The Crimson Tide and Wildcats will meet for the eighth time in the conference's postseason tournament
May 23, 2016
TUSCALOOSA, AL - Alabama heads to Hoover, Ala., for the start of the 2016 SEC Baseball Tournament, entering the week-long event as the No. 9 seed. The Tide will face off with eighth-seeded Kentucky in Tuesday's single-elimination game. The Crimson Tide and Wildcats will square off at 4:30 p.m. CT at Hoover Metropolitan Stadium. The matchup will air live on the SEC Network with Dave Neal and Gabe Gross in the booth, while Laura Rutledge works from the field.
LEADING OFF
Kentucky is coming off a Thursday through Saturday in which the Wildcats took two of three games from Missouri to secure a spot in the SEC Tournament as the No. 8 seed. The Tigers won the first game of the series on Thursday, but UK bounced back for wins in the final two games. Prior to the series win over Mizzou, Kentucky defeated Murray State, 4-1, on Tuesday in a final non-conference matchup.
Alabama and Kentucky will meet for the 98th time on Tuesday in a series that dates back to 1925. The Crimson Tide owns the all-time advantage, 58-39, and holds a 4-3 mark in neutral site contests with all seven games coming in the SEC Tournament.
The Crimson Tide will look to junior right-hander Nick Eicholtz in the opening-round matchup. Eicholtz owns a 3-3 record across his 11 starts and has maintained a 2.25 ERA (15 ER/60.0 IP). The junior faced off with Kentucky earlier this season, earning the win after tossing a career-long 7.2 innings and allowing only one run on three hits and a walk with three strikeouts. He retired the first nine batters he faced before giving up a single, and also had a streak of eight straight sat down in the series finale against the Wildcats.
The Wildcats will counter with sophomore left-hander Zach Logue in the single-elimination contest. Logue has made 16 appearances in 2016, eight of which have been starts, and sports a 2.25 ERA (13 ER/44.2 IP). He has struck out 36 compared to 13 walks and is limiting opposing hitters to a .241 average.
PROBABLE PITCHING MATCHUP
UA - Nick Eicholtz (Jr., RHP) vs. UK - Zach Logue (So., LHP)
ALABAMA IN THE SEC TOURNAMENT
In its storied history, Alabama baseball has now made 33 SEC Tournament appearances all-time. In those trips to the conference tournament, the Crimson Tide owns a 56-52 (.519) all-time mark.
At the Hoover Met, UA holds a 36-23 (.610) mark with four postseason titles in 1996, 1999, 2002 and 2003.
Alabama has claimed seven tournament titles overall with the most recent championship coming in 2003.
Including the Tide's 2016 appearance in Hoover, Alabama has reached the tournament six times under head coach Mitch Gaspard. Gaspard's tournament teams own an 8-8 overall mark.
Tuesday afternoon's matchup between the Crimson Tide and Wildcats will mark the eighth meeting between the two in the conference's postseason tournament.
Alabama owns the all-time advantage, 4-3, and holds a 4-2 mark in games played at Hoover Metropolitan Stadium.
SERIES HISTORY - KENTUCKY
Alabama and Kentucky will meet for the 98th time on Tuesday in a series that dates back to 1925.
The Crimson Tide owns the all-time advantage, 58-39, and holds a 4-3 mark in neutral site contests with all seven games being played in the SEC Tournament.
Alabama won the first four pairings in 1925, part of a five-game winning streak to start the series.
The two teams squared off earlier this season from April 8-10, with the Wildcats taking the first two games of the weekend for the series. Alabama bounced back for a win on Sunday to avoid the sweep.
ON DECK
A win over Kentucky would advance Alabama to the double-elimination round of the SEC Tournament, with the Tide's second game scheduled against the top-ranked team on Wednesday at 4:30 p.m. CT. A loss to the Wildcats would end the Crimson Tide's Tournament run, with UA then awaiting a possible NCAA postseason berth.
-UA-
RTR,
Diamond Tide :biga:
May 23, 2016
TUSCALOOSA, AL - Alabama heads to Hoover, Ala., for the start of the 2016 SEC Baseball Tournament, entering the week-long event as the No. 9 seed. The Tide will face off with eighth-seeded Kentucky in Tuesday's single-elimination game. The Crimson Tide and Wildcats will square off at 4:30 p.m. CT at Hoover Metropolitan Stadium. The matchup will air live on the SEC Network with Dave Neal and Gabe Gross in the booth, while Laura Rutledge works from the field.
LEADING OFF
Kentucky is coming off a Thursday through Saturday in which the Wildcats took two of three games from Missouri to secure a spot in the SEC Tournament as the No. 8 seed. The Tigers won the first game of the series on Thursday, but UK bounced back for wins in the final two games. Prior to the series win over Mizzou, Kentucky defeated Murray State, 4-1, on Tuesday in a final non-conference matchup.
Alabama and Kentucky will meet for the 98th time on Tuesday in a series that dates back to 1925. The Crimson Tide owns the all-time advantage, 58-39, and holds a 4-3 mark in neutral site contests with all seven games coming in the SEC Tournament.
The Crimson Tide will look to junior right-hander Nick Eicholtz in the opening-round matchup. Eicholtz owns a 3-3 record across his 11 starts and has maintained a 2.25 ERA (15 ER/60.0 IP). The junior faced off with Kentucky earlier this season, earning the win after tossing a career-long 7.2 innings and allowing only one run on three hits and a walk with three strikeouts. He retired the first nine batters he faced before giving up a single, and also had a streak of eight straight sat down in the series finale against the Wildcats.
The Wildcats will counter with sophomore left-hander Zach Logue in the single-elimination contest. Logue has made 16 appearances in 2016, eight of which have been starts, and sports a 2.25 ERA (13 ER/44.2 IP). He has struck out 36 compared to 13 walks and is limiting opposing hitters to a .241 average.
PROBABLE PITCHING MATCHUP
UA - Nick Eicholtz (Jr., RHP) vs. UK - Zach Logue (So., LHP)
ALABAMA IN THE SEC TOURNAMENT
In its storied history, Alabama baseball has now made 33 SEC Tournament appearances all-time. In those trips to the conference tournament, the Crimson Tide owns a 56-52 (.519) all-time mark.
At the Hoover Met, UA holds a 36-23 (.610) mark with four postseason titles in 1996, 1999, 2002 and 2003.
Alabama has claimed seven tournament titles overall with the most recent championship coming in 2003.
Including the Tide's 2016 appearance in Hoover, Alabama has reached the tournament six times under head coach Mitch Gaspard. Gaspard's tournament teams own an 8-8 overall mark.
Tuesday afternoon's matchup between the Crimson Tide and Wildcats will mark the eighth meeting between the two in the conference's postseason tournament.
Alabama owns the all-time advantage, 4-3, and holds a 4-2 mark in games played at Hoover Metropolitan Stadium.
SERIES HISTORY - KENTUCKY
Alabama and Kentucky will meet for the 98th time on Tuesday in a series that dates back to 1925.
The Crimson Tide owns the all-time advantage, 58-39, and holds a 4-3 mark in neutral site contests with all seven games being played in the SEC Tournament.
Alabama won the first four pairings in 1925, part of a five-game winning streak to start the series.
The two teams squared off earlier this season from April 8-10, with the Wildcats taking the first two games of the weekend for the series. Alabama bounced back for a win on Sunday to avoid the sweep.
ON DECK
A win over Kentucky would advance Alabama to the double-elimination round of the SEC Tournament, with the Tide's second game scheduled against the top-ranked team on Wednesday at 4:30 p.m. CT. A loss to the Wildcats would end the Crimson Tide's Tournament run, with UA then awaiting a possible NCAA postseason berth.
-UA-
RTR,
Diamond Tide :biga:
