Final Non-Conference Weekend Pairs Baseball with Lipscomb

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – Alabama baseball's final weekend of non-conference play begins this Friday as the Crimson Tide hosts Lipscomb for a three-game series at Sewell-Thomas Stadium. The Tide and Bisons are set for a 6 p.m. CT start in the opener followed by a 2 p.m. first pitch with both games airing live on SEC Network+. The series wraps up on Sunday with a national audience on SEC Network, scheduled for an 11 a.m. opening. The duo of Eli Gold and Lance Cormier will call the first two games with Sam Ravech joining Cormier on the Sunday broadcast.

Alabama will continue its Sunday promotions as the Crimson Tide hosts Lipscomb this weekend. Sunday's giveaway will be the third set of Alabama baseball trading cards for all fans. The promotion will be a reoccurring giveaway each weekend at The Joe, giving fans an opportunity to collect a team set by year's end. The series finale with the Bisons will also continue the Crimson Tide's "Kids' Day at The Joe" promotion. All kids 12-and-under can purchase a $5 general admission ticket. Children will also have the chance to run the bases and get autographs postgame.

Follow the Tide

Fans can follow the weekend series via the below outlets:
Watch: SEC Network+ (Friday and Saturday) / SEC Network (Sunday)
Listen: 100.9 FM / CTSN / TuneIn App
Twitter: @AlabamaBSB
Live Stats: RollTide.com

Probable Starting Pitching Matchups

FRIDAY: UA – Connor Prielipp (Fr., LHP) vs. LU – Scott Elgin (So., RHP)
SATURDAY: UA – Connor Shamblin (So., RHP) vs. LU – Max Habegger (Jr., LHP)
SUNDAY: UA – Antoine Jean (Fr., LHP) vs. LU – Dylan Bierman (Jr., RHP)

Leading Off

Alabama and Lipscomb will meet for the sixth time in 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, 4-1, as well as a 2-0 lead in games played in Tuscaloosa.
The Tide and Bisons last met from March 6-8, 2015, in Mobile, with Alabama securing the series win on Sunday. The Tide took down Lipscomb in a 5-1 win on Friday highlighted by outstanding pitching from Taylor Guilbeau. Alabama fell, 7-3, on Saturday to Lipscomb as a seven-run sixth inning by the Bisons proved to be too much for the Tide. Alabama responded on Sunday with a 3-0 shutout win to take the series.
Alabama resumes its rotation for a fourth straight weekend, featuring a pair of freshmen in the bookend games with a sophomore in the middle. First up is left-hander Connor Prielipp on Friday followed by Connor Shamblin, a righty, on Saturday. Things wrap up on Sunday with southpaw Antoine Jean.
Lipscomb will look to right-hander Scott Elgin in the series opener on Friday. The sophomore is followed by a pair of juniors, first with left-hander Max Habegger on Saturday before righty Dylan Bierman takes the hill on getaway day.

About Alabama

Alabama heads into the Lipscomb series after a 3-0 weekend with Harvard followed by a midweek win over South Alabama on Tuesday afternoon at Sewell-Thomas Stadium.
The Crimson Tide is currently riding a 13-game winning streak. Over that time, UA is outscoring its opposition, 117-35, and averaging 9.0 runs per game. Alabama has totaled double-digit runs in seven games and rallied for double-digit hit totals in nine contests, eight of which have come at home.
Alabama's hitters have also powered 20 home runs in 13 games. The Tide hitters have hit at least one home run in 11 of 13 games entering this weekend with the Bisons and have recorded multiple homers in five of those contests.
A season-high 19 hits and 14 walks led to 15 runs for UA in a 15-3 win over Harvard on Friday. Alabama scored in five of the final seven innings, highlighted by a seven-run third inning put the game out of reach early. All 13 hitters reached base safely at least once on the day with eight total batters posting multi-hit outings.
Leading the way on offense were seniors Brett Auerbach and Kolby Robinson along with freshman Peyton Wilson, with the group recording three hits apiece. Wilson added a team-high three runs scored and two RBI while Auerbach and Robinson each scored two runs. Freshman Owen Diodati led the team in walks, drawing five on the day to match the program record for a single game.
Connor Prielipp picked up his third win in the Friday start, working a season-long 6.0 innings, allowing only two hits and a walk while striking out a season-high nine batters.
Alabama trailed all afternoon until a wild eight-run eighth inning put the Crimson Tide in front for good on the way to a 10-5 win over Harvard on Saturday.
Both teams went scoreless until the fifth inning when Harvard got on the board with three runs. Alabama was able to chip away with one apiece in the sixth and seventh innings, making it a one-run game heading to the final two frames. In the eighth, the Tide used a wild pitch to even things up followed by an RBI-single from Diodati to put Alabama in front. In the next at-bat, a grounder from Robinson looked like a double play, but an errant throw led to a wild play that featured three total errors and brought in three runs to give UA the decisive lead.
The Crimson Tide completed the series sweep of Harvard with a 6-3 win on Sunday afternoon at The Joe. Alabama moved out front early with three runs in the second before Harvard got on the board with two runs in the third. The Crimson evened things up in the sixth with one run but a solo home run from sophomore T.J. Reeves in the bottom of the seventh put the Crimson Tide in front for good. Alabama added two more in the bottom of the eighth for a cushion on the way to the 6-3 win.
Brock Guffey entered the game in the seventh and was dominant, with the junior allowing no hits and striking out seven across 3.0 frames for his second win of the season.
Alabama baseball won in dominant fashion on Tuesday, coming away with a 12-2 victory over South Alabama.
The Tide's offense put together another big day, totaling 12 runs on 14 hits and three walks. All nine starters contributed at least one run with eight of the nine starters recording at least one hit.
Junior Tyler Gentry led the way, finishing 3-for-5 with two home runs and added a team-high and career-best six RBI to go with three runs. Also homering were redshirt sophomore Sam Praytor and sophomore Drew Williamson. Praytor finished 2-for-5 with the homer, three RBI and one run, while Williamson went 2-for-4 with a home run, an RBI, one run and a walk.
The Crimson Tide pitchers combined to hold USA to only two runs with neither being earned. The arms allowed a season-low tying four hits and issued just two walks while striking out nine Jaguar hitters. Senior Casey Cobb picked up the win thanks to 3.0 scoreless frames that included only one hit and four strikeouts.

About Lipscomb

Jeff Forehand is in the midst of his 15th season at Lipscomb in 2020 and entered the new year with a 358-386 all-time mark in Nashville, part of his career record of 569-528-1 in his 20 years as a head coach. Forehand is joined by pitching coach Grayson Crawford, assistant coach Ryan Price and volunteer assistant coach Jeffrey Crisan.
Lipscomb finished 30-25 overall and 14-10 in ASUN action to finish third overall a season ago.
The Bisons were selected to finish sixth overall in Atlantic Sun in the conference's preseason poll, as voted on by the league's head coaches.

On Deck

Next for Alabama is a quick trip up to Birmingham for a midweek pairing with UAB on Tuesday, March 10. The matchup between the Crimson Tide and Blazers is set for a 6 p.m. start at Regions Field, home of the Double-A Birmingham Barons.

University of Alabama Athletics