-run game, but a single tally by Vandy in the sixth and one more in the ninth widened the advantage to 7-4, the eventual final.
• Alabama starter Sam Finnerty suffered the loss despite another solid outing. The senior allowed six runs on nine hits and two walks with four punchouts. Finnerty kept things close but the three-run, rain-soaked fifth were key to the VU victory.
• Four home runs proved the difference on Saturday night UA suffered a 13-5 loss Vandy.
• Despite an impressive pitching performance by the Crimson Tide staff, Alabama fell, 2-0, in a pitchers' duel with the Commodores on Sunday afternoon. Alabama's pitchers limited the high-powered Vandy offense to only eight hits and four walks, highlighted by 3.0 scoreless frames from junior Deacon Medders. The right-hander allowed one hit and issued two free passes while striking out a career-high seven batters in relief.
• Randolph suffered the hard-luck loss in his first start as a member of the Crimson Tide. The graduate tossed 2.2 innings, allowing one run on a solo homer and striking out three before turning it over to the bullpen. Junior Casey Cobb gave up one run in his 1.0 inning on the hill with sophomore Brock Guffey and redshirt freshman Chase Lee combining with Medders for 5.1 scoreless frames to close out the afternoon.
• The Crimson Tide completed the 2019 series sweep of Jacksonville State with a 6-3 win at Rudy Abbott Field in Jacksonville on Wednesday night. Despite falling behind early, UA battled back for the midweek victory.
• Jacksonville State got out front with one in the third before the Tide evened things up with a run in the fourth. The home half of that fourth saw the Gamecocks take a 3-1 lead thanks to a pair of runs. Alabama was able to even it up again, recording single tallies in both the fifth and sixth before a three-run ninth blew things open and powered the Tide to the win.
• All 10 batters reached base safely at least once, led by Brett Auerbach. The junior got aboard in all four plate appearances, going 2-for-2 with a pair of walks while adding a double, an RBI, one run and a stolen base on the night.
• Also contributing two hits were freshman T.J. Reeves and junior Morgan McCullough. In addition to his two hits, Reeves tallied a walk, an RBI, one run scored and a stolen base on Wednesday.
• Alabama reliever Kyle Cameron earned the win thanks to a career-high tying 4.0 perfect frames. The redshirt junior faced 12, sitting them down in order while striking out a career-best six batters. Cameron was followed by graduate Jeremy Randolph who picked up his seventh save in as many chances with 1.0 inning of work, ending with a swinging strikeout to secure the win.
• The Crimson Tide pitchers did not issue a walk and limited JSU to only five hits to help Alabama improve to 11-1 against in-state opponents and 11-1 in midweek matchups.
ABOUT LSU
• Paul Mainieri is in his 13th season with the Tigers in 2019 and entered the new campaign with a career record of 551-229-3 in Baton Rouge and a 1,415-721-8 overall mark across his 36 years as a collegiate head coach. Mainieri is joined by associate head coach Alan Dunn along with assistant coaches Nolan Cain and Sean Ochinko.
• LSU returns 19 letterwinners, including seven positional starters and 11 pitchers, from the 2018 team that finished 39-27 overall and 15-15 in SEC. The Tigers were runners-up to Ole Miss in the finals of the SEC Tournament before continuing on to the NCAA Corvallis Regional, where they fell to the eventual National Champions, Oregon State. The 2019 roster is without 13 lettermen from a season ago, a number that includes seven positional starters and seven pitchers. The new Tiger roster features 16 newcomers made up of 13 prep players and three junior college transfers.
• The Tigers were selected to finish first overall in the SEC and received the second-most votes to come out as SEC Champion in the league's preseason poll, as voted on by the conference's head coaches.
ON DECK
Alabama will take exam week off before heading to No. 20 Auburn for the weekend. The two in-state rivals are scheduled for a trio of games from May 3-5 at Plainsman Park in Auburn. The series will open on Friday with a 6 p.m. start followed by a 7 p.m. open on Saturday. Things will wrap up on Sunday at 3 p.m. Game one of the series will air on SEC Network+ with the final two pairings being broadcast nationally on SEC Network.
