In-State Matchup for Baseball Brings UAB to The Joe
3/20/2023 4:00:00 PM | Baseball
The Crimson Tide and Blazers will meet for the 83rd time in series history on Tuesday
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – Alabama returns to Tuscaloosa this week to begin a four-game stretch at Sewell-Thomas Stadium. The homestand opens with UAB on Tuesday at 6 p.m. CT. The in-state pairing will air live on SEC Network+.
The Tuesday matchup with UAB will continue the Crimson Tide's '$2 Tuesday' promotion. The deal is one of Alabama's season-long promotions at The Joe. Tuesday's contest will feature $2 reserved tickets for all fans in attendance. Also on Tuesday, Alabama softball head coach Patrick Murphy will be throwing out the ceremonial first pitch.
Follow the Tide
Fans can follow the midweek via the below outlets:
Watch: SEC Network+
Listen: 100.9 FM / CTSN / The Varsity App
Twitter: @AlabamaBSB
Live Stats: RollTide.com
Probable Starting Pitching Matchup
TUESDAY: UA – Jacob McNairy (Gr., RHP) vs. UAB – TBA
Leading Off
• Alabama and UAB will meet for the 83rd time in history and first time this season when the teams square off on Tuesday night at Sewell-Thomas Stadium. The Crimson Tide leads the all-time series, 55-27, including a 30-10 mark at home.
• The most recent pairing between the Tide and Blazers came on April 19 of last season. That game finished in favor of UAB, 7-6. The teams met earlier in the 2022 campaign on March 23 in Birmingham with the Blazers earning a 5-4 win at Regions Field.
• Alabama will send right-hander Jacob McNairy to the mound on Tuesday evening. The graduate is making his fifth start of the season and owns a 2-1 record
• UAB has yet to announce a starting pitcher for Tuesday.
About Alabama
• Alabama welcomes UAB to Sewell-Thomas Stadium after finishing last week at 2-2. The Crimson Tide first shut out South Alabama in Mobile on Tuesday before claiming one win in the three-game series at second-ranked Florida.
• The Tide pitching staff struck out 37 across 34.1 innings on the week while limiting opposing hitters to a .200 average. Included in that number was a .237 mark by Florida's high-powered offense across the series. The Gators entered SEC play averaging 11.0 runs and 12.0 hits per game with the Tide staff limiting UF to 4.7 runs and 7.3 hits per contest.
• Luke Holman and Alton Davis II combined to shut out South Alabama 4-0 last Tuesday evening at Stanky Field.
• Holman was impressive, picking up his team-leading fourth win of the year. The sophomore tossed a career-high 7.0 innings of scoreless baseball, allowing just three hits while striking out nine. Davis II followed with 2.0 frames that included one punchout to secure the victory.
• UA's offense in Mobile was powered by Will Hodo, who finished 2-for-4 with a home run, three RBI and a run scored.
• Alabama suffered a 3-0 loss at Florida last Thursday evening at Condron Family Ballpark.
• A pitchers' duel saw both teams combine for only four hits in the game. The two high-powered offenses were held scoreless until the sixth when a two-run homer got UF on the board. The Gators then added one more in the seventh.
• Alabama's arms kept pace with the Gators' starter, first with Hagan Banks. The Tide starter tossed 3.1 scoreless frames with two punchouts. He was followed by Hunter Furtado who was tagged with the loss. The junior worked a career-high 4.2 innings and allowed two runs on two hits and two walks with four punchouts.
• The Crimson Tide split a doubleheader with the Gators last Friday. Florida was able to mount a late comeback for an 8-7 walkoff win in game one, with Alabama claiming a 6-3 win in the finale.
• Both two teams traded runs in game one, with the Tide jumping out front early thanks to a three-run first. Florida then evened things up in the home half on a high fly ball that caught the wind and sailed over the wall in right.
• Alabama crossed one in the second and one in the fifth to make it a 5-3 ballgame, but UF evened things up with one apiece in the fifth and sixth. The Crimson Tide moved back in front with a run in the seventh but was matched again with a single Gator tally.
• The Tide regained the lead again in the top of the eighth thanks to a Colby Shelton home run but a two-run ninth helped Florida walk it off.
• Alabama's offense was led by Drew Williamson, with the graduate finishing 4-for-5 with a double, a home run, five RBI and one run scored. Shelton also added a home run as part of his 1-for-3 day that included an RBI, one run scored and a hit-by-pitch.
• The Crimson Tide bounced back in the nightcap with a 6-3 win in the series finale.
• Alabama put up three in the first with UF countering for two in the home half. The Tide then added one in the second before the teams went scoreless until the seventh when the Gators made it a one-run affair. The Tide went to the eighth looking for insurance and got it by way of a two-run home run from Caden Rose.
• Grayson Hitt picked up the win, throwing 5.2 innings and allowing two runs on four hits and four walks with five punchouts. Hitt turned the ball over to his bullpen with Zane Probst and Kade Woods limiting the Gators over the final 3.1 frames. Woods notched his first save of the season, striking out all seven of the batters he faced to secure the win for the Tide.
About UAB
• Casey Dunn is in his 19th season as a collegiate head coach and his second at UAB. Dunn entered his second season with the Blazers holding a career 587-463 mark. A 1999 graduate of Auburn, Dunn is joined on staff by associate head coach B.J. Green, assistant coach Alan Kunkel and volunteer assistant Frankie Navarrete.
• UAB finished the 2022 season at 31-25 overall, including a 13-17 mark in Conference USA action.
• The Blazers were selected to finish tied for sixth in Conference USA in the league's preseason poll, as voted on by the conference's head coaches.
On Deck
Alabama will welcome 22nd-ranked Kentucky to town for a three-game weekend series. The Crimson Tide and Wildcats are scheduled for a 6 p.m. first pitch in Friday's opener followed by a pair of 2 p.m. starts on both Saturday and Sunday. Games one and two will air on SEC Network+ with the series finale being broadcast nationally on SEC Network.
