Diamond Notes : SEC Series Matches Bama with South Carolina from Thursday through Sat

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The Crimson Tide and Gamecocks will meet for the 64th time in series history on Thursday evening

4/3/2019

TUSCALOOSA, AL –
Alabama closes out its current homestand with a three-game series against the South Carolina Gamecocks starting on Thursday and running through Saturday. The first two games of the SEC pairing are slated for a 6 p.m. CT first pitch with Saturday scheduled to start at 1 p.m. Games one and two of the series will air nationally on SEC Network with SEC Network+ carrying the series finale.

The three-game series with South Carolina will feature promotions for fans of all ages each day. Prior to the game on Thursday, Alabama football head coach Nick Saban will throw out a ceremonial first pitch. Thursday's series opener will also feature a "Game of Thrones" theme at Sewell-Thomas Stadium. Fans coming through the gates will receive an Alabama replica banner. Those in attendance will also be able to take their picture with a throne made of baseball bats that will be displayed down the right field line.

Game two of the series on Friday will be the Tide's Greek/Crimson Chaos Night at The Joe. Students can grab an Alabama baseball T-shirt, enjoy free food and get their Greek points on Friday. The Friday contest will also be Kids' Night at The Joe. All kids 18-and-under can purchase a $5 general admission ticket with children 12-and-under having the chance to run the bases postgame. Friday will also be Big Al's Kids Club Night. Members of the Club can purchase a $1 ticket by using their promotional code and will receive a T-shirt jersey at the gate on Friday. Saturday will be UA's Crimson Tide Foundation Day.

FOLLOW THE TIDE

Fans can follow the three-game series via the below outlets:


Watch:
SEC Network (Thursday | Friday) / SEC Network+ (Saturday)
Listen: 102.9 FM / CTSN / TuneIn App
Twitter: @AlabamaBSB
Live Stats: RollTide.com

PROBABLE PITCHING MATCHUPS

THURSDAY: UA – Sam Finnerty (Sr., RHP) vs. SC – Daniel Lloyd (Fr., RHP)
FRIDAY: UA – Brock Love (R-Jr., RHP) vs. SC – Reid Morgan (Jr., RHP)
SATURDAY: UA – Tyler Ras (Fr., RHP) vs. SC – TBA

LEADING OFF

• Alabama and South Carolina will meet for the 64th time in history when the two teams square off for the series opener on Thursday night at Sewell-Thomas Stadium. South Carolina holds the all-time advantage, 36-27 in a series that dates back to 1973, but the Crimson Tide leads in Tuscaloosa at 14-13.
• The Crimson Tide and Gamecocks last met from March 24-26, 2017, in Columbia, with South Carolina claiming a 2-1 series win at home. Alabama came away with a 4-2 victory in the series opener against the seventh-ranked Gamecocks, with Cody Henry and Chandler Taylor each homering to provide three of the Tide's four runs. UA then fell in the final two games of the series, 6-5 and 4-2.
• Alabama returns to its rotation from a weekend ago, using a trio of right-handers in the series with the Gamecocks. Senior Sam Finnerty will take the hill in Thursday's opener and is followed by Brock Love, a redshirt junior, on Friday evening. The series will wrap up on Saturday with the Crimson Tide sending freshman Tyler Ras to the hill.
• South Carolina will call on a pair of righties in the first two games of the series with Saturday's starter still to be announced. On Thursday, freshman Daniel Lloyd gets the nod with junior Reid Morgan following him on Friday.

ABOUT ALABAMA

• Alabama has hit a tough stretch as of late, going 1-4 across the last five games. UA wrapped up last week with one win against a top-25 opponent, defeating 12th-ranked Auburn in Montgomery on Tuesday evening. The Crimson Tide then traveled to Gainesville to take on No. 15 Florida, falling in all three games, before suffering a midweek loss to Troy on Tuesday.
• Drew Williamson put together a big week with a hot five-game stretch. The freshman batted .389 (7-18) with a double, his first career home run, one RBI, four runs scored, a walk and a stolen base. Williamson's five-game run made up part of his current 15-game reached base streak. The streak is currently the longest by any member of the Crimson Tide.
• A three-run eighth helped Alabama secure a 6-3 win over 12th-ranked Auburn in the annual MAX Capital City Classic on Tuesday evening in Montgomery. The victory was UA's first in the neutral site matchup since 2014.
• The Crimson Tide scored one in the second but was matched by Auburn in the top of the fourth. Alabama rallied in the bottom half of the fourth for a pair with AU countering once again with a run. The Tigers posted one more run in the seventh to tie things up for a short period of time before the Tide recorded three runs in the bottom of the eighth to secure the win.
• Leading the UA offense was Williamson who was named the game's Most Valuable Player. The freshman finished a perfect 4-for-4 with a double and two runs scored. Senior Joe Breaux also contributed a multi-hit effort, finishing 2-for-3 with a double plus a team a team-high three RBI and two walks. The Crimson Tide utilized a season-high eight arms on the mound with Jeremy Randolph earning his first win of the season. The graduate tossed the final 2.1 scoreless innings, striking out two including the game's final out.
• A tight game between Alabama and Florida saw the 15th-ranked Gators come away with a 3-1 win on Friday evening at McKethan Stadium. Sam Finnerty suffered the loss, giving up three runs on five hits and three walks with a pair of strikeouts across his 4.0-plus innings of work. Finnerty saw his night end in the fifth when he ran into trouble, but redshirt freshman Chase Lee and junior Casey Cobb entered in relief, combining for the final 4.0 innings and keeping the UF offense at bay.
• Alabama suffered a 12-3 loss to Florida on Saturday. Home runs were the story of the game as the Gators tallied five with three solo shots and a pair of two-run homers to secure the series-clinching win.
• A solo home run by both teams made it a 1-1 game after two innings. The Gators tallied a solo shot in the first, followed by Williamson recording his first home run of the season in the next half inning to even things up. Florida then used three home runs in the third to make it a 5-1 contest. Two of the three round trippers were solo shots with the third going for two runs.
• The Crimson Tide scored two runs late but was unable to complete the comeback in a 6-3 loss in Gainesville on Sunday afternoon. Alabama jumped out front early with one in the second but was countered in the home half by a pair of Florida runs. The Gators added two more in both the fourth and the eighth to take a 6-1 lead.
• A two-out walk for junior Brett Auerbach in the ninth put one on for pinch-hitter T.J. Reeves. The freshman homered to straightaway center to narrow the gap to 6-3 and give the Tide life, but a groundout ended things in favor of Florida.
• The Tide's late rally came up short in an 8-4 loss to Troy on Tuesday evening. UA trailed 8-2 entering the bottom of the ninth. A hit-by-pitch followed by a two-run home run from junior John Trousdale moved the Tide to within four, but a pair of groundouts ended things in favor of the Trojans.

ABOUT SOUTH CAROLINA

• Mark Kingston is in his second season leading the Gamecocks and finished his first year in Columbia with a 37-26 overall record on the way to an NCAA Super Regional appearance. Kingston is joined by assistant coaches Mike Current, Stuart Lake and Skylar Meade.
• South Carolina returns 16 letterwinners, including three positional starters and 10 pitchers, from the 2018 team that went 37-26 overall and 17-13 in SEC action to finish third in the East. The Gamecocks advanced through the NCAA Greenville Regional before falling to College World Series runner-up Arkansas in the Fayetteville Super Regional. The 2019 roster is without 18 lettermen from a season ago, a number that includes six positional starters and six pitchers.
• The Gamecocks were selected to finish fourth in the East and eighth overall in the SEC in the league's preseason poll, as voted on by the conference's head coaches.

ON DECK

Alabama will take the road once again, this time for a five-game stretch. The roadtrip begins on Tuesday, April 9, when the Crimson Tide travels to Birmingham to take on the Samford Bulldogs. The two in-state foes are scheduled for a 6 p.m. CT first pitch at Joe Lee Griffin Field.


-UA-



RTR,

Diamond Tide
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