The Crimson Tide and Volunteers will meet for the 109th time in series history on Friday
March 24, 2016
TUSCALOOSA, AL - The Crimson Tide returns home for its first SEC weekend series at Sewell-Thomas Stadium as Alabama plays host to the Tennessee Volunteers. The two teams are scheduled for a 7 p.m. CT start on Friday evening with the game airing on SECN+ with Roger Hoover and Lance Cormier on the call. Saturday is set for an 8 p.m. CT start with Sunday's first pitch at 3 p.m. CT. The final two games of the series will air nationally on the SEC Network with Dave Neal and Chris Burke working the booth.
LEADING OFF
The Crimson Tide is currently ranked or receiving votes in all major polls. UA is seeded 22nd in the latest Baseball America and College Baseball News polls, and is No. 30 in the NCBWA poll. The Tide is also receiving votes in the D1Baseball and USA Today Coaches polls. Tennessee is not ranked in any of the five polls.
The Volunteers travel to Tuscaloosa with a 13-7 overall record, including a 1-2 mark in conference play. Tennessee most recently defeated in-state foe Tennessee Tech, 9-1, on Tuesday evening and fell to Ole Miss, 2-1, in a three-game set last weekend in Knoxville to open SEC play.
Alabama and Tennessee will meet for the 109th time on Friday in a series that dates as the third-oldest SEC series in Crimson Tide history starting in 1897. UA owns the all-time advantage, 73-35, including a 43-15 overall mark in Tuscaloosa.
The Crimson Tide remains with its regular weekend rotation featuring a trio of righties. Friday's contest will begin with junior Geoffrey Bramblett while Saturday's starter will be sophomore Jake Walters. Junior Nick Eicholtz will get the call for the Tide in Sunday's series finale.
The Volunteers have filled two slots for their weekend rotation, both left-handers. Sophomore Zach Warren will get the nod in Friday's series opener while senior Andy Cox will toe the rubber in Sunday's finale. Tennessee has yet to name a Saturday starter.
Alumni Weekend highlights the promotions for the Tennessee series. All alumni of The University of Alabama will receive group ticket rates to the weekend series. Friday's game will be sponsored by The Woodlands, with the first 250 fans inside the park receiving Sewell-Thomas Stadium pennants. Saturday will once again feature Baseball Bingo, and it will also feature another pennant giveaway, this time to the first 100 students in the stadium. Sunday's series finale is Family Fund Day and Youth Day. The first 100 children (12 and under) through the gates receive Alabama eye black, and postgame children can run the bases and get autographs from select members of the Crimson Tide.
PROBABLE PITCHING MATCHUPS
FRIDAY: UA - Geoffrey Bramblett (Jr., RHP) vs. UT - Zach Warren (So., LHP)
SATURDAY: UA - Jake Walters (So., RHP) vs. UT - TBA
SUNDAY: UA - Nick Eicholtz (Jr., RHP) vs. UT - Andy Cox (Sr., LHP)
SCOUTING ALABAMA
Alabama welcomes Tennessee to Sewell-Thomas Stadium following a 2-1 series win last weekend at then-No. 7 LSU, the Tide's first in Baton Rouge since 1996. Most recently the Tide suffered an 8-0 loss to UAB at Regions Field on Tuesday.
The Crimson Tide was blanked by UAB, 8-0, on Tuesday evening. The shutout loss was Alabama's first shutout of the season. The Blazers registered 12 hits, including four doubles, and forced the Tide to use a total of five pitchers by night's end. Sophomore Tyler McMurray and junior Colton Freeman each made their first appearances of the year.
Saturday featured a doubleheader at Alex Box Stadium following a rainout on Friday evening. The first game of the twinbill went in favor of Alabama, 6-0, as the Tide shut out the Tigers in Baton Rouge for the first since May 14, 2000. The Tide offense strung together 12 hits, with every starter recording at least one knock. Will Haynie highlighted the offense, finishing 2-for-4 with a double, two RBI and a run scored. Starter Geoffrey Bramblett paired with Jon Keller to blank LSU, as Bramblett collected his second win of the season and Keller his first save.
The second game of the doubleheader also went in favor of the Tide, 4-3, as Alabama claimed the series victory with the win. Alabama's offense strung together four runs across the game and took a 4-1 lead into the ninth. The Tigers were able to get two and put the tying run at second, but a popup in foul territory ended the game and earned Matt Foster his first save of the season.
Alabama led most of the day in Sunday's finale, but a six-run eighth inning proved to be the difference, as the Tide fell 7-5. UA carried a 4-1 lead into the bottom of the eighth, but five Tiger hits led to the six run frame as LSU took its first lead of the weekend. Alabama rallied for one in the ninth and had the tying runs in scoring position, but could not pull off the comeback.
Alabama returned home this season after spending 2015 on the road. The Tide played a total of 34 "home" games across the state of Alabama on top of the 22 road contests slotted into the schedule. Thirty of the team's home games were played at Hoover Metropolitan Stadium in Hoover. The Crimson Tide also played a weekend series at Hank Aaron Stadium in Mobile and a single game inside Joe W. Davis Municipal Stadium in Huntsville.
In addition to the "home" contests, UA also traveled to Riverwalk Stadium in Montgomery for the annual MAX Capital City Classic against Auburn, and then to Regions Field in Birmingham for an away game with UAB.
Alabama's roster features 21 letterwinners from the 2015 squad that reached the quarterfinals of the 2015 SEC Tournament. The 2016 Tide returns five positional starters, and five pitchers who made five or more career starts.
SERIES HISTORY - TENNESSEE
Alabama and Tennessee will meet for the 109th time on Friday in a series that ranks as the third-oldest SEC matchup in UA history.
The Crimson Tide owns the all-time advantage, 73-35, including a 43-15 mark at Sewell-Thomas Stadium. The Tide also owns the advantage in two or three-game series in Tuscaloosa, sporting a 17-3-1 series record.
Alabama swept Tennessee in the inaugural series back in 1897, taking all three games from the Volunteers in Tuscaloosa. The Crimson Tide then went on a streak of 12 straight series wins or ties before UT took its first series from the Tide at the Capstone in 1994. The Vols claimed a three-game sweep in that series from April 7-9.
The Volunteers have the upper hand in the last 10 games, claiming wins in six of those contests.
Under head coach Mitch Gaspard, the Crimson Tide owns an 8-7 mark and have won three of the five series.
TAYLOR NAMED SEC FRESHMAN OF THE WEEK
Alabama outfielder Chandler Taylor was named the SEC Freshman of the Week for his performance across four games from March 15-20.
Taylor closed out the week with four hits, three of which were for extra bases including one double and his team-leading third and fourth home runs of the season. He contributed a team-high 11 total bases for the week and led the Tide in slugging percentage at .733.
He began the week with a pair of walks at Southern Miss before the Tide traveled to Baton Rouge to take on the seventh-ranked LSU Tigers.
The Montgomery, Ala., native finished his first career SEC series with a hit in each game and four total.
In last Saturday's doubleheader against the Tigers, Taylor batted .333 (3-9) with a double, home run, two RBI and one run scored to help the Crimson Tide earn its first series victory in Baton Rouge since 1996.
Taylor knocked a two-run home run in the ninth inning of Saturday's first game of the twinbill, putting the game out of reach as the Tide blanked the Tigers, 6-0, for the first shutout win over LSU since May 14, 2000.
On Sunday, he homered once again, extending his team lead to four homers on the young season.
ON DECK
Following the trio of games against the Volunteers, Alabama will travel to Montgomery for a non-conference matchup with Auburn. The Crimson Tide and Tigers will square off at Riverwalk Stadium, home to the Montgomery Biscuits, at 7 p.m. CT on Tuesday evening with the game airing on the SEC Network. The Tide will then travel to Athens, Ga., for a conference road weekend at Georgia from Thursday-Saturday.
-UA-
RTR,
Diamond Tide :biga:
March 24, 2016
TUSCALOOSA, AL - The Crimson Tide returns home for its first SEC weekend series at Sewell-Thomas Stadium as Alabama plays host to the Tennessee Volunteers. The two teams are scheduled for a 7 p.m. CT start on Friday evening with the game airing on SECN+ with Roger Hoover and Lance Cormier on the call. Saturday is set for an 8 p.m. CT start with Sunday's first pitch at 3 p.m. CT. The final two games of the series will air nationally on the SEC Network with Dave Neal and Chris Burke working the booth.
LEADING OFF
The Crimson Tide is currently ranked or receiving votes in all major polls. UA is seeded 22nd in the latest Baseball America and College Baseball News polls, and is No. 30 in the NCBWA poll. The Tide is also receiving votes in the D1Baseball and USA Today Coaches polls. Tennessee is not ranked in any of the five polls.
The Volunteers travel to Tuscaloosa with a 13-7 overall record, including a 1-2 mark in conference play. Tennessee most recently defeated in-state foe Tennessee Tech, 9-1, on Tuesday evening and fell to Ole Miss, 2-1, in a three-game set last weekend in Knoxville to open SEC play.
Alabama and Tennessee will meet for the 109th time on Friday in a series that dates as the third-oldest SEC series in Crimson Tide history starting in 1897. UA owns the all-time advantage, 73-35, including a 43-15 overall mark in Tuscaloosa.
The Crimson Tide remains with its regular weekend rotation featuring a trio of righties. Friday's contest will begin with junior Geoffrey Bramblett while Saturday's starter will be sophomore Jake Walters. Junior Nick Eicholtz will get the call for the Tide in Sunday's series finale.
The Volunteers have filled two slots for their weekend rotation, both left-handers. Sophomore Zach Warren will get the nod in Friday's series opener while senior Andy Cox will toe the rubber in Sunday's finale. Tennessee has yet to name a Saturday starter.
Alumni Weekend highlights the promotions for the Tennessee series. All alumni of The University of Alabama will receive group ticket rates to the weekend series. Friday's game will be sponsored by The Woodlands, with the first 250 fans inside the park receiving Sewell-Thomas Stadium pennants. Saturday will once again feature Baseball Bingo, and it will also feature another pennant giveaway, this time to the first 100 students in the stadium. Sunday's series finale is Family Fund Day and Youth Day. The first 100 children (12 and under) through the gates receive Alabama eye black, and postgame children can run the bases and get autographs from select members of the Crimson Tide.
PROBABLE PITCHING MATCHUPS
FRIDAY: UA - Geoffrey Bramblett (Jr., RHP) vs. UT - Zach Warren (So., LHP)
SATURDAY: UA - Jake Walters (So., RHP) vs. UT - TBA
SUNDAY: UA - Nick Eicholtz (Jr., RHP) vs. UT - Andy Cox (Sr., LHP)
SCOUTING ALABAMA
Alabama welcomes Tennessee to Sewell-Thomas Stadium following a 2-1 series win last weekend at then-No. 7 LSU, the Tide's first in Baton Rouge since 1996. Most recently the Tide suffered an 8-0 loss to UAB at Regions Field on Tuesday.
The Crimson Tide was blanked by UAB, 8-0, on Tuesday evening. The shutout loss was Alabama's first shutout of the season. The Blazers registered 12 hits, including four doubles, and forced the Tide to use a total of five pitchers by night's end. Sophomore Tyler McMurray and junior Colton Freeman each made their first appearances of the year.
Saturday featured a doubleheader at Alex Box Stadium following a rainout on Friday evening. The first game of the twinbill went in favor of Alabama, 6-0, as the Tide shut out the Tigers in Baton Rouge for the first since May 14, 2000. The Tide offense strung together 12 hits, with every starter recording at least one knock. Will Haynie highlighted the offense, finishing 2-for-4 with a double, two RBI and a run scored. Starter Geoffrey Bramblett paired with Jon Keller to blank LSU, as Bramblett collected his second win of the season and Keller his first save.
The second game of the doubleheader also went in favor of the Tide, 4-3, as Alabama claimed the series victory with the win. Alabama's offense strung together four runs across the game and took a 4-1 lead into the ninth. The Tigers were able to get two and put the tying run at second, but a popup in foul territory ended the game and earned Matt Foster his first save of the season.
Alabama led most of the day in Sunday's finale, but a six-run eighth inning proved to be the difference, as the Tide fell 7-5. UA carried a 4-1 lead into the bottom of the eighth, but five Tiger hits led to the six run frame as LSU took its first lead of the weekend. Alabama rallied for one in the ninth and had the tying runs in scoring position, but could not pull off the comeback.
Alabama returned home this season after spending 2015 on the road. The Tide played a total of 34 "home" games across the state of Alabama on top of the 22 road contests slotted into the schedule. Thirty of the team's home games were played at Hoover Metropolitan Stadium in Hoover. The Crimson Tide also played a weekend series at Hank Aaron Stadium in Mobile and a single game inside Joe W. Davis Municipal Stadium in Huntsville.
In addition to the "home" contests, UA also traveled to Riverwalk Stadium in Montgomery for the annual MAX Capital City Classic against Auburn, and then to Regions Field in Birmingham for an away game with UAB.
Alabama's roster features 21 letterwinners from the 2015 squad that reached the quarterfinals of the 2015 SEC Tournament. The 2016 Tide returns five positional starters, and five pitchers who made five or more career starts.
SERIES HISTORY - TENNESSEE
Alabama and Tennessee will meet for the 109th time on Friday in a series that ranks as the third-oldest SEC matchup in UA history.
The Crimson Tide owns the all-time advantage, 73-35, including a 43-15 mark at Sewell-Thomas Stadium. The Tide also owns the advantage in two or three-game series in Tuscaloosa, sporting a 17-3-1 series record.
Alabama swept Tennessee in the inaugural series back in 1897, taking all three games from the Volunteers in Tuscaloosa. The Crimson Tide then went on a streak of 12 straight series wins or ties before UT took its first series from the Tide at the Capstone in 1994. The Vols claimed a three-game sweep in that series from April 7-9.
The Volunteers have the upper hand in the last 10 games, claiming wins in six of those contests.
Under head coach Mitch Gaspard, the Crimson Tide owns an 8-7 mark and have won three of the five series.
TAYLOR NAMED SEC FRESHMAN OF THE WEEK
Alabama outfielder Chandler Taylor was named the SEC Freshman of the Week for his performance across four games from March 15-20.
Taylor closed out the week with four hits, three of which were for extra bases including one double and his team-leading third and fourth home runs of the season. He contributed a team-high 11 total bases for the week and led the Tide in slugging percentage at .733.
He began the week with a pair of walks at Southern Miss before the Tide traveled to Baton Rouge to take on the seventh-ranked LSU Tigers.
The Montgomery, Ala., native finished his first career SEC series with a hit in each game and four total.
In last Saturday's doubleheader against the Tigers, Taylor batted .333 (3-9) with a double, home run, two RBI and one run scored to help the Crimson Tide earn its first series victory in Baton Rouge since 1996.
Taylor knocked a two-run home run in the ninth inning of Saturday's first game of the twinbill, putting the game out of reach as the Tide blanked the Tigers, 6-0, for the first shutout win over LSU since May 14, 2000.
On Sunday, he homered once again, extending his team lead to four homers on the young season.
ON DECK
Following the trio of games against the Volunteers, Alabama will travel to Montgomery for a non-conference matchup with Auburn. The Crimson Tide and Tigers will square off at Riverwalk Stadium, home to the Montgomery Biscuits, at 7 p.m. CT on Tuesday evening with the game airing on the SEC Network. The Tide will then travel to Athens, Ga., for a conference road weekend at Georgia from Thursday-Saturday.
-UA-
RTR,
Diamond Tide :biga:
