Baseball Welcomes Jacksonville State, Alabama State to Tuscaloosa
2/21/2022 3:30:00 PM | Baseball
The Crimson Tide hosts the Gamecocks on Tuesday before a Wednesday pairing with the Hornets
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – Alabama baseball is set to square off with a pair of in-state opponents in the midweek as the Crimson Tide hosts Jacksonville State on Tuesday followed by a Wednesday matchup with Alabama State. The Tide and Gamecocks are scheduled for a 12 p.m. CT first pitch while the Wednesday's schedule features a 3 p.m. start. Both contests will air live on SEC Network+.
The Tuesday matchup with JSU will begin the Crimson Tide's '$2 Tuesday' promotion sponsored by Zeigler Meats. The deal is one of Alabama's season-long promotions at Sewell-Thomas Stadium. Tuesday's contest will feature $2 reserved tickets for all fans. Once inside The Joe, those in attendance can take advantage of $2 hot dogs at all concession stands.
Follow the Tide
Fans can follow the midweek games via the below outlets:
Watch: SEC Network+
Listen: 100.9 FM / CTSN / TuneIn App
Twitter: @AlabamaBSB
Live Stats: RollTide.com
Probable Starting Pitching Matchups
TUESDAY: UA – Jacob McNairy (Sr., RHP) vs. JSU – Jake Peppers (So., RHP)
WEDNESDAY: UA – TBA vs. ASU – TBA
Leading Off
• Alabama and Jacksonville State will square off for the 44th time in series history when the two teams meet at The Joe on Tuesday. The Tide holds the all-time series advantage, 33-10, including a 27-7 mark in Tuscaloosa.
• The Crimson Tide came away victorious in last season's pair of games. Alabama won the initial meeting, 5-2, in Jacksonville on Feb. 23 before claiming a 7-2 win in Tuscaloosa on March 10. The pair of wins extended UA's winning streak to five straight games.
• Alabama and Alabama State will meet for the ninth time in series history when the two teams square off on Wednesday afternoon at Sewell-Thomas Stadium. The Crimson Tide holds the all-time advantage, 8-0, including a 7-0 mark in Tuscaloosa.
• The Tide and Hornets last met on Feb. 19, 2020, with the Tide claiming a 10-3 victory in the midweek.
• Alabama will send senior right-hander Jacob McNairy to the mound for Tuesday's matchup. The Crimson Tide's starter for Wednesday is still to be announced.
• Jacksonville State will look to sophomore right-hander Jake Peppers for the start. Peppers finished his rookie campaign at 0-3 with a 6.28 ERA (20 ER/28.2 IP) in 2021.
• Alabama State's starter is still to be announced.
About Alabama
• Alabama wrapped up Opening Weekend at 3-0, downing the Xavier Musketeers in a three-game set in Tuscaloosa.
• It marked the fourth time in five seasons that the Crimson Tide has recorded a sweep in the season-opening series under head coach Brad Bohannon. The Tide also improved to 37-3 in February during Bohannon's tenure.
• Alabama opened the 2022 campaign in walkoff fashion, downing Xavier, 5-4, on Friday. Owen Diodati walked it off for UA on a two-run home run that capped a four-run ninth inning.
• The Tide trailed by three to start the ninth but a solo home run from Dominic Tamez to open the frame cut the lead to two. A double from Zane Denton put a runner on for William Hamiter, who followed with a double of his own to bring in Denton and make it a one-run ballgame.
• Diodati proceeded to hammer the first pitch he saw over the wall in right to send the Tide home victorious on Opening Day. Tamez led the offense with a 2-for-4 afternoon that featured a pair of solo home runs, two RBI and two runs scored. Redshirt senior Brock Guffey worked 2.0 scoreless innings and recorded three strikeouts to pick up the win.
• The Tide held off a late push by the Musketeers to secure the 5-4 win on Saturday.
• Xavier took the early lead with a first-inning home run, but Alabama answered with four in the bottom of the second. Both teams went scoreless until the seventh when the Musketeers were able to cross one. Xavier added another tally in the eighth to make it a one-run affair.
• Alabama then widened the gap with an insurance run in the home half of the eighth thanks to a solo homer from Drew Williamson. That extra run would prove crucial as Xavier was able to plate one in the ninth and reach a pair with two down before a Tide pitching change.
• Guffey entered for a second consecutive game, picking up the save on Saturday. The Tide reliever took the hill with runners on first and second and two down. A hit-by-pitch loaded them up, but the left-hander managed to get a 4-3 groundout to end the ballgame in UA's favor. Hunter Furtado picked up the win in his Alabama debut, tossing 3.0 scoreless relief innings and striking out four.
• Alabama completed the series sweep of Xavier with a 9-4 win on Sunday. The Tide scored one in the second before putting up a four-spot in the bottom of the third to put the game out of reach.
• UA then added one in the fifth, two in the seventh and one in the eighth, scoring in five of the eight frames on Sunday. • All nine starters reached base safely in the series finale with eight of the nine recording at least one hit. Seven of the Tide's nine starters contributed at least one run while six posted an RBI by day's end.
• Leading the offensive charge was Tommy Seidl. The Harvard transfer finished 3-for-4 with a double, two RBI, two runs and a walk. Jim Jarvis matched Seidl for the team-high in runs with two, part of his 2-for-4 showing that included an RBI. Hamiter also contributed a multi-hit effort, going 2-for-5 with a pair of doubles and adding one run.
• Tide starter Grayson Hitt earned the win, tossing 4.0 scoreless frames while striking out a career-high six batters.
About Jacksonville State
• Jim Case is in his 21st year at the helm of the Jacksonville State program and enters Tuesday's matchup with a career record of 619-504 - all at JSU. A 1983 graduate of Louisiana Tech, Case is assisted by Mike Murphree and Evan Bush along with volunteer assistant and former Alabama player/student coach Kyle Cameron.
• The Gamecocks were selected to finish fourth in the ASUN Conference in the league's preseason poll, as voted on by the conference's head coaches.
About Alabama State
• Jose Vazquez is in his sixth season at ASU and owns a 127-98 career mark as a head coach entering the new week. A 2003 graduate of Alabama State, Vazquez is joined on staff by associate head coach Drew Clark, assistant coach Matt Crane and volunteer assistant Branch Kloess.
• The Hornets were selected to finish second in the Eastern Division and third overall in the SWAC in the league's preseason poll, as voted on by the conference head coaches and sports information directors.
On Deck
Alabama will take to the road for a weekend series in Austin, Texas, against the nation's top-ranked Texas Longhorns. The series will begin on Friday night at 7 p.m. followed by a 1:30 p.m. start in game two. Things wrap up on Sunday afternoon with a 2:30 p.m. first pitch. All three contests will air live on the Longhorn Network.
