Baseball Returns Home for Tuesday Contest with Samford

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – Alabama baseball makes a quick stop at home on Tuesday as the Crimson Tide hosts Samford at Sewell-Thomas Stadium. First pitch for the in-state matchup is scheduled for 6 p.m. CT with the game airing on SEC Network+.

The Tuesday pairing with Samford 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. UA will also be giving away script 'A' hats to the first 500 fans through the gates for the midweek game. Also on Tuesday, Alabama head football coach Nick Saban will throw out the game's 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 – Brayden Gainey (Sr., RHP) vs. SAM – Jacob Newman (So., RHP)

Leading Off

Alabama and Samford will meet for the 113th time in history and second time this season when the teams square off on Tuesday evening at Sewell-Thomas Stadium. The Crimson Tide leads the all-time series, 97-15, including a 76-9 mark at The Joe.
The two in-state foes met earlier this season in Birmingham on Tuesday, March 7. Alabama came away with an 11-6 win at Joe Lee Griffin Field, using a strong start from Luke Holman and five home runs to earn the victory.
Samford's last trip to Tuscaloosa came on April 5 of last season. The Tide claimed a 10-1 win in that contest.

About Alabama

Alabama finished the week at 3-1, first falling at UAB on Tuesday before sweeping Missouri in Columbia last weekend.
The Tide totaled 38 hits on the week, 20 of which went for extra-bases. Included in that total was eight doubles, a triple and 11 home runs with nine of those homers coming at Missouri over the weekend.
Alabama's nine homers in Columbia were the most in an SEC series since May 16-17, 2008, when the Tide hit 10 across three games at Georgia. It also topped the 2023 team's season-high for conference play of seven at Arkansas from March 31-April 2.
Six different players homered with Andrew Pinckney leading the way at four. The redshirt junior tallied one homer in each of the four games and led UA in total bases with 17. Colby Shelton and Tommy Seidl each homered twice with Caden Rose, Dominic Tamez and Jaxson West rounding out the group.
Alabama's pitching staff also excelled during the week, maintaining an impressive 2.17 ERA (9 ER/37.1 IP). The Tide struck out 40 while limiting the opposition to a .192 average. The Tide maintained the lowest ERA and allowed the fewest earned runs among SEC teams during the week while tying for the fewest hits (25) and runs (14) allowed.
Alton Davis II highlighted the pitching group, tallying two more saves with one each in the bookend games of the Missouri series. He struck out six while allowing just two hits with no walks in 5.1 innings of work.
The Tide suffered a 4-3 loss to UAB last Tuesday at Regions Field.
Alabama gained a 2-0 advantage in the top of the third on a two-run homer from Pinckney. The Tide maintained that lead until the fifth when an error helped the Blazers even things up with a pair of runs, one of which was unearned.
UAB then pulled ahead in the seventh when a second miscue led to an eventual sacrifice fly. Alabama was able to tie things up in the top of the ninth on a Seidl solo homer to send the game to extras. The tie was broken in the 11th when one more error allowed the winning run to cross for the Blazers.
Alabama used a three-homer sixth inning to pull ahead for a 6-4 win over Missouri last Friday night at Taylor Stadium.
Friday's scoring began with one run apiece for both teams in the first. Missouri then took the lead with a two-run fifth before Alabama used a four-run sixth to pull in front for good.
The sixth began with a solo home run from Tamez. He was immediately followed by Pinckney's solo shot to even things up at three. Then, with one down and a man on, West hit his first career home run to put UA in front. Missouri added one in the sixth but was countered by a Tide run in the seventh for the 6-4 final.
Alabama totaled 11 hits on Friday night, five of which went for extra bases. Tamez led the offense with a 4-for-5 showing that included a homer, a double, one RBI and a team-high two runs scored.
The win in game one went to Hagan Banks, who allowed one run on two hits with three strikeouts in 2.2 innings of relief. Banks was followed by Davis II, with the freshman tossing a then-season-high 2.1 scoreless innings. He allowed just one hit while striking out three for his fourth save in as many chances.
Steady offense helped UA to a 10-4 win last Saturday in Columbia.
Alabama scored in seven of the nine frames in game two and finished with 15 hits and five walks on the way to 10 runs. The Tide crossed one in the first and added three in the fourth for the 4-0 advantage. Missouri got on the board with one in the fourth but was answered by UA with a single tally in the fifth.
The Tigers were able to cut the lead to one with a three-run fifth but were held scoreless the rest of the way. Alabama took advantage of the drought, posting single tallies in the sixth, eighth and ninth with a two-run seventh in between for five unanswered runs to ensure the win.
UA reached the leadoff man in seven of the nine innings, including home runs to start the seventh and ninth. The homer in the seventh came from Shelton, who led the Alabama offense with a 3-for-5 night that included a double, two home runs, four RBI and two runs scored. UA's roundtripper in the ninth was off the bat of Pinckney, who finished 2-for-3 with an RBI, two runs and one stolen base. Also homering was Rose, who added a solo shot in the seventh.
Hunter Hoopes earned the win in his first appearance, contributing 1.1 scoreless frames with a hit, a walk and two strikeouts. Riley Quick finished things off, securing his second save with 2.1 innings that included two punchouts.
Alabama completed the sweep of Missouri with a 3-2 win on Sunday afternoon.
Runs were hard to come by in the series finale, with both pitchers posting zeros until the sixth. That inning saw the Tide strike first thanks to a Seidl solo homer that broke up Missouri's no-hit bid. The Tigers came right back in the home half, using a wild pitch to score a man from third and even things up.
Alabama countered with a solo homer from Pinckney and a two-out single from Mac Guscette to make it a 3-1 ballgame headed to the stretch. Missouri battled for one in the seventh, but Davis II was able to limit the damage and keep it at 3-2 ballgame, the eventual final.
Jacob McNairy tossed 5.2 innings of one-run baseball with three hits, two walks and a season-high tying six punchouts. Davis II picked up his fifth save of the season and second of the weekend with 3.0 scoreless frames. The freshman allowed one hit while striking out three to close out the sweep. The win went to Kade Woods.

About Samford

A longtime assistant at Samford, Tony David is in his second season at the helm of the Bulldogs' program after finishing 28-29 in his first campaign as a collegiate head coach. David is joined on staff by associate head coach Tyler Shrout along with assistant Brad Moss and volunteer assistant Cam Shepherd.
The Bulldogs were selected to finish fourth in the SoCon in the league's preseason poll, as voted on by the conference's head coaches. Samford was also predicted to finish third in the preseason media poll.

On Deck

Alabama will return to the road as the Tide travels to Baton Rouge to take on top-ranked LSU from April 28-30. First pitch in games one and two is scheduled for 6 p.m. with the series finale slated for 1 p.m. The series opener will be broadcast nationally on SEC Network with the final to contests set to air on SEC Network+.

University of Alabama Athletics