Double Midweek for Baseball Brings Tennessee Tech, UT Martin to Tuscaloosa

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – Alabama baseball continues its current five-game homestand with a pair of midweeks at Sewell-Thomas Stadium. The Crimson Tide will first welcome Tennessee Tech to town on Tuesday before hosting UT Martin on Wednesday. Both matchups are set for a 3 p.m. CT first pitch on SEC Network+.

The Tuesday matchup with Tennessee Tech will begin the Crimson Tide's '$2 Tuesday' promotion. 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 in attendance.

Follow the Tide

Fans can follow the midweek games via the below outlets:
Watch: SEC Network+
Listen: 100.9 FM / CTSN / The Varsity App
Twitter: @AlabamaBSB
Live Stats: RollTide.com

Probable Starting Pitching Matchups

TUESDAY: UA – Luke Holman (So., RHP) vs. TTU – Matt Gelorme (Sr., RHP)
WEDNESDAY: UA – TBA vs. UTM – Zach Wager (Fr., LHP)

Leading Off

Alabama and Tennessee Tech will square off for the ninth time in series history when the two teams meet at The Joe on Tuesday. The Tide holds the all-time series advantage, 6-2, including a 6-1 mark in Tuscaloosa.
The Golden Eagles are currently riding a two-game winning streak in the series, having beat the Tide in Tuscaloosa on May 7, 2007, followed by a 6-2 victory in the Clemson Regional on May 30, 2009.
Alabama and UT Martin will meet for the fourth time in series history on Wednesday afternoon. The Skyhawks hold a 2-1 series advantage, including wins in each of the last two pairings.
UTM came away with a 7-6 win last season on March 1 at The Joe, one year removed from a 9-4 victory on Feb. 24 of the 2021 campaign.
Alabama will call on sophomore right-hander Luke Holman for the Tuesday start. Holman, who has appeared in one game already this season, will be making his first career start after entering in relief for 15 games as a freshman. The Crimson Tide's Wednesday starter is still to be announced.
Tennessee Tech will send senior Matt Gelorme to the mound on Tuesday. The right-hander finished last season 3-2 with a 6.69 ERA across 13 appearances, including six starts.
UT Martin will look to freshman left-hander Zach Wager on Wednesday afternoon. Wager made his collegiate debut last weekend, tossing 1.0 scoreless inning with two strikeouts.

About Alabama

Alabama opened the 2023 season with a sweep of Richmond. The Crimson Tide batted .406 across the three games, totaling 41 hits with 13 of those going for extra bases. The hot hitting paired with a strong performance on the mound that saw UA's staff maintain a 1.44 ERA across the series while punching out 31 in 25.0 innings of work.
The Tide began the 2023 campaign with an impressive 12-3 win on Friday afternoon at Sewell-Thomas Stadium.
Richmond gained a 1-0 advantage in the top of the second before the Tide countered with 11 unanswered runs. Alabama plated two in the home half of the second followed by five in the third, three in the fourth and one in the fifth to put the game out of reach.
All nine starters reached base for UA with seven of the nine recording at least one hit. Mac Guscette led the way with a 3-for-4 day that included a double and a homer to go with a team-high four RBI and two runs. Andrew Pinckney matched Guscette with a pair of runs as part of a perfect 4-for-4 day. Pinckney also doubled while adding one RBI.
Grayson Hitt picked up the win with a strong start, tossing 5.0 frames and allowing one unearned run on one hit and three walks with a career-high tying eight strikeouts.
Alabama secured a series win with a 13-1 victory on Saturday. The Tide bats produced 13 runs on 15 hits, scoring in each of the first five frames, while the arms allowed just one run and combined for 12 strikeouts.
Caden Rose highlighted the offensive effort, going 2-for-3 with a home run, a team-high five RBI and one run scored. He was part of nine total batters who tallied at least one run with Jim Jarvis, Pinckney, Dominic Tamez and Drew Williamson all tying for the lead at two runs apiece.
Ben Hess earned the Saturday win, matching his career-high for innings with 6.0 scoreless frames, allowing just three hits and striking out six. He handed the ball over to a pair of freshmen in Riley Quick and Alton Davis II with the pair finishing the final 3.0 frames and combining for six punchouts.
The Crimson Tide completed the series sweep with a 14-1 win on Sunday. Alabama's bats stayed hot, posting runs from the second through the sixth innings to help secure the sweep.
UA's offense was led by Pinckney once again, with the redshirt junior finishing 3-for-4 with a double and one run scored. Tamez, Camden Hayslip and Bryce Eblin all tied for the team-high in RBI with two apiece while Williamson homered as part of a 2-for-3 showing that included one RBI, two runs scored and a walk.
Jacob McNairy continued a streak of strong outings from the Tide starters with 4.0 innings of one-run baseball. McNairy then handed the ball over to Brock Blatter and Zane Probst, with the pair keeping the Spiders off the board for the final 3.0 frames.

About Tennessee Tech

Matt Bragga is in his 17th year at the helm of the Tennessee Tech program and 20th year overall as a collegiate head coach. He entered the 2023 campaign with a career mark of 527-495-3 overall and a 476-419-2 record at Tech. A 1994 graduate of Kentucky, Bragga is assisted by Jim Miksis and former Alabama standout Mikey White along with volunteer assistant Ben Brooks.
The Golden Eagles were selected to finish fifth in the Ohio Valley Conference in the league's preseason poll, as voted on by the conference's head coaches and communications directors.

About UT Martin

Ryan Jenkins is in his sixth year as head coach of the Skyhawks and entered the 2023 season with a 71-145 career record. A 2014 graduate of Auburn, Jenkins is assisted on staff by Pat Cottrell and Bill White along with volunteer assistant Alex Lozado.
UT Martin was selected to finish seventh in the Ohio Valley Conference in the league's preseason poll, as voted on by the conference's head coaches and communications directors.

On Deck

Alabama will make a cross-country trip to Pepperdine this weekend from Feb. 24-26. The Crimson Tide and Waves are scheduled for a 3:30 p.m. first pitch on Friday followed by a pair of 3 p.m. starts for the final two games of the series. All three games will air live on the WCC Network.

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