The Crimson Tide and Hawks will meet for the first time in program history
Feb. 12, 2015
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. - The Alabama Crimson Tide will kick off its 2015 regular season with a weekend series against the University of Maryland Eastern Shore Hawks.
First pitch for this weekend is scheduled for 6:35 p.m. on Friday, followed by a 2:05 p.m. game on Saturday and a 1:05 p.m. first pitch scheduled for Sunday. All three games will be inside the Hoover Metropolitan Stadium and will air live on SEC Network+.
Sunday's game will feature $1 youth tickets for children 18 and under. Kids are also encouraged to stick around post-game to run the bases and get autographs from the Crimson Tide.
PROBABLE PITCHING MATCHUPS
FRIDAY: UA - Taylor Guilbeau (Sr., LHP) vs. UMES - Jesse Stinnett (So., RHP)
SATURDAY: UA - Will Carter (Jr., RHP) vs. UMES - Jordan Bone (Sr., LHP)
SUNDAY: UA - Geoffrey Bramblett (So., RHP) vs. UMES - Tanner Whiteman (Jr., RHP)
LEADING OFF
• UA is ranked 20th in D1Baseball.com's preseason poll, the highest ranking Alabama is receiving early on.
• The Tide comes in at No. 27 in the USA Today poll, 28th in the NCBWA preseason ranks and is receiving votes in Perfect Game USA's initial rankings.
• Alabama enters this year after finishing 37-24 (15-14 SEC) during the 2014 season.
• UA is coming off a 2014 season in which the Tide made it to the NCAA Tournament for the 24th time in program history.
• The berth in the Tallahassee Regional marked the fourth time in five seasons under head coach Mitch Gaspard that Alabama has reached the NCAA Tournament.
• Maryland Eastern Shore comes to Hoover after a 2014 season in which the Hawks finished 13-35 overall and 8-16 in the MEAC to place fourth in the Northern Division.
• The Hawks return 23 letterwinners from a year ago, including five starting pitchers.
ABOUT ALABAMA
• Alabama returns 23 letterwinners from last season's team that reached the NCAA Tallahassee Regional. The 2015 Tide also features five positional starters and three pitchers who made five or more starts last season.
• The Crimson Tide lost all three weekend starters from a season ago and returns 33% (20) of its overall starts from 2014.
• UA's returning pitchers owned a 3.89 ERA (111 ER/257.0 IP) in 2014 and had a 16-11 record.
• Fifty percent of Alabama's strikeouts from a season ago return in 2015 (204)
• Thomas Burrows returns 11 of the Tide's 13 saves from a season ago.
• In SEC play, the returners recorded a 6-5 overall record and contributed 48 of the Tide's 161 overall strikeouts from 2014.
• Alabama returns 60 percent of its overall hits from last season (344).
• This season's returners batted .263 (344-1,310) a season ago.
• UA returns 49 percent of its extra-base hits from 2014, including 45 percent of doubles (40), 75 percent of triples (6), and 52 percent of home runs (22).
• In conference action, Alabama returns 61 percent of its hits from last year (152).
• The 2015 Crimson Tide will feature 46 percent of its extra-base hits from conference play a season ago, including 45 percent of doubles (18), 100 percent of triples (2) and 43 percent of the team's home runs (9).
SCOUTING MARYLAND EASTERN SHORE
• Maryland Eastern Shore comes to Hoover after finishing 13-35 overall a season ago, including an 8-15 mark in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference. The Hawks finished fourth in the North Division of the MEAC and were 0-2 in the conference's postseason tournament.
• Maryland Eastern Shore features three preseason All-MEAC honorees, including second baseman Mike Escanilla, RHP Jesse Stinnett and outfielder Greg Turlik. Escanilla was named to the first team thanks to a .289 batting average and 11 stolen bases in 2014. Stinnett, the Hawks' Friday starter, was named second team All-MEAC along with Turlik.
• UMES returns nine letterwinners from a season ago, including six position players and two starters. The Hawks also added 13 players, including five new pitchers.
• Maryland Eastern Shore was selected to finish fourth in the Northern Division and eighth overall of the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference.
NEXT WEEK
Alabama takes five days off before heading to Texas to take on the seventh-ranked Houston Cougars for a three-game set. First pitch for Friday and Saturday is set for 6:30 p.m. CT with Sunday wrapping up at Noon CT...
-UA-
RTR,
Diamond Tide :biga:
Feb. 12, 2015
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. - The Alabama Crimson Tide will kick off its 2015 regular season with a weekend series against the University of Maryland Eastern Shore Hawks.
First pitch for this weekend is scheduled for 6:35 p.m. on Friday, followed by a 2:05 p.m. game on Saturday and a 1:05 p.m. first pitch scheduled for Sunday. All three games will be inside the Hoover Metropolitan Stadium and will air live on SEC Network+.
Sunday's game will feature $1 youth tickets for children 18 and under. Kids are also encouraged to stick around post-game to run the bases and get autographs from the Crimson Tide.
PROBABLE PITCHING MATCHUPS
FRIDAY: UA - Taylor Guilbeau (Sr., LHP) vs. UMES - Jesse Stinnett (So., RHP)
SATURDAY: UA - Will Carter (Jr., RHP) vs. UMES - Jordan Bone (Sr., LHP)
SUNDAY: UA - Geoffrey Bramblett (So., RHP) vs. UMES - Tanner Whiteman (Jr., RHP)
LEADING OFF
• UA is ranked 20th in D1Baseball.com's preseason poll, the highest ranking Alabama is receiving early on.
• The Tide comes in at No. 27 in the USA Today poll, 28th in the NCBWA preseason ranks and is receiving votes in Perfect Game USA's initial rankings.
• Alabama enters this year after finishing 37-24 (15-14 SEC) during the 2014 season.
• UA is coming off a 2014 season in which the Tide made it to the NCAA Tournament for the 24th time in program history.
• The berth in the Tallahassee Regional marked the fourth time in five seasons under head coach Mitch Gaspard that Alabama has reached the NCAA Tournament.
• Maryland Eastern Shore comes to Hoover after a 2014 season in which the Hawks finished 13-35 overall and 8-16 in the MEAC to place fourth in the Northern Division.
• The Hawks return 23 letterwinners from a year ago, including five starting pitchers.
ABOUT ALABAMA
• Alabama returns 23 letterwinners from last season's team that reached the NCAA Tallahassee Regional. The 2015 Tide also features five positional starters and three pitchers who made five or more starts last season.
• The Crimson Tide lost all three weekend starters from a season ago and returns 33% (20) of its overall starts from 2014.
• UA's returning pitchers owned a 3.89 ERA (111 ER/257.0 IP) in 2014 and had a 16-11 record.
• Fifty percent of Alabama's strikeouts from a season ago return in 2015 (204)
• Thomas Burrows returns 11 of the Tide's 13 saves from a season ago.
• In SEC play, the returners recorded a 6-5 overall record and contributed 48 of the Tide's 161 overall strikeouts from 2014.
• Alabama returns 60 percent of its overall hits from last season (344).
• This season's returners batted .263 (344-1,310) a season ago.
• UA returns 49 percent of its extra-base hits from 2014, including 45 percent of doubles (40), 75 percent of triples (6), and 52 percent of home runs (22).
• In conference action, Alabama returns 61 percent of its hits from last year (152).
• The 2015 Crimson Tide will feature 46 percent of its extra-base hits from conference play a season ago, including 45 percent of doubles (18), 100 percent of triples (2) and 43 percent of the team's home runs (9).
SCOUTING MARYLAND EASTERN SHORE
• Maryland Eastern Shore comes to Hoover after finishing 13-35 overall a season ago, including an 8-15 mark in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference. The Hawks finished fourth in the North Division of the MEAC and were 0-2 in the conference's postseason tournament.
• Maryland Eastern Shore features three preseason All-MEAC honorees, including second baseman Mike Escanilla, RHP Jesse Stinnett and outfielder Greg Turlik. Escanilla was named to the first team thanks to a .289 batting average and 11 stolen bases in 2014. Stinnett, the Hawks' Friday starter, was named second team All-MEAC along with Turlik.
• UMES returns nine letterwinners from a season ago, including six position players and two starters. The Hawks also added 13 players, including five new pitchers.
• Maryland Eastern Shore was selected to finish fourth in the Northern Division and eighth overall of the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference.
NEXT WEEK
Alabama takes five days off before heading to Texas to take on the seventh-ranked Houston Cougars for a three-game set. First pitch for Friday and Saturday is set for 6:30 p.m. CT with Sunday wrapping up at Noon CT...
-UA-
RTR,
Diamond Tide :biga:
