Midweek Action Begins for Baseball as Tide Hosts Middle Tennessee, Alabama State
2/19/2024 4:09:00 PM | Baseball
The Crimson Tide welcomes the Blue Raiders to The Joe on Tuesday before the Hornets arrive on Wednesday
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – Alabama baseball begins midweek play this Tuesday at Sewell-Thomas Stadium when the Crimson Tide hosts Middle Tennessee. The Alabama State Hornets then come to town on Wednesday afternoon. Both matchups are scheduled for a 4 p.m. CT start on SEC Network+.
The Crimson Tide will have two separate promotions for its midweeks with Middle Tennessee and Alabama State. Tuesday's matchup with the Blue Raiders will be the first '$2 Tuesday' at The Joe. The deal is one of Alabama's season-long promotions, featuring $2 reserved tickets for all fans in attendance. On Wednesday, fans can get in free by presenting their Alabama men's basketball ticket at the gate.
Follow the Tide
Fans can follow the midweeks 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 – Greg Farone (Sr., LHP) vs. MT – TBA
WEDNESDAY: UA – Zane Adams (Fr., LHP) vs. ASU – TBA
Leading Off
• Alabama and Middle Tennessee will meet for the 31st time in series history when the two clubs meet at The Joe on Tuesday afternoon. The Crimson Tide holds a 21-9 advantage in the series, including a 16-7 mark in Tuscaloosa.
• The two teams last met for a midweek game on March 28 of last season at Toyota Field in Huntsville. The Crimson Tide came out on top, 10-4.
• Alabama and Alabama State will meet for the 11th time in series history when the two teams square off on Wednesday afternoon. The Tide holds the all-time series advantage, 10-0, including a 9-0 mark in Tuscaloosa.
• The two teams last met on March 8, 2023 in Tuscaloosa, with Alabama coming out on top, 21-7 in seven innings.
About Alabama
• Alabama opened the 2024 campaign with a series sweep of Manhattan. The 17th-ranked Crimson Tide recorded a shutout in the first two games of the series while posting double-digit runs in the final two contests of the weekend.
• The Tide began the new year with a 4-0 win over Manhattan on Opening Day.
• Alabama's offense wasted no time scoring, plating a pair of runs in the first thanks to a throwing error by Manhattan. The Crimson Tide followed with another two-spot in the home half of the third, highlighted by doubles from TJ McCants and Ian Petrutz to move the lead to 4-0, the eventual final.
• Ben Hess picked up the win with a strong start, tossing 4.0 scoreless frames. He allowed just one hit and issued two walks while punching out nine, including the first six batters he faced. Hess turned the ball over to the duo of Hagan Banks and Braylon Myers who combined for six strikeouts over the final 5.0 innings to secure the shutout victory.
• McCants led the offense with a 2-for-4 day that included the double, two runs and a pair of stolen bases. Evan Sleight also finished with two hits, going 2-for-4 with an RBI.
• Alabama clinched the series with a 15-0 victory on Saturday.
• The Tide offense came out hot early, tallying a run in the first before a pair of four-run frames in the second and third inning. UA crossed another run in the fourth and posted a five-spot in the home half of the fifth to push the score to 15-0.
• UA's offense finished with 12 hits and eight walks on the way to 15 runs. McCants and Mac Guscette led UA at the plate, both recording three-hit efforts. McCants went 3-for-5 with two doubles, two RBI, a pair of runs scored, one walk and a stolen base, while Guscette finished a perfect 3-for-3 with two runs, a hit-by-pitch and a team-high four RBI.
• Riley Quick earned the win in his first career start, working 3.0 innings and striking out five while walking one. Quick handed the ball off to the bullpen, with a collection of four arms combining for five punchouts while allowing just one hit and no walks across the final 4.0 frames.
• The Tide held off Manhattan for an 11-8 win on Sunday afternoon to complete the series sweep.
• After four full, the score was set at 9-3 in favor of Alabama, but the Jaspers were able to add three in the fifth and one in the sixth to make it a two-run ballgame. Alabama returned the favor with a solo home run from Will Hodo in the bottom of the sixth. Each team added one apiece across the final three frames with the game finishing at 11-8.
• Alabama recorded 14 total hits on the afternoon, five of which were home runs including four that went over the fence. Hodo was joined in the home run column by Gage Miller, McCants and Sleight while Justin Lebron hustled for an inside-the-park homer.
• Aidan Moza got the win, while Alton Davis II earned his first save of the year, holding Manhattan scoreless over the final 2.0 innings.
About Middle Tennessee
• Jerry Meyers enters his second season in Murfreesboro and has been a part of the Blue Raiders' program for three years. Entering the 2024 campaign, Meyers owned a 27-29 mark at Middle Tennessee and a career record of 185-179, which includes his six seasons at Old Dominion. A 1987 graduate of Iowa State, Meyers is joined on staff by associate head coach Kevin Nichols along with assistant coaches Ryan Huber and Adam Wisniewski.
• Middle Tennessee finished the 2023 season with a 27-29 record, including a 14-16 mark in Conference USA play.
• MTSU was selected to finish sixth in C-USA in the league's preseason poll, as voted on by the head coaches.
About Alabama State
• Jose' Vazquez enters his eighth season at Alabama State in 2024 and has been part of the Hornets' program for 13 years. Entering the 2024 season, Vazquez owned a 201-139 career record, all at ASU. A 2002 graduate of Bethune-Cookman, Vazquez is joined on staff by associate head coach Drew Clark, assistant coach Branch Kloess and graduate assistant Trent Jamison.
• Alabama State finished the 2023 season with a 41-18 record, including a 26-4 mark in SWAC action.
• The Hornets were selected to finish atop the Eastern Division and second overall in the SWAC in the league's preseason poll, as voted on by the conference's head coaches and sports information directors.
On Deck
Alabama will wrap up its current eight-game homestand when the Tide hosts Valparaiso at The Joe this weekend. The Crimson Tide and Crusaders are scheduled for a 4 p.m. first pitch in the series opener on Friday. The two teams will then meet at 2 p.m. on Saturday followed by a 1 p.m. start in the finale. All three games of the weekend will air on SEC Network+.
