May Opens for Baseball with Home Series against No. 5 Vanderbilt
5/3/2023 12:49:00 PM | Baseball
The Crimson Tide and Commodores will meet for the 166th time in series history on Thursday
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – Alabama baseball begins its May slate of games this Thursday as the Crimson Tide opens its series with No. 5 Vanderbilt. Games one and two of the series are scheduled for 7 p.m. CT starts with the finale on Saturday slated for 2 p.m. Thursday's contest will air on ESPNU followed by an SEC Network broadcast on Friday and an SEC Network+ game on Saturday.
The series with Vanderbilt will feature numerous promotions across all three games. Thursday will be 'Star Wars Day' at The Joe. The first 500 fans can pick up an Alabama baseball Star Wars-themed koozie at the gates. For game two of the series, the Tide will be handing out Alabama baseball pint glasses to the first 300 fans through the gates. The glass is the fourth of five 'SEC Cup Series' giveaways.
Saturday will be the team's 'Bama Salute' game, honoring active duty and former military members from all service branches. The Tide will offer two free tickets to service members with the opportunity to purchase additional tickets for $5 apiece. (military ID required).
The weekend finale on Saturday will also 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. Additionally, Saturday will be the Tide's fourth 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 fourth pack of cards and stay after the game to get autographs from the group of players featured in Saturday's group.
Follow the TideÂÂ
Fans can follow the series via the below outlets:
Watch: ESPNU (Thursday) / SEC Network (Friday) / SEC Network+ (Saturday)
Listen: 100.9 FM / CTSN / The Varsity App
Twitter: @AlabamaBSB
Live Stats: RollTide.com
Probable Starting Pitching Matchups
THURSDAY: UA – Luke Holman (So., RHP) vs. VU – Carter Holton (So., LHP)
FRIDAY: UA – Garrett McMillan (Sr., RHP) vs. VU – Hunter Owen (Jr., LHP)
SATURDAY: UA – Jacob McNairy (Gr., RHP) vs. VU – Devin Futrell (So., LHP)
Leading Off
- Alabama and Vanderbilt will meet for the 166th time in history when the teams open the series on Thursday night at Sewell-Thomas Stadium. The Tide holds the all-time advantage, 95-67-3, including a 63-34-2 mark at home.
- The two teams last met from May 7-8, 2021, in Nashville with Vandy winning both games of the series. The Commodores claimed a 9-6 win on Friday and clinched the series with a 6-2 victory on Saturday. Game three of the weekend was canceled due to weather after the teams completed 1.0 inning of action.
- Alabama last hosted Vanderbilt at The Joe from April 19-21, 2019. That series resulted in a sweep for VU. Vanderbilt won the three games 7-4, 13-5 and 2-0.
- The Commodores are the Tide's oldest SEC opponent and the fifth-most played opponent in program history.
About Alabama
- Alabama wrapped up last week at 1-3 overall. The Crimson Tide first downed Samford at home on Tuesday before falling in three close games at top-ranked LSU over the weekend.
- The Tide used a five-run eighth to put the game out of reach in a 13-6 win over Samford last Tuesday at The Joe.
- Both teams were scoreless through three innings of play with Alabama plating one in the fourth and two in the fifth for a 3-0 lead. Samford came back with a three-run sixth to tie things up for a short time, as the Tide posted four runs in the home half of that inning to regain the lead.
- The Bulldogs would not go quietly, adding one in the seventh and two in the eighth. Alabama countered with one run in the seventh before the five-run eighth blew it open.
- UA's offense was led by Colby Shelton, Tommy Seidl and Ed Johnson, who each homered in the game. Shelton finished 2-for-4 with a double, one run and a team-high tying four RBI, while Seidl matched Shelton's RBI total and went 2-for-3 with three runs and a walk. Johnson also finished 2-for-3 and contributed a double, three RBI and one run scored.
- Alabama battled in the ninth but came up short in an 8-6 loss at top-ranked LSU last Friday night.
- The Tide trailed 8-1 headed to the ninth but battled until the final out. The Tide used two walks and a two-out double from Seidl to add the first run. Andrew Pinckney followed with a two-run single before a single from Drew Williamson put runners on the corners and forced an LSU pitching change.
- LSU's new relief arm immediately gave up a single to Dominic Tamez that scored Pinckney and made it a two-run affair, but things would get no closer. Pinckney led the offense with a perfect 5-for-5 night that included a double, one home run, three RBI and three runs scored.
- The Crimson Tide suffered a 12-8 loss last Saturday evening at Alex Box Stadium.
- UA held the lead early, jumping out to a 2-0 advantage after the first, thanks in part to a Jim Jarvis solo homer. LSU was able to get one in the bottom of the second, but the Tide came right back with a four-run third.
- The Tigers rallied for three in the home half of the third, but, once again, Alabama answered with one tally in the top of the fourth on a solo home run from Pinckney to make it a 7-4 ballgame. Both teams were held scoreless in the fifth before a four-run bottom of the sixth moved LSU in front by one.
- LSU added one in the seventh to make it a 9-7 affair, but Alabama was able to cut the deficit to one with a run in the eighth. The Tide would get no closer as a three-run bottom of the eighth put things out of reach for the eventual 12-8 final in the Tigers' favor.
- Alabama traded blows with the nation's top-ranked team as the Tide fell, 13-11, in last Sunday's high-scoring affair.
- The two offenses combined for 24 runs and 20 hits on getaway day with at least one team scoring in all nine innings.
- LSU carried a 3-1 lead after three innings, but the Tide answered with three apiece in the fourth and fifth to regain the advantage. A six-run home half of the fifth put LSU in front, but the Tide was able to add one in the sixth to set the score at 9-8 in favor of the Tigers headed to the final three frames.
- Alabama tied things up with one in the seventh before the Tigers regained the lead thanks to a pair of runs after the stretch. LSU was then able to tack on a pair in the eighth to make it a four-run ballgame entering the ninth.
- The Tide cut the lead to two with a two-run home run from Seidl in that ninth and had the tying run at the plate, but a lineout to the gap ended things at 13-11 in favor of LSU.
- UA's offense on Sunday was led by its' 1-2 hitters in Jarvis and Seidl. Jarvis finished 3-for-5 with two doubles, two RBI, a pair of runs and one walk, while Seidl went 3-for-5 with a homer, two RBI, two runs and a hit-by-pitch. Also homering was Williamson, who went 1-for-4 with a solo shot and two walks.
About Vanderbilt
- Tim Corbin is in his 21st season at Vanderbilt and 26th season overall as a collegiate head coach. He entered the 2023 campaign with an 841-400-1 mark at Vandy, part of a 947-538-1 career record. A 1984 graduate of Ohio Wesleyan, Corbin is joined on staff by associate head coach Scott Brown along with assistant coach Mike Baxter and volunteer assistant Tyler Shewmaker.
- Vanderbilt finished the 2022 campaign at 39-23 overall, including a 14-16 mark in Southeastern Conference play. The Commodores advanced to the NCAA Corvallis Regional where host Oregon State eliminated Vandy from postseason play.
- The Commodores were selected to finish third in the Eastern Division and tied for sixth overall in the SEC in the league's preseason poll, as voted on by the conference's head coaches.
Getting that Degree
- The University of Alabama will hold its annual Spring Commencement ceremonies this weekend. The graduation ceremonies will include 10 current players and one former Alabama baseball standout.
- The group of current players getting their degree prior to Saturday's game includes Ryan Guardino (master's), William Hamiter, Hunter Hoopes, Jim Jarvis, Antoine Jean, Ed Johnson (master's), Jacob McNairy (master's), Andrew Pinckney, Tommy Seidl (MBA) and Drew Williamson (master's).
- Additionally, former Alabama standout and Major Leaguer Adam Morgan will return to walk across the stage.
On Deck
Alabama will travel to Montgomery for a neutral site contest with Troy on Tuesday, May 9. The Crimson Tide and Trojans are scheduled for a 6 p.m. first pitch at Riverwalk Stadium, home to the Double-A Montgomery Biscuits. Fans can tune in to all the action live on the Crimson Tide Sports Radio Network.
