The Crimson Tide and Tigers will meet for the 292nd time in series history on Friday night
4/19/2018
TUSCALOOSA, AL – Alabama baseball continues its six-game homestand this weekend with a three-game series against the 25th-ranked Auburn Tigers. First pitch of game one on Friday is set for 6 p.m. CT followed by a 7 p.m. start on Saturday. The series finale on Sunday is slated for 1 p.m. The bookend games of the series will air on SEC Network+, while the Saturday contest is scheduled to air nationally on SEC Network with Steve Lenox and Mike Rooney on the call.
This weekend's three-game series with the rival Tigers will feature numerous promotions for fans of all ages at The Joe. Prior to first pitch on Friday, the Tide will be giving away koozies and Alabama baseball T-shirts to the first 1,000 fans through the gates. Whataburger will also provide students in the Right Field Terrace seating with free food in the series-opener (first 300 fans). Friday's opener will also feature a postgame fireworks show. The display will mark the second time the Tide has hosted a fireworks show in the history of the newly renovated Sewell-Thomas Stadium.
The Crimson Tide will honor the 1968 and 1988 Alabama baseball teams on Saturday evening. The 1968 squad, coached by Joe Sewell, finished as SEC Champions with a 24-14 overall record and advanced to the NCAA South District III Playoffs. In honor of the 1968 team, replica T-shirt jerseys will be given away to the first 500 fans through the gates.
Sunday will be "Kid's Day" at The Joe. Following the final out, kids 12-and-under can head to the field to run the bases and get autographs from the 2018 Crimson Tide roster. Tickets for Sunday's contest are also discounted at $7 for all standing room only seating.
FOLLOW THE TIDE
Fans can follow this weekend's games via the below outlets:
Watch: SEC Network+ (Friday and Sunday) / SEC Network (Saturday)
Listen: 102.9 FM / CTSN / TuneIn App
Twitter: @AlabamaBSB
Live Stats: RollTide.com
PROBABLE PITCHING MATCHUPS
FRIDAY: UA – Sam Finnerty (Jr., RHP) vs. AU – Casey Mize (Jr., RHP)
SATURDAY: UA – Jake Walters (Sr., RHP) vs. AU – Tanner Burns (Fr., RHP)
SUNDAY: UA – Garret Rukes (R-Fr., LHP) vs. AU – TBA
LEADING OFF
• Alabama and Auburn will meet for the 292nd time in series history when the two teams square off on Friday night. The series will mark the second time this season the two in-state rivals have met after also pairing for the MAX Capital City Classic in Montgomery earlier this season on March 27.
• The Crimson Tide holds the all-time series advantage at 160-131 and is 81-44 overall at home against the Tigers.
• UA has won six consecutive series against Auburn and have not lost a series at home against AU since 2004, a streak that spans six home series for the Crimson Tide. Auburn's last series win came in 2011 on the Plains, with the Tigers winning the first two games of the series before the Tide rallied for a 7-6 win on getaway day to avoid the sweep.
• Alabama and Auburn last met on March 27, 2018, with the then-ninth-ranked Tigers recording a 5-2 win at Riverwalk Stadium. In that game, AU put up four runs in the second to put the game out of reach early. The Crimson Tide battled for one run in the sixth but was matched by the Tigers' one tally in the seventh. Alabama scored one more in the top of the eighth and had the tying run at the plate but was unable to come away with the win.
• Auburn travels to Tuscaloosa with a 26-12 overall record and a 6-9 mark in SEC play to earn the nation's No. 25 ranking in the latest USA Today Coaches Poll. The Tigers have traveled away from Plainsman Park 11 times this season, going 4-7 in those contests. In conference play, AU is 2-3 in weekend series thus far, including a 2-1 series win over Mississippi State last weekend. Most recently, AU defeated UAB in Auburn, 12-2, on Tuesday evening.
• Alabama continues its regular SEC weekend rotation for the three-game set. Junior right-hander Sam Finnerty will get the start in the series opener on Friday and will be followed by senior righty Jake Walters on Saturday. Redshirt-freshman Garret Rukes will get the call on Sunday, with the left-hander scheduled to close out the three-game set.
• Auburn will send junior right-hander Casey Mize to the mound on Friday, followed by freshman Tanner Burns, a righty, on Saturday. The Sunday starter for the Tigers is still to be announced.
ABOUT AUBURN
• Auburn returned 15 letterwinners, including six positional starters and eight pitchers, from the 2017 team that finished 37-26 overall and 16-14 in SEC play. AU finished ranked 25th in the final Baseball America poll after advancing to the Tallahassee Regional and coming within one pitch of advancing deeper into the playoffs. The 2018 roster is without 12 letterwinners from a season ago, a number that includes three positional starters and nine pitchers, while the Auburn welcomes 18 newcomers.
• The Tigers were selected to finish sixth in the West and 11th overall in the Southeastern Conference in the league's preseason poll, as voted on by the league's head coaches.
• Butch Thompson is in his third year leading the Auburn program and his fourth campaign overall as a head coach. A graduate of Birmingham-Southern, Thompson is assisted by Karl Nonemaker and Gabe Gross along with volunteer assistant Steve Smith.
• Auburn baseball held a 2,008-1,366-6 record entering the 2018 campaign. The Tigers have made 20 NCAA Tournament appearances and have advanced to four College World Series, with the most recent coming in 1997.
• A public research university, Auburn is located in the same city as its namesake, and sports an enrollment of 29,776 students. Founded on Oct. 1, 1856 as East Alabama Male College under the guidance of the Methodist Church, the University was renamed to Auburn University in 1960.
ON DECK
Alabama will wrap up its six-game homestand with a midweek contest against Troy on Tuesday, April 24 at Sewell-Thomas Stadium. The Crimson Tide and Trojans are scheduled for a 6 p.m. CT first pitch on SEC Network+.
-UA-
RTR,
Diamond Tide :biga:
4/19/2018
TUSCALOOSA, AL – Alabama baseball continues its six-game homestand this weekend with a three-game series against the 25th-ranked Auburn Tigers. First pitch of game one on Friday is set for 6 p.m. CT followed by a 7 p.m. start on Saturday. The series finale on Sunday is slated for 1 p.m. The bookend games of the series will air on SEC Network+, while the Saturday contest is scheduled to air nationally on SEC Network with Steve Lenox and Mike Rooney on the call.
This weekend's three-game series with the rival Tigers will feature numerous promotions for fans of all ages at The Joe. Prior to first pitch on Friday, the Tide will be giving away koozies and Alabama baseball T-shirts to the first 1,000 fans through the gates. Whataburger will also provide students in the Right Field Terrace seating with free food in the series-opener (first 300 fans). Friday's opener will also feature a postgame fireworks show. The display will mark the second time the Tide has hosted a fireworks show in the history of the newly renovated Sewell-Thomas Stadium.
The Crimson Tide will honor the 1968 and 1988 Alabama baseball teams on Saturday evening. The 1968 squad, coached by Joe Sewell, finished as SEC Champions with a 24-14 overall record and advanced to the NCAA South District III Playoffs. In honor of the 1968 team, replica T-shirt jerseys will be given away to the first 500 fans through the gates.
Sunday will be "Kid's Day" at The Joe. Following the final out, kids 12-and-under can head to the field to run the bases and get autographs from the 2018 Crimson Tide roster. Tickets for Sunday's contest are also discounted at $7 for all standing room only seating.
FOLLOW THE TIDE
Fans can follow this weekend's games via the below outlets:
Watch: SEC Network+ (Friday and Sunday) / SEC Network (Saturday)
Listen: 102.9 FM / CTSN / TuneIn App
Twitter: @AlabamaBSB
Live Stats: RollTide.com
PROBABLE PITCHING MATCHUPS
FRIDAY: UA – Sam Finnerty (Jr., RHP) vs. AU – Casey Mize (Jr., RHP)
SATURDAY: UA – Jake Walters (Sr., RHP) vs. AU – Tanner Burns (Fr., RHP)
SUNDAY: UA – Garret Rukes (R-Fr., LHP) vs. AU – TBA
LEADING OFF
• Alabama and Auburn will meet for the 292nd time in series history when the two teams square off on Friday night. The series will mark the second time this season the two in-state rivals have met after also pairing for the MAX Capital City Classic in Montgomery earlier this season on March 27.
• The Crimson Tide holds the all-time series advantage at 160-131 and is 81-44 overall at home against the Tigers.
• UA has won six consecutive series against Auburn and have not lost a series at home against AU since 2004, a streak that spans six home series for the Crimson Tide. Auburn's last series win came in 2011 on the Plains, with the Tigers winning the first two games of the series before the Tide rallied for a 7-6 win on getaway day to avoid the sweep.
• Alabama and Auburn last met on March 27, 2018, with the then-ninth-ranked Tigers recording a 5-2 win at Riverwalk Stadium. In that game, AU put up four runs in the second to put the game out of reach early. The Crimson Tide battled for one run in the sixth but was matched by the Tigers' one tally in the seventh. Alabama scored one more in the top of the eighth and had the tying run at the plate but was unable to come away with the win.
• Auburn travels to Tuscaloosa with a 26-12 overall record and a 6-9 mark in SEC play to earn the nation's No. 25 ranking in the latest USA Today Coaches Poll. The Tigers have traveled away from Plainsman Park 11 times this season, going 4-7 in those contests. In conference play, AU is 2-3 in weekend series thus far, including a 2-1 series win over Mississippi State last weekend. Most recently, AU defeated UAB in Auburn, 12-2, on Tuesday evening.
• Alabama continues its regular SEC weekend rotation for the three-game set. Junior right-hander Sam Finnerty will get the start in the series opener on Friday and will be followed by senior righty Jake Walters on Saturday. Redshirt-freshman Garret Rukes will get the call on Sunday, with the left-hander scheduled to close out the three-game set.
• Auburn will send junior right-hander Casey Mize to the mound on Friday, followed by freshman Tanner Burns, a righty, on Saturday. The Sunday starter for the Tigers is still to be announced.
ABOUT AUBURN
• Auburn returned 15 letterwinners, including six positional starters and eight pitchers, from the 2017 team that finished 37-26 overall and 16-14 in SEC play. AU finished ranked 25th in the final Baseball America poll after advancing to the Tallahassee Regional and coming within one pitch of advancing deeper into the playoffs. The 2018 roster is without 12 letterwinners from a season ago, a number that includes three positional starters and nine pitchers, while the Auburn welcomes 18 newcomers.
• The Tigers were selected to finish sixth in the West and 11th overall in the Southeastern Conference in the league's preseason poll, as voted on by the league's head coaches.
• Butch Thompson is in his third year leading the Auburn program and his fourth campaign overall as a head coach. A graduate of Birmingham-Southern, Thompson is assisted by Karl Nonemaker and Gabe Gross along with volunteer assistant Steve Smith.
• Auburn baseball held a 2,008-1,366-6 record entering the 2018 campaign. The Tigers have made 20 NCAA Tournament appearances and have advanced to four College World Series, with the most recent coming in 1997.
• A public research university, Auburn is located in the same city as its namesake, and sports an enrollment of 29,776 students. Founded on Oct. 1, 1856 as East Alabama Male College under the guidance of the Methodist Church, the University was renamed to Auburn University in 1960.
ON DECK
Alabama will wrap up its six-game homestand with a midweek contest against Troy on Tuesday, April 24 at Sewell-Thomas Stadium. The Crimson Tide and Trojans are scheduled for a 6 p.m. CT first pitch on SEC Network+.
-UA-
RTR,
Diamond Tide :biga:
