The Crimson Tide and Tigers will meet for the 280th time when the two teams square off on Friday
May 7, 2015
TUSCALOOSA, AL - Alabama takes to the road as the team heads to the Plains this Friday for a three-game, weekend series with No. 24 Auburn. The two rivals are set to start on Friday with the first pitch of game one scheduled for 6 p.m. CT. Saturday's second game is set to start at 3 p.m. CT with Sunday's finale starting at 1 p.m. CT on getaway day. All three games will air live on SECN+.
FOLLOW THE TIDE
Fans can watch/follow this weekend's games via the below outlets:
Gametracker: RollTide.com
Listen: 99.1 FM (Tuscaloosa) / CTSN / TuneIn App
Web: SEC Network+
Twitter: @AlabamaBSB
PROBABLE PITCHING MATCHUPS
FRIDAY: UA -- Taylor Guilbeau (Sr., LHP) vs. AU -- Cole Lipscomb (RS-So., RHP)
SATURDAY: UA -- Jake Walters (Fr., RHP) vs. AU -- Rocky McCord (Sr., RHP)
SUNDAY: UA -- Geoffrey Bramblett vs. AU -- Dalton Rentz (Jr., RHP)
LEADING OFF
• Alabama and Auburn will meet for the 280th time in the history of a series that dates back to 1896. The Crimson Tide owns the all-time record, 152-127, and has claimed victories in six of the last 10 meetings between the two teams. The Tigers claim the advantage when the two teams meet on the Plains, 62-49, but fell in two of three games the last two times the teams met in Auburn.
• Auburn is coming off a weekend in Columbia, where the Tigers claimed two of three games from South Carolina. The Gamecocks took the first contest, 10-1, but Auburn bounced back for a 6-2 win on Saturday and a 3-0 shutout to claim the series on Sunday.
• Alabama will once again call on senior southpaw Taylor Guilbeau in Friday's series opener. Freshman righty Jake Walters will answer the call on Saturday, and sophomore right-hander Geoffrey Bramblett will take the hill in Sunday's series finale.
• Auburn will counter a trio of right-handed arms. The Tigers will kick off the series with redshirt-sophomore Cole Lipscomb taking the hill on Friday. Auburn will then send senior Rocky McCord to the hill on Saturday and close out the series tossing junior Dalton Rentz in Sunday's finale.
SCOUTING ALABAMA
• The Crimson Tide heads to Auburn after taking both games of a Tuesday doubleheader with the Alabama A&M Bulldogs. Prior to the double dip, Alabama was swept by No. 23 Arkansas one weekend ago.
• Tuesday's first game saw reliever Jay Shaw claim his first win of the season as he combined with fellow senior J.C. Wilhite for 7.2 innings of scoreless work in the Tide's 7-2 game one victory.
• Freshman Alex Watkins earned his first career start in the second game of Tuesday's twinbill, tossing a career-high 7.0 innings and striking out nine Bulldogs on the way to a second 7-2 win on the day. The Crimson Tide offense was powered by seven extra-base hits, all of which were doubles.
• Alabama and Arkansas had a pitcher's duel in game one, with the Razorbacks eventually coming away with some late-inning runs to claim the 5-1 win. Eight of the Tide's nine starters recorded a hit but the team could not string together the hits to mount any rally.
• The Razorbacks used a five-run fifth inning to claim game two on Friday by a score of 8-4. The Crimson Tide once again hit, with seven of the nine starters collecting a hit while five of them recorded two-hit games. Alabama had the bases loaded in the eighth but could only come away with one run as the comeback effort fell short.
• Geoffrey Bramblett posted a solid 7.0 innings of work, allowing three runs on six hits, but the Alabama offense went cold, as Arkansas claimed the series finale, 4-0 on Saturday afternoon.
• The sweep was just the second time this season that the Crimson Tide has fallen in all three games of a series. Alabama also fell victim to the sweep in its series with then No. 3 LSU.
• UA is led offensively by Mikey White and Casey Hughston, both team leaders in a combined 10 statistical categories. In recognition of their efforts this season, both were named to the Golden Spikes Award Midseason Watch List on April 19. The two Tide players make up the national list of 60 players.
• White is among SEC leaders in numerous categories, ranking second in triples (6), third in doubles (18), eighth in runs (42), ninth in total bases (104) and 10th in slugging percentage (.578). He leads the Crimson Tide in runs, doubles, triples, slugging percentage and on-base percentage (.442). In the field, he leads the team in assists with 151 at shortstop to rank second in the conference.
• Hughston is among the top-15 in numerous categories across the SEC leaderboards. The sophomore currently leads the Crimson Tide in hits (68), home runs (6), and RBI (37). The starting outfielder has also added a team-high five outfield assists from the right field position.
• Freshman Cody Henry heated up in the month of April. He led the team in batting average for April at .354 (23-65) and owned a team-leading .462 on-base percentage, which can be attributed partly to his 11 walks in the month. For his efforts at Samford and in the three games vs. Georgia from April 7-12, the first-year player was named SEC Freshman of the Week.
• Ray Castillo highlights the Crimson Tide bullpen, making 19 relief appearances across a team-high 41.0 innings out of the pen. He leads relievers in wins with a perfect 3-0 record, is tied for the team lead in saves (4) and has maintained a 2.85 ERA (13 ER/41.0 IP). All of his saves have come across 2.0 or more innings of work.
• The Tide has collected 24 multi-hit efforts this season and is 17-7 when doing so, with 10 of those double-digit performances coming in SEC play. Alabama has collected 10 or more hits in 14 of its last 25 nine-inning games.
• Alabama returns 23 letterwinners from last season's team that reached the NCAA Tallahassee Regional. The 2015 Tide also features five positional returners, and three pitchers who made five or more starts last season.
• The Crimson Tide was selected to finish second in the SEC Western Division in the preseason conference poll, as voted on by league coaches.
SCOUTING AUBURN
• Auburn was not scheduled for a midweek game this Tuesday and is coming off a weekend that saw the Tigers take the final two games of a three-game series at South Carolina.
• The Tigers fell, 10-1, in the series-opening game with the Gamecocks on Friday in Columbia. South Carolina's Kyle Martin led the offensive charge for USC, with the senior collecting a career-high seven RBI, including a grand slam and a two-run home run. Carolina starter Jake Wynkoop collected 10 strikeouts and allowed just one unearned run across his 8.0 innings pitched on the way to his seventh win of the season.
• Auburn used a trio of two-run innings in the seventh, eighth and ninth to claim the 6-2 win in the second game of the weekend. Senior starter Rocky McCord limited the Gamecocks to one earned run on four hits in his career-high tying 7.0 innings of work.
• Sunday's finale saw Auburn outhit the Gamecocks, 10 to 3, on their way to a 3-0 shutout win and series victory. The Tigers had previously fell in 13 consecutive series with USC before Sunday's win.
• Auburn is batting .282 as a team and ranks near the middle of the pack in the SEC in all offensive categories.
• The offensive attack of the Tigers is led by sophomore outfielder Anfernee Grier. The second year standout is batting a team-leading .367 (73-199) across his 49 starts. He leads the team in eight offensive categories including hits, runs (37), doubles (22), triples (2), total bases (102), slugging percentage (.513), on-base percentage (.443) and stolen bases (9-15). Grier is the Southeastern Conference leader in doubles and hits. Sophomore first baseman Robert Daniel sports the team's second-highest batting average at .318 (48-151) and leads the squad in home runs (3), RBI (30).
• Auburn's pitchers have accumulated a 3.27 ERA (185 ER/432.0 IP) to rank third in the SEC in that category. The Tigers have limited opposing hitters to a .252 average against in conference play and have allowed just 200 hits during conference action to rank third in the category. Junior closer Justin Camp leads the bullpen in appearances with 21 and saves at seven. Across that time, the righty owns a team-low 1.54 ERA (6 ER/35.0 IP) and has struck out 41 batters. He has also limited hitters to a .206 average, giving up 27 total hits.
• The Tigers return 17 letterwinners from a season ago, including five positional players and one starting pitcher. The roster features 23 newcomers in 2015.
• Auburn was selected to finish last in the SEC Western Division in the conference's preseason poll, as voted on by the league's coaches.
SERIES HISTORY
• Alabama and Auburn will meet for the 280th time when the two rivals square off on Friday evening.
• The Tide owns the all-time series, 152-127, including wins in six of the 10 meetings between the two teams.
• Auburn has the advantage when the two teams are on the Plains, with the Tigers holding a 62-49 advantage, however Alabama came away with the series win when the two last played in Auburn in 2012.
• In the most recent series meeting of the two in-state foes, Alabama came away with a pair of victories on Saturday and Sunday to claim the series win after falling in game one.
• The 2015 MAX Capital City Classic saw the Tigers come away with a 5-3 win earlier this season on March 3. Auburn starter Keegan Thompson tossed 7.1 innings and struck out 12 for the victory.
COMING UP
Following the three games with Auburn, Alabama will take part in its final "home" game at a secondary site, this time in Huntsville. The Crimson Tide will welcome the Mercer Bears to Joe W. Davis Municipal Stadium, former home to the Double-A Huntsville Stars. The two teams are scheduled for a 6:30 p.m. CT first pitch. The two teams will meet for the 27th time in series history on Tuesday, with the Crimson Tide owning the all-time series 19-6-1 in a history that dates back to 1905. The two teams last met in 2010, with Alabama claiming a 5-3 win on June 5 in the NCAA Atlanta Regional.
-UA-
RTR,
Diamond Tide :biga:
May 7, 2015
TUSCALOOSA, AL - Alabama takes to the road as the team heads to the Plains this Friday for a three-game, weekend series with No. 24 Auburn. The two rivals are set to start on Friday with the first pitch of game one scheduled for 6 p.m. CT. Saturday's second game is set to start at 3 p.m. CT with Sunday's finale starting at 1 p.m. CT on getaway day. All three games will air live on SECN+.
FOLLOW THE TIDE
Fans can watch/follow this weekend's games via the below outlets:
Gametracker: RollTide.com
Listen: 99.1 FM (Tuscaloosa) / CTSN / TuneIn App
Web: SEC Network+
Twitter: @AlabamaBSB
PROBABLE PITCHING MATCHUPS
FRIDAY: UA -- Taylor Guilbeau (Sr., LHP) vs. AU -- Cole Lipscomb (RS-So., RHP)
SATURDAY: UA -- Jake Walters (Fr., RHP) vs. AU -- Rocky McCord (Sr., RHP)
SUNDAY: UA -- Geoffrey Bramblett vs. AU -- Dalton Rentz (Jr., RHP)
LEADING OFF
• Alabama and Auburn will meet for the 280th time in the history of a series that dates back to 1896. The Crimson Tide owns the all-time record, 152-127, and has claimed victories in six of the last 10 meetings between the two teams. The Tigers claim the advantage when the two teams meet on the Plains, 62-49, but fell in two of three games the last two times the teams met in Auburn.
• Auburn is coming off a weekend in Columbia, where the Tigers claimed two of three games from South Carolina. The Gamecocks took the first contest, 10-1, but Auburn bounced back for a 6-2 win on Saturday and a 3-0 shutout to claim the series on Sunday.
• Alabama will once again call on senior southpaw Taylor Guilbeau in Friday's series opener. Freshman righty Jake Walters will answer the call on Saturday, and sophomore right-hander Geoffrey Bramblett will take the hill in Sunday's series finale.
• Auburn will counter a trio of right-handed arms. The Tigers will kick off the series with redshirt-sophomore Cole Lipscomb taking the hill on Friday. Auburn will then send senior Rocky McCord to the hill on Saturday and close out the series tossing junior Dalton Rentz in Sunday's finale.
SCOUTING ALABAMA
• The Crimson Tide heads to Auburn after taking both games of a Tuesday doubleheader with the Alabama A&M Bulldogs. Prior to the double dip, Alabama was swept by No. 23 Arkansas one weekend ago.
• Tuesday's first game saw reliever Jay Shaw claim his first win of the season as he combined with fellow senior J.C. Wilhite for 7.2 innings of scoreless work in the Tide's 7-2 game one victory.
• Freshman Alex Watkins earned his first career start in the second game of Tuesday's twinbill, tossing a career-high 7.0 innings and striking out nine Bulldogs on the way to a second 7-2 win on the day. The Crimson Tide offense was powered by seven extra-base hits, all of which were doubles.
• Alabama and Arkansas had a pitcher's duel in game one, with the Razorbacks eventually coming away with some late-inning runs to claim the 5-1 win. Eight of the Tide's nine starters recorded a hit but the team could not string together the hits to mount any rally.
• The Razorbacks used a five-run fifth inning to claim game two on Friday by a score of 8-4. The Crimson Tide once again hit, with seven of the nine starters collecting a hit while five of them recorded two-hit games. Alabama had the bases loaded in the eighth but could only come away with one run as the comeback effort fell short.
• Geoffrey Bramblett posted a solid 7.0 innings of work, allowing three runs on six hits, but the Alabama offense went cold, as Arkansas claimed the series finale, 4-0 on Saturday afternoon.
• The sweep was just the second time this season that the Crimson Tide has fallen in all three games of a series. Alabama also fell victim to the sweep in its series with then No. 3 LSU.
• UA is led offensively by Mikey White and Casey Hughston, both team leaders in a combined 10 statistical categories. In recognition of their efforts this season, both were named to the Golden Spikes Award Midseason Watch List on April 19. The two Tide players make up the national list of 60 players.
• White is among SEC leaders in numerous categories, ranking second in triples (6), third in doubles (18), eighth in runs (42), ninth in total bases (104) and 10th in slugging percentage (.578). He leads the Crimson Tide in runs, doubles, triples, slugging percentage and on-base percentage (.442). In the field, he leads the team in assists with 151 at shortstop to rank second in the conference.
• Hughston is among the top-15 in numerous categories across the SEC leaderboards. The sophomore currently leads the Crimson Tide in hits (68), home runs (6), and RBI (37). The starting outfielder has also added a team-high five outfield assists from the right field position.
• Freshman Cody Henry heated up in the month of April. He led the team in batting average for April at .354 (23-65) and owned a team-leading .462 on-base percentage, which can be attributed partly to his 11 walks in the month. For his efforts at Samford and in the three games vs. Georgia from April 7-12, the first-year player was named SEC Freshman of the Week.
• Ray Castillo highlights the Crimson Tide bullpen, making 19 relief appearances across a team-high 41.0 innings out of the pen. He leads relievers in wins with a perfect 3-0 record, is tied for the team lead in saves (4) and has maintained a 2.85 ERA (13 ER/41.0 IP). All of his saves have come across 2.0 or more innings of work.
• The Tide has collected 24 multi-hit efforts this season and is 17-7 when doing so, with 10 of those double-digit performances coming in SEC play. Alabama has collected 10 or more hits in 14 of its last 25 nine-inning games.
• Alabama returns 23 letterwinners from last season's team that reached the NCAA Tallahassee Regional. The 2015 Tide also features five positional returners, and three pitchers who made five or more starts last season.
• The Crimson Tide was selected to finish second in the SEC Western Division in the preseason conference poll, as voted on by league coaches.
SCOUTING AUBURN
• Auburn was not scheduled for a midweek game this Tuesday and is coming off a weekend that saw the Tigers take the final two games of a three-game series at South Carolina.
• The Tigers fell, 10-1, in the series-opening game with the Gamecocks on Friday in Columbia. South Carolina's Kyle Martin led the offensive charge for USC, with the senior collecting a career-high seven RBI, including a grand slam and a two-run home run. Carolina starter Jake Wynkoop collected 10 strikeouts and allowed just one unearned run across his 8.0 innings pitched on the way to his seventh win of the season.
• Auburn used a trio of two-run innings in the seventh, eighth and ninth to claim the 6-2 win in the second game of the weekend. Senior starter Rocky McCord limited the Gamecocks to one earned run on four hits in his career-high tying 7.0 innings of work.
• Sunday's finale saw Auburn outhit the Gamecocks, 10 to 3, on their way to a 3-0 shutout win and series victory. The Tigers had previously fell in 13 consecutive series with USC before Sunday's win.
• Auburn is batting .282 as a team and ranks near the middle of the pack in the SEC in all offensive categories.
• The offensive attack of the Tigers is led by sophomore outfielder Anfernee Grier. The second year standout is batting a team-leading .367 (73-199) across his 49 starts. He leads the team in eight offensive categories including hits, runs (37), doubles (22), triples (2), total bases (102), slugging percentage (.513), on-base percentage (.443) and stolen bases (9-15). Grier is the Southeastern Conference leader in doubles and hits. Sophomore first baseman Robert Daniel sports the team's second-highest batting average at .318 (48-151) and leads the squad in home runs (3), RBI (30).
• Auburn's pitchers have accumulated a 3.27 ERA (185 ER/432.0 IP) to rank third in the SEC in that category. The Tigers have limited opposing hitters to a .252 average against in conference play and have allowed just 200 hits during conference action to rank third in the category. Junior closer Justin Camp leads the bullpen in appearances with 21 and saves at seven. Across that time, the righty owns a team-low 1.54 ERA (6 ER/35.0 IP) and has struck out 41 batters. He has also limited hitters to a .206 average, giving up 27 total hits.
• The Tigers return 17 letterwinners from a season ago, including five positional players and one starting pitcher. The roster features 23 newcomers in 2015.
• Auburn was selected to finish last in the SEC Western Division in the conference's preseason poll, as voted on by the league's coaches.
SERIES HISTORY
• Alabama and Auburn will meet for the 280th time when the two rivals square off on Friday evening.
• The Tide owns the all-time series, 152-127, including wins in six of the 10 meetings between the two teams.
• Auburn has the advantage when the two teams are on the Plains, with the Tigers holding a 62-49 advantage, however Alabama came away with the series win when the two last played in Auburn in 2012.
• In the most recent series meeting of the two in-state foes, Alabama came away with a pair of victories on Saturday and Sunday to claim the series win after falling in game one.
• The 2015 MAX Capital City Classic saw the Tigers come away with a 5-3 win earlier this season on March 3. Auburn starter Keegan Thompson tossed 7.1 innings and struck out 12 for the victory.
COMING UP
Following the three games with Auburn, Alabama will take part in its final "home" game at a secondary site, this time in Huntsville. The Crimson Tide will welcome the Mercer Bears to Joe W. Davis Municipal Stadium, former home to the Double-A Huntsville Stars. The two teams are scheduled for a 6:30 p.m. CT first pitch. The two teams will meet for the 27th time in series history on Tuesday, with the Crimson Tide owning the all-time series 19-6-1 in a history that dates back to 1905. The two teams last met in 2010, with Alabama claiming a 5-3 win on June 5 in the NCAA Atlanta Regional.
-UA-
RTR,
Diamond Tide :biga:
