Final Non-Conference Weekend Series for Baseball Brings Lipscomb to Town

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – Alabama baseball will host Lipscomb for its final non-conference weekend series of the 2024 season. The 13^th-ranked Crimson Tide and Bisons are scheduled for an 11 a.m. CT first pitch on Friday, a change from the originally scheduled 6 p.m. start. The two teams will then square off at 6 p.m. on Saturday followed by 1 p.m. on Sunday. All three games of the series will air on SEC Network+.

This weekend's series with Lipscomb will feature numerous promotions. The theme for this weekend will be 'Spring Break at The Joe' with a different giveaway and/or ticket promo each day. On Friday, fans can get their second 'Gameday at The Joe' button. The buttons are part of a season-long promotion on the weekends and will be handed out at each series opener.

At Saturday's matchup, fans can pick up an Alabama baseball Hawaiian T-shirt as they enter through the gates. Saturday will also feature free admission for anyone attending the Crimson Tide men's basketball game. Fans can present their men's basketball ticket to attend the baseball game for free.

Sunday's series finale will be 'Big Al's Kids Club Day' at The Joe. The Sunday contest will feature free admission for BAKC members along with $5 tickets for parents. All current members will receive an e-mail with instructions on how to receive their complimentary tickets.

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 – Ben Hess (Jr., RHP) vs. LU – Alex Brewer (Gr., RHP)
SATURDAY: UA – Greg Farone (Sr., LHP) vs. LU – Michael Dunkelberger (Gr., LHP)
SUNDAY: UA – TBA vs. LU – TBA

Leading Off

• Alabama and Lipscomb will meet for the ninth time in series history when the two teams square off on Friday evening at Sewell-Thomas Stadium. The Crimson Tide holds the all-time advantage, 6-2, including a 4-1 record in Tuscaloosa.
• The Crimson Tide and Bisons last met from March 6-8, 2020, in Tuscaloosa, with Alabama taking two of three in the series. The three games against the Bisons that weekend represented the last series for the Tide before the COVID-19 pandemic canceled the remainder of the season. The Tide claimed a 2-1 win in extra innings on Friday night before dropping Saturday's contest, 2-3. UA bounced back with a 14-2 win on Sunday to claim the series.

About Alabama

• The Crimson Tide enters the weekend with Lipscomb having gone 3-1 over the last four games. Alabama went 2-1 in Frisco, Texas, last weekend at the Frisco Classic before downing Troy, 8-7, on Wednesday afternoon in Tuscaloosa.
• Alabama used a three-run seventh inning to defeat Troy on Wednesday at Sewell-Thomas Stadium.
• The Tide was first on the board on Wednesday, crossing a run in the second, but Troy answered in the top of third one run of their own. After UA plated single tallies in the third and fourth, the Trojans tied the game at three apiece with a two-run fifth.
• Troy took its first lead of the game with one in the sixth, but the Tide countered with a pair of runs in the home half to regain the advantage. A two-run top of the seventh shifted the lead back to TU, but a three-spot following the stretch put Alabama in front for good.
• That seventh on Wednesday was highlighted by a three-run homer off the bat of Gage Miller. Troy added one run in the eighth but would get no closer for the 8-7 final.
• Bryce Eblin led the Crimson Tide offense in the midweek, going 3-for-4 with two doubles, one RBI and a run scored. Also recording a multi-hit day was TJ McCants, who finished 2-for-5 to extend his hitting streak to 13 games, while also contributing one run scored and two stolen bases. Miller rounded out the offense with the homer.
• Zane Adams was solid in his start on Wednesday, tossing 4.1 innings and allowing three runs (two earned) on five hits and two walks with four strikeouts. He then turned the ball over to the bullpen, with four arms combining for the final 4.2 frames.
• The relief effort was highlighted by Braylon Myers, who picked up his first win of the season, along with Alton Davis II, who notched his second save of the year to secure the midweek win for UA.
• The weekend in Frisco wrapped up with seven different players being named to the Frisco Classic All-Tournament Team. The group included Eblin (INF), Matthew Heiberger (RP), Ben Hess (SP), Will Hodo (INF), McCants (OF), Evan Sleight (OF) and Mason Swinney (DH). Sleight was also selected as the Classic's Most Valuable Player.
• Alabama used a standout start from Hess combined with a pair of big innings on offense for a 12-0 run-rule victory over No. 21 Indiana last Friday evening to open the Frisco Classic.
• The junior righty was masterful, maintaining a no-hitter through 4.0 frames and finishing with 5.0 scoreless innings that included just one hit, a walk and a career-high tying 10 strikeouts. He handed the ball over to Coulson Buchanan, who tossed 2.0 scoreless, hitless innings with three strikeouts for the save.
• Alabama's offense needed only the two big innings to post 12 runs – a first that featured five runs followed by a seven-run fourth. All nine starters reached base safely while eight of the nine starters recorded at least one hit. The offense was powered by the 2-3-4 hitters in McCants, Ian Petrutz and Hodo, with the trio all contributing two-hit efforts while combining for six runs and five RBI. Also of note was Sleight, who went 1-for-4 with a three-run homer.
• The Tide traded blows with Arizona all afternoon last Saturday, with the Tide getting the upper hand for a 7-6 win.
• Arizona was first on the board in Frisco, putting up a four-spot in the fourth thanks to a pair of two-run homers. The Tide answered immediately with a three-run fifth and tied things up in the sixth thanks to a solo homer from Hodo.
• Alabama then took the lead for the first time with a run in the seventh, but the Wildcats came right back with a two-spot following the seventh inning stretch. The Tide, once again, rallied to retake the lead with a two-run eighth before holding off a late push from Arizona for the 7-6 victory.
• The hits for Alabama were spread across the order with seven of the nine starters contributing at least one knock. Hodo and Eblin each homered with Eblin's accounting for two runs, the team-high mark for RBI. The Tide second baseman also contributed two runs scored and was matched by Sleight for the team lead in that category.
• Davis II picked up the win with 2.0 scoreless innings of work that included one hit, a walk and three strikeouts. He was followed by Heiberger, with the freshman earning his first career save thanks to a scoreless ninth that included one hit and one strikeout.
• Alabama suffered a 7-5 loss to No. 23 Dallas Baptist in extra innings last Sunday in the Frisco Classic finale.
• DBU was first to strike with one in the top of the second, but Alabama countered with a three-spot in the home half. The Patriots answered with one run in the third to cut the lead in half, but the Tide added two more in the fourth to make it a 5-2 affair after four. DBU then tied things up with one run in the fifth and two in the sixth before both teams went scoreless the rest of regulation, sending it to extras.
• In the 12th, Dallas Baptist was able to retake the lead with two runs. Alabama reached a pair of runners with two down in the home half to bring the winning run to the plate, but a strikeout ended the rally.

About Lipscomb

• Jeff Forehead is now in his 19th season as the head coach at Lipscomb and entered 2024 with a record of 458-469 while at Lipscomb, and a career record of 669-611-1 which included six seasons at Trevecca Nazarene. A 1989 graduate of Belmont, Forehead is assisted on staff by Ross Steedley, Todd Yost and Robert Zeigler.
• Lipscomb wrapped up the 2023 season with a 36-26 overall record, including a 23-7 mark in A-SUN play. The Bisons won the 2023 A-SUN Tournament to advance to the NCAA Clemson Regional. LU's season came to a close in June after dropping both games of the Regional.
• The Bisons were selected to win the Atlantic Sun Conference in the league's preseason poll, as voted on by the conference's head coaches.

On Deck

Alabama will return to the road as the team travels to Southern Miss on Tuesday, March 12. The Crimson Tide and Golden Eagles are scheduled for a 6 p.m. first pitch in Hattiesburg.

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