Diamond Notes : Trip to the Plains Matches Alabama with In-State Rival Auburn

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The Crimson Tide and Tigers will meet for the 297th time in series history on Friday night

5/2/2019

TUSCALOOSA, AL –
Alabama baseball takes to the road this weekend for a three-game series at Plainsman Park against Auburn. The Crimson Tide and Tigers are set for a 6 p.m. CT start on Friday followed by a 7 p.m. first pitch for game two of the weekend on Saturday. Sunday's series finale is slated for 3 p.m. on getaway day. The opener will air on SEC Network+ with the final two games of the weekend being broadcast nationally on SEC Network.

FOLLOW THE TIDE

Fans can follow this weekend's game via the below outlets:


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

PROBABLE PITCHING MATCHUPS

FRIDAY: UA – Sam Finnerty (Sr., RHP) vs. AU – Jack Owen (So., LHP)
SATURDAY: UA – Brock Love (R-Jr., RHP) vs. AU – Brooks Fuller (Fr., LHP)
SUNDAY: UA – TBA vs. AU – TBA

LEADING OFF

• Alabama and Auburn will meet for the 297th time in series history when the two teams open the series on Friday night. The Crimson Tide holds the all-time advantage, 162-134, but trail the Tigers on the Plains by a 59-55 margin.
• The Crimson Tide is currently riding a seven-game winning streak at Plainsman Park, tying for the longest winning streak at AU in program history. The active streak is tied with a seven-gamer from May 6, 1955-April 21, 1958. Alabama took game three of the series finale in 2013 to clinch that series and start the current streak. The Crimson Tide then swept the Tigers in 2015, punctuated by a 14-4 win on getaway day. The most recent trip to Plainsman Park saw the Tide sweep then-No. 4 AU for three of Alabama's five SEC wins that year.
• The two teams last met on March 26 of this season in Montgomery for the annual MAX Capital City Classic. A three-run eighth helped UA secure the win, the Tide's first in the game since 2014. The offense was led by game MVP Drew Williamson, who finished a perfect 4-for-4 with a double and two runs scored. Jeremy Randolph earned the win thanks to 2.1 scoreless innings that included two strikeouts.
• Alabama opens the weekend on the Plains with its right-handed duo of senior Sam Finnerty on Friday night followed by Brock Love, a redshirt junior, for game two on Saturday. Sunday's starter is still to be announced.
• Auburn will counter with a pair of southpaws, first with sophomore Jack Owen on Friday. The Tigers will send freshman Brooks Fuller to the hill on Saturday with Sunday's starter to be announced.

ABOUT ALABAMA

• Alabama closed out its week at 2-2 overall. The Crimson Tide first took down Jacksonville State, 6-3, on the road before returning home to face 14th-ranked LSU. The series with the Tigers saw the Tide finish 1-2.
• The Tide fell behind early but battled back for the 6-3 win over Jacksonville State on Wednesday night at Rudy Abbott Field, using a three-run ninth inning to secure the midweek victory.
• Alabama reliever Kyle Cameron earned the win thanks to a career-high tying 4.0 perfect frames. The redshirt junior faced 12, sitting them down in order while striking out a career-best six batters. Cameron was followed by graduate Jeremy Randolph who picked up his seventh save in as many chances with 1.0 inning of work, ending with a swinging strikeout to secure the win.
• All 10 Tide batters reached base safely at least once in Jacksonville, led by Brett Auerbach. The junior reached in all four plate appearances, going 2-for-2 with a pair of walks while adding a double, an RBI, one run and a stolen base on the night. Also contributing two hits were freshman T.J. Reeves and junior Morgan McCullough.
• Alabama used a complete team effort to come away with a 6-1 win over 14th-ranked LSU on Friday night at Sewell-Thomas Stadium. The Crimson Tide got out front early thanks to a pair of solo home runs in the first. Alabama then recorded single marks in the second, third, fifth and seventh innings to build a six-run lead. LSU was able to scratch across one in the top of the ninth, but that was all, as the Crimson Tide secured the 6-1 win on opening night.
• Sam Finnerty picked up his sixth victory of the season thanks to another quality start. The senior tossed 6.0 scoreless frames, allowing five hits and issuing a walk while striking out six Tiger batters. Finnerty then handed it over to the bullpen with the duo of redshirt freshman Chase Lee and sophomore Brock Guffey working the final 3.0 innings for series-opening win.
• Eight of the nine Tide starters on offense reached base safely on Friday night, paced by Auerbach. The junior finished a perfect 4-for-4 with a team-leading two doubles and two RBI to go with one run scored. The Crimson Tide's two homers came from Reeves and sophomore Tyler Gentry – both in the first inning.
• UA came up short against 14th-ranked LSU by a score of 5-2 on Saturday afternoon. The Crimson Tide recorded double-digit hits for a second consecutive day but could only push across two runs with 10 left stranded. LSU totaled nine hits, including a three-run home run in the fourth that proved the difference. Originally called foul, a review of the long drive was overturned to a home run and put the visitors in front by what would prove the difference in a 5-2 game.
• Alabama's late rally was not enough as the Crimson Tide fell, 5-4, on Sunday. The Tide trailed 5-2 entering the final two innings. Alabama pushed across one in the eighth to narrow the gap to two headed to the ninth. That final frame saw UA score one and load the bases up with two down, but a strikeout swinging ended the game in favor of LSU.
• The Tide bullpen was able to keep things close following his exit. The trio of redshirt junior Davis Vainer, Guffey and junior Deacon Medders limited the Tigers to only two hits and one run while combining for six strikeouts. Guffey contributed a career-high 3.0 innings and added two punchouts while Medders tossed the final 2.0 stanzas, striking out three Tigers.
• On offense, Auerbach continued his hot hitting for the weekend, finishing 3-for-5 with a pair of runs scored. McCullough paced the Crimson Tide in RBI with two, while Gentry homered on Sunday for his team-leading 10th roundtripper of the season.

ABOUT AUBURN

• Butch Thompson is in his fourth year leading the Auburn program and entered 2019 with a record of 103-82 at Auburn and a career mark of 142-94 across five seasons as a collegiate head coach. A graduate of Birmingham-Southern, Thompson is assisted by Karl Nonemaker and Gabe Gross along with volunteer assistant Steve Smith.
• Auburn returned 15 letterwinners, including six positional starters and nine pitchers, from the 2018 team that finished 43-23 overall and 15-15 in SEC action to finish third in the West. AU advanced to an NCAA Super Regional a season ago, falling to the Florida Gators, 2-1, in Gainesville The 2019 roster is without 14 lettermen from last year's squad, a number that includes four positional starters and five pitchers. The 2019 Tigers roster features 19 newcomers.
• The Tigers were selected to finish fourth in the West and seventh overall in the SEC in the league's preseason poll, as voted on by the conference's head coaches.

ON DECK

Next up for the Crimson Tide is a trip to Troy on Wednesday, May 8. The two in-state foes are scheduled for a 6 p.m. CT first pitch at Riddle-Pace Field to complete the 2019 home-and-home series. Fans can catch all the action live on ESPN+.


-UA-



RTR,

Diamond Tide
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