Iron Bowl of Baseball – Alabama and Auburn this Weekend at The Joe
4/13/2023 3:05:00 PM | Baseball
The Crimson Tide and Tigers will meet for the 305th time in series history on Friday
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – Alabama baseball will welcome in-state rival Auburn to Sewell-Thomas Stadium this weekend for a three-game series. The first two matchups are scheduled for a 6 p.m. CT first pitch with Sunday's finale slated for 1 p.m. All three games will air live on SEC Network+.
The weekend with Auburn will feature numerous promotions across all three games of the series. Friday will be 'Food Truck Friday' with a food truck located in right field that features a unique food option available to all fans. This weekend's vendor will be World of Beer.
Game two of the series will be the Tide's celebration of the 1983 College World Series team. Numerous members of the 1983 squad along with head coach Barry Shollenberger will be in attendance and take part in pregame ceremonies. As part of Saturday's celebration, UA will be handing out '83 team tumblers for the third of five 'SEC Cup Series' giveaways. The first 350 fans can pick up their cup upon arrival at The Joe.
The weekend finale on Sunday will continue 'Kids' Day at The Joe'. All kids 18-and-under can purchase a $5 general admission ticket. Children will also have the chance to run the bases postgame. Sunday will also be the Tide's third baseball card giveaway of the 2023 season. The trading cards are part of a season-long promotion highlighting the 2023 roster. Kids can get their third pack of cards and stay after the game to get autographs from the group of players featured in Sunday's group.
Follow the Tide
Fans can follow the series 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
FRIDAY: UA – Luke Holman (So., RHP) vs. AU – Tommy Vail (Gr., LHP)
SATURDAY: UA – Grayson Hitt (Jr., LHP) vs. AU – Drew Nelson (Fr., LHP)
SUNDAY: UA – TBA vs. AU – TBA
Leading Off
- Alabama and Auburn will meet for the 305th time in history when the two teams open the weekend set on Friday evening at Sewell-Thomas Stadium. The Crimson Tide owns the all-time series advantage, 165-139, including an 82-50 mark at home.
- The Tide and Tigers met for only two games last season from May 13-14. Auburn earned a 3-2 win in the series opener and clinched the series with a 6-4 win on Saturday. The series finale on Sunday was delayed by 20 minutes and was eventually delayed due to lightning in the bottom of the fifth tied at 1-1. The delay continued until 6:25 p.m. when the game was officially called.
- Alabama last hosted Auburn at The Joe from April 15-17, 2021. The Tide walked it off in the 10th inning of game one for an 8-7 victory. The Tigers evened things up with a 5-4 win in game two before UA walked it off again, 10-9, to clinch the series win in the finale.
About Alabama
- Alabama enters the weekend with Auburn at 2-2 over the last four games. The Crimson Tide claimed one win in last weekend's series with Mississippi State and most recently blanked Southern Miss, 13-0, on Tuesday.
- The Tide recorded a 13-0 shutout win over Southern Miss on Tuesday night at Sewell-Thomas Stadium.
- Alabama wasted no time getting on the board on Tuesday, posting a pair of runs in the bottom of the first. After a leadoff home run from Colby Shelton started the fifth, the offense left no doubt, adding six more runs in that frame. The Tide then posted two runs apiece in the sixth and eighth innings for insurance.
- The offense on Tuesday was led by Drew Williamson, who finished 4-for-5 with an RBI and two runs scored. William Hamiter led UA in RBI with three as part of a 1-for-2 night that included also included a walk and a run scored.
- Alabama's offense was complimented by a strong effort from the pitching staff. Jacob McNairy got things started, tossing 4.2 innings and striking out four with no walks for the midweek win. McNairy then gave way to the bullpen, with five different arms combining to hold USM hitless over the final 4.1 frames.
- The Crimson Tide battled for three in the ninth but was unable to get any closer in a 12-8 loss to Mississippi State last Thursday evening in Tuscaloosa.
- A back-and-forth game saw both teams score in over half the innings with a six-run seventh for MSU proving the difference. The Bulldogs led off with a two-run first and added one in the second. Alabama answered with one in the second and a two-spot in the third to even things up.
- The Tide took hold of the lead with one in the fourth before MSU matched with a single tally in the top of the fifth. State then posted six in the seventh and one apiece in the eighth and ninth. Alabama was able to get one in the seventh and rally for three in the ninth but could get no closer.
- Alabama's offense was led by the 3-4-5 hitters in Ed Johnson, Jim Jarvis and Hamiter. Johnson paced the Tide in hits with a 3-for-5 effort that included an RBI and one run scored. Jarvis and Hamiter each recorded a solo home run and two runs scored with Hamiter driving in a team-high three RBI.
- The Crimson Tide secured a run-rule victory in seven innings with an 11-1 win over the Bulldogs last Friday.
- Alabama was first on the board with a five-run second that would prove more than enough. State was next to score with one in the top of the fifth, but a three-run home half of that inning put the game at 8-1. The Tide then added two in the sixth with an RBI-single from Will Portera in the seventh ending things early.
- Dominic Tamez led the offense with a two-homer outing. The junior added a team-high four RBI and two runs scored to his stat line. Also homering was Johnson, who finished 2-for-3 with three RBI and a run. Williamson rounded out the multi-hit performances for UA, with the first baseman going 2-for-4 and adding three RBI, one run and a walk.
- Luke Holman earned the win in his start, tossing 5.2 innings of one-run ball and giving up three hits while walking a pair with four Ks. Alton Davis II also highlighted the pitching effort, tossing 1.0 scoreless frame with two strikeouts.
- Alabama suffered an 8-4 loss to State last Saturday evening.
- Things were tied at two apiece after one inning of play with MSU adding a run in the top of the third. Alabama then took the lead thanks to a two-run home run from Williamson in the bottom of the fifth.
- Both teams were scoreless through the sixth with a two-run seventh giving Mississippi State the lead once again. The Bulldogs added two more in the eighth and one in the ninth for the series-clinching win.
- Grayson Hitt posted a quality start for the Crimson Tide, but it was not enough against the Bulldogs. The junior allowed three runs on four hits and four walks with a career-high nine strikeouts across his 6.0 innings of work.
About Auburn
- Butch Thompson is in his ninth season as a collegiate head coach and eighth overall at Auburn. He entered the 2023 campaign with a career 261-185 mark, including a 222-164 record on the Plains. A graduate of Birmingham-Southern, Thompson is assisted on staff by Gabe Gross, Karl Nonemaker and Daron Schoenrock.
- Auburn finished the 2022 season at 43-22 overall, including a 16-13 record in Southeastern Conference play. The Tigers hosted and won an NCAA Regional before clinching a spot in Omaha with an NCAA Super Regional win in Corvallis, Ore. AU finished 1-2 at the College World Series.
- The Tigers were selected to finish sixth in the Western Division and 12th in the SEC in the league's preseason poll, as voted on by the conference's head coaches.
Honoring the 1983 Team
- Alabama will be recognizing the 1983 team as part of Saturday's contest with Auburn.
- The 1983 squad went 46-11 overall and 14-7 in Southeastern Conference play. The team clinched Alabama's first SEC Tournament crown on the way to securing a spot in the NCAA South Regional in Tallahassee, Fla. UA finished a perfect 3-0 in Tallahassee to earn a berth in Omaha for the first time since 1950.
- Alabama claimed three wins at the CWS and finished as the national runner-up following a one-run loss to Texas in the national title game.
- The 1983 team was led by Barry Shollenberger, who coached at UA from 1980-94. Coach Shollenberger won 487 career games for the Tide, the second-most wins by any head coach in program history. He is one of only three coaches in the Tide's storied past to lead a team to Omaha.
On Deck
Alabama will take to the road for a midweek matchup with UAB on Tuesday, April 18. First pitch between the Crimson Tide and Blazers is scheduled for 6 p.m. at Regions Field, home of the Double-A Birmingham Barons.
