Diamond Notes : Bama Hosts Arkansas in Final Home Series

[Diamond Tide]

Share
 

05/10/2007



GAMES 50-52: ARKANSAS (36-14, 16-8 SEC) at ALABAMA (27-22, 11-13 SEC)
SEWELL-THOMAS STADIUM (6,118) – TUSCALOOSA, ALA. -- 6:36 p.m.
MAY 11, 2007 -- BAMA WRAPS UP 2007 HOME SLATE

The Series: Arkansas Razorbacks at Alabama Crimson Tide
Friday, May 11 6:36 p.m.
Saturday, May 12 4:05 p.m.
Sunday, May 13 2:06 p.m.

Rankings: Arkansas is ranked in all five major polls this week.

Radio: Crimson Tide Sports Network (WACT 1420 AM)
Announcers: David Crane (play-by-play) and Chris Stewart (color)



Television: WVUA Sports (Friday and Sunday)
Announcers: CTSM Simulcast


Internet: All Alabama baseball games can be heard on the internet at www.rolltide.com.
Live stats can also be found at www.rolltide.com

Tickets: Tickets are available at the Sewell-Thomas Stadium box office, beginning
two hours prior to each game. Tickets are $5 for adults and $3 for youth.


Pitchers: Alabama Crimson Tide

33 Tommy Hunter (RHP, 23 G, 8 GS, 5-4, 4.00 ERA)

7 Miers Quigley (LHP, 14 G, 13 GS, 4-5, 4.07 ERA)

15 Will Stroup (LHP, 21 G, 1 GS, 1-0, 2 SV, 4.01 ERA)


Arkansas Razorbacks

33 Nick Schmidt (LHP, 14 GS, 9-1, 2.69 ERA)

28 Jess Todd (RHP, 19 G, 6 GS, 7-2, 3.07 ERA)

42 Duke Welker (RHP, 14 GS, 5-3, 3.50 ERA)


Next Game: Alabama closes out the 2007 regular season with a three-game series

at Mississippi State next weekend in Starkville. The teams will play

Thursday, May 17 and Friday, May 18 at 6:30 p.m. and Saturday, May

19 at 2 p.m.


ALABAMA CLOSES OUT HOME SLATE

With its post-season future still in doubt, the University of Alabama baseball team closes out the 2007 home schedule with a three-game series against the division-leading Arkansas Razorbacks this weekend here in Tuscaloosa. The series opener is set for Friday, May 11 at 6:36 p.m. (CDT). The series continues with single games Saturday, May 12 (4:05 p.m.) and Sunday, May 13 (2:06 p.m. ). The Friday and Sunday games will be televised locally by WVUA Sports. Alabama (27-22, 11-13 SEC) is currently eighth in the overall SEC standings with two weekends remaining. The top eight teams will advance to the 2007 SEC Tournament (May 23-27) held at Regions Park in Hoover. All 12 SEC teams remain in the hunt for post-season play with six games remaining and the third place team and 10th place team are separated only by 3 1/2 games in the standings heading into the final two weekends. Alabama has made the SEC Tournament 10 times in Coach Jim Wells’ first 12 seasons and has won six SEC Tournament (1995, 1996, 1997, 1999, 2002 and 2003) championships. Alabama has not played since its 7-5, 10-inning win over Florida on Sunday, May 6. Sophomore right-fielder Tyler Odle (Vestavia Hills), making his first career SEC start, hit a two-run home run in the 10th inning for the win. The Crimson Tide has been off this week due to final exams and face another stern test this weekend when the Razorbacks visit the Joe. Arkansas (36-14, 16-8 SEC)

leads the SEC Western Division and trails SEC East leader Vanderbilt by one game in the overall SEC Championship race. The Razorbacks are coming off a home series loss to LSU last weekend in Fayetteville, despite smashing SEC records at the gate with more than 30,000 fans for the three-game series. Sophomore third baseman Logan Forsythe (.345, 6 HR, 42 RBI) and junior left fielder Casey Coon (.307, 7 HR, 60 RBI) are the top two hitters in a powerful lineup. Senior first baseman Danny Hamblin (.275, 17 HR, 51 RBI) leads the club in home runs and RBI. Arkansas’ starting rotation of LHP Nick Schmidt (9-1, 2.69 ERA, 93 K), RHP Jess Todd (7-2, 3.07 ERA) and RHP Duke Welker (5-3, 3.50 ERA) are a combined 21-6 this season on the mound with six complete games.


THE HEAD COACHES

Alabama head baseball coach Jim Wells (Northwestern State, 1980) is the winningest coach in school history. He has compiled a 550-268 (.673) record in 13 seasons at the Capstone. Overall, Wells has posted a 743-357 (.675) record in 18 seasons. He has led Alabama to two SEC Championships, three SEC Western Division titles, three CWS appearances and six SEC Tournament titles. Arkansas head coach Dave Van Horn (Arkansas, 1988) has compiled a 779-343 (.694) record in 19 years as a head coach. He has had stops at Texarkana CC (1989-93), Central Missouri State (1994), Northwestern State (1995-97), Nebraska (1998-2002) and Arkansas (2003-present). Van Horn has won at least one conference regular season championship at all five schools, including an SEC co-championship at Arkansas in 2004. In five years at Arkansas, Van Horn has posted a 194-105 (.649) record.


ALABAMA-ARKANSAS SERIES

*Alabama leads the all-time series with Arkansas, 31-18 (.667), since the first meeting in 1992.

*The 2007 series opener in Tuscaloosa will be the 50th all-time meeting between these two SEC Western Division rivals.

*The two teams never met prior to Arkansas joining the SEC for the 1992-93 school year.

*The Razorbacks have won the last three series (2004-06) with the Crimson Tide, including its first series win at Sewell-Thomas Stadium in 10 years during the 2005 season.

*Arkansas snapped Alabama’s streak of eight straight series wins with a series victory in Fayetteville in 2004. It was the Hogs first series win over the Tide since the 1995 season.

*The Razorbacks ended another series drought the following year by winning a series from the Crimson Tide in Tuscaloosa during the 2005 season. It was the Hogs first series win at Sewell-Thomas Stadium since 1995.

*Alabama had won five straight home series before the 2005 season.

*The two teams also met in the 2005 SEC Tournament with Alabama eliminating Arkansas with a 5-4 win.

*Arkansas swept Alabama in Fayetteville last season for the first time since 1994.

*Alabama rebounded with a 4-3 win over Arkansas in an elimination game at the 2006 SEC Tournament on May 25.

*Arkansas has won seven of the last 10 meetings with Alabama, dating back to 2004.

*Arkansas’ current run comes on the heels of a perido of series dominance by Alabama.

*From 1996-2003, the Crimson Tide posted a 21-3 (.875) record against the Razorbacks, including a 13-game winning streak (1998-2002).

*Alabama coach Jim Wells is 27-15 (.643) in his career against Arkansas. He owns a 27-13 (.675) record here at Alabama.

*Arkansas coach Dave Van Horn is 7-7 (.500) in his career against Alabama.


WELLS-VAN HORN CONNECTION

*Alabama head coach Jim Wells and Arkansas head Dave Van Horn’s ties go back to the 1995 season at Northwestern State University.

*Van Horn replaced Wells as the head baseball coach at Northweastern State. Wells was the head coach at NSU from 1990-94 before taking the Alabama job following the 1994 season.

*The day Wells was hired at Alabama, Van Horn was leading Central Missouri State to the Division II national championship at Paterson Field in Montgomery, Ala.

*Van Horn left NSU after two years and went to Nebraska before coming back to his alma mater.

*Wells and Van Horn have taken five teams to the College World Series.

*Wells took Alabama to Omaha in 1996, 1997 and 1999, while Van Horn took Nebraska in 2001 and 2002.

*Both coaches have made back-to-back trips to the College World Series in their careers.


200/100 CLUB

*Alabama seniors Greg Paiml (Hoover) and Emeel Salem (Mountain Brook) joined an elite Crimson Tide baseball club last weekend in Gainesville, Fla.

*The Crimson Tide duo is among 10 players in Alabama baseball history to play in 200 career games and 100 career SEC games.

*Paiml became the ninth member of the “200/100” club on Friday, May 4 when he played his 100th career SEC game.

*In his four-year career, Paiml has played 206 games for the Crimson Tide, including 102 career SEC games.

*Salem became the 10th member of the “200/100” club in the series finale at Florida on Sunday, May 6th with his 100th career SEC game.

*Salem leads all active UA players with 214 career games in his four-year career, including 100 SEC games.

*Jeremy Brown (1999-2002) is the school’s all-time leader with 251 career games played.

*Brown and Brent Boyd (1999-2002) hold the Alabama record with 116 career SEC games.


PAIML NEARING 100 SEC STARTS

*Alabama senior shortstop Greg Paiml (Hoover) is closing in on his 100th career SEC start at Alabama.

*Paiml has currently started 94 SEC games at Alabama and with six more starts, he will become the sixth player in Alabama history to log 100 career SEC starts.

*The last Alabama player with 100 or more career SEC starts was Allen Rice (2002-05), who is now the Director of Baseball Operations for the Crimson Tide.

*Rice started 114 SEC games at Alabama, the third-highest total in school history.

*Brown and Boyd hold the all-time Alabama record with 116 career SEC starts.

SUNDAY STARTERS

*Alabama has used five different Sunday starters on the mound this season.

*Alabama’s Sunday starters have compiled a 2-2 record with four no decisions and 8.00 ERA.

*The five different starters have worked 36 innings and allowed 53 hits, 33 runs and 32 earned runs with 17 walks and 20 strikeouts.

*With the dismissal of senior RHP Bernard Robert (Denham Springs, La.) from the team on Thursday, April 26, Alabama has had to shake up its pitching rotation the last two weekends.

*Sophomore RHP Casey Kebodeaux (Mandeville, La.) opened the year as the Sunday starter, but after back-to-back tough outings against Tennessee and Ole Miss a change was made in the rotation.

*Senior LHP Brandon Belcher (Ruston, La.), who had missed six weeks on the mound after suffering a muscle strain in his left forearm on opening day, made his return to the mound against LSU on April 1.

*Belcher left after two innings and has not pitched again due to the injury.

*Kebodeaux and Belcher were a combined 0-2 with a 31.50 ERA in the first three SEC weekends. The duo worked four innings and allowed 14 hits, 14 runs and 14 earned runs with four walks and two strikeouts.

*Kebodeaux had a pair of one-inning stints, while Belcher worked two innings against LSU.

*Alabama was outscored 17-1 in the first and second innings in those three games.

*Sophomore RHP Tommy Hunter (Indianapolis, Ind.) have the Crimson Tide two solid outings against No. 1 Vanderbilt and Auburn.

*Sophomore RHP Austin Hyatt (Marietta, Ga.), who has been solid out of the pen all season, gave the Tide a lift in his first career SEC start against Georgia on April 15.

*He struggled in his second career SEC start against South Carolina (0.2 IP, 5 H, 7 ER, 1 BB, 0 K) on April 29.

*Junior left-hander Will Stroup (Birmingham) became the fifth different Sunday starter on May 6 at Florida and gave the Tide seven strong innings and left with a 5-3 lead.

*He worked seven innings and allowed three runs and eight hits with four walks and six strikeouts in his first career start.

*The Alabama bullpen allowed two runs in the ninth inning, leaving Stroup with a no decision. Alabama won the game 7-5 in 10 innings.


BULLPEN SHOWS IMPROVEMENT

*The Alabama bullpen is the one element that has showed the most improvement this season for the Crimson Tide.

*Alabama relievers are 9-7 (.563) with 13 saves and a 3.87 ERA in 49 games.

*The pen has worked 167 1/3 innings and allowed 158 hits, 82 runs and 72 earned runs with 49 walks and 156 strikeouts.

*UA opponents are batting .249 (158-for-635) against the Tide pen this year.

*Copeland (27), Stroup (20) and Hunter (16) have 63 of the Crimson Tide’s 97 relief appearances this year.

*In SEC play, Bama relievers are 5-3 (.625) with six saves and 4.54 ERA.

*The bullpen has worked 73 1/3 innings and allowed 79 hits, 41 runs and 37 earned runs with 25 walks and 62 strikeouts.

*UA’s conference opponents are hitting .275 (79-for-287) against the Tide bullpen.

*Copleand (13), Hunter (10) and Stroup (8) have 31 of Bama’s 37 SEC relief appearances.

*The trio has worked 55 2/3 of the team’s 73 1/3 total innings (75.9 percent) of relief in SEC play.

*The biggest difference has been the sudden strength of stranding inherited runners.

*The Crimson Tide has stranded 66 (70.2 percent) of the 94 inherited runners this season, but that percentage has improved drastically over the last month.

*Alabama opened the season by stranding 26 (57.8 percent) of its first 45 inherited runners through 23 games.

*In the last 25 games, Alabama has stranded 39 (81.3 percent) of its last 48 inherited runners.

*From April 7-20, the Alabama bullpen stranded 16 consecutive inherited runners.

*Sophomore RHP Austin Hyatt has stranded all 11 inherited runners this season.

*Sophomore RHP Josh Copeland stranded nine straight inherited runners from March 23-April 20. He has stranded 13 of his last 15 inherited runners overall.

*Junior LHP Will Stroup stranded six straight inherited runners from April 7-27. Overall, he has stranded six of his last seven inherited runners.

*Sophomore RHP Tommy Hunter has stranded 10 of his last 14 inherited runners.


HOME RUNS

*Alabama has hit 50 home runs in 49 games this year, an average of one home run per game.

*The Crimson Tide has homered in nine of its last 11 games, dating back to April 20.

*Alabama has hit 10 home runs in its last five games.

*The Crimson Tide ranks fourth in the SEC with those 50 home runs. South Carolina (80), Florida (59) and Arkansas (53) all rank ahead of the Tide.

*In SEC play, Alabama has 27 home runs in 24 conference games this season.

*Alabama ranks third in the SEC with those 23 home runs. South Carolina (37) and Arkansas (29) are the only two SEC teams with more dingers than UA.

*The Crimson Tide has hit 34 solo home runs this season, which accounts for 68 percent of its dinger totals.

*In fact, 21 of the last 27 home runs have been solo shots, including 12 straight solo home runs from March 18-April 21.

*The Crimson Tide has hit three home runs in a game six times this season, including Georgia State (Feb. 10), Tennessee (March 16), LSU (March 30), South Carolina (April 29), Mississippi Valley State (May 1) and Florida (May 6).

*Alabama has at least one home run from 12 different players this season.

*Sophomore DH Alex Avila leads Alabama with a career-high 11 home runs this season, including eight in SEC play. H

*Avila hit two home runs in a game twice this season against Vanderbilt (April 8) and South Carolina (April 29).

*Junior 1B Matt Bentley is second on the team with a career-high nine home runs.

*Sophomore RF Kent Matthes has slipped into third place on the team with eight home runs.

*Matthes has only one home run (vs. Georgia, April 13) in his last 14 games.

*Freshman 3B Jake Smith homered in his second collegiate at-bat against Georgia State (Feb. 10) on opening day.

*He also slugged a two-run home run in his first career SEC at-bat against Tennessee (March 16) in the Tide’s 9-7 win.

*Sophomore walk-on catcher Brain Clark (Hammond, Ind.) hit his first career home run in the Tide’s 12-1 win over Mississippi Valley State on May. 1.

*Clark’s pinch-hit home run was Alabama’s first pinch-hit home run by a Tide player since Kent Matthes’ two-run, pinch-hit home run against LSU at the 2006 SEC Tournament.

*Sophomore right-fielder Tyler Odle (Vestavia Hills) hit his first career home run in his first career SEC start at Florida on May 6. Odle’s two-run home run in the 10th inning gave the Tide a 7-5 win.

Alabama Media Relations

RTR,

Diamond Tide