No. 23 Alabama Welcomes Stetson to Tuscaloosa for Final Non-Conference Weekend Series

[Diamond Tide]

The Crimson Tide and Hatters will meet for the fourth time in series history on Friday night

3/11/2021

TUSCALOOSA, AL – Alabama baseball hosts Stetson from Friday through Sunday in what will be the Tide's final non-conference weekend series before the start of Southeastern Conference play. The 23rd-ranked Crimson Tide and the Hatters are slated for a 6 p.m. CT start in Friday's opener with a 2 p.m. first pitch on Saturday and a 1 p.m. open on getaway day. All three games will air live on SEC Network+.

Follow the Tide
Fans can follow this weekend's games via the below outlets:
Watch: SEC Network+
Listen: 100.9 FM / CTSN / TuneIn App
Twitter: @AlabamaBSB
Live Stats: RollTide.com

Probable Starting Pitching Matchups
FRIDAY: UA – Tyler Ras (Jr., RHP) vs. SU – Nick Durgin (R-Fr., RHP)
SATURDAY: UA – Dylan Smith (Jr., RHP) vs. SU – Chris Gonzalez (R-Jr., LHP)
SUNDAY: UA – Antoine Jean (So., LHP) vs. SU – TBA

Leading Off

• Alabama and Stetson will meet for the fourth time in series history when the two teams square off on Friday evening to kickstart this weekend's three-game series at Sewell-Thomas Stadium.
• The initial meetings between the Crimson Tide and Hatters came in 1950 with the teams splitting a two-game series in De Land from March 20-21. The most recent matchup between the two schools came in 1996 in Tuscaloosa as part of the NCAA South I Regional. Alabama came away with a 3-1 win over Stetson on May 25 and defeated Virginia a day later to earn a spot in Omaha at the College World Series.
• Alabama opens the series with right-hander Tyler Ras on the hill for a third straight week after a pair of impressive outings in his previous two starts. The Crimson Tide will then look to Dylan Smith, a righty, on Saturday followed by left-hander Antoine Jean in the finale.
• Stetson counters with Nick Durgin on Friday night. The righty will be followed by left-hander Chris Gonzalez for game two. The Hatters' Sunday starter is still to be announced.

About Alabama

• Alabama enters this weekend's series with Stetson riding a three-game winning streak, going 4-1 across the last five games. The 23rd-ranked Crimson Tide secured a series win at the College of Charleston last weekend before heading home to take down South Alabama on Tuesday and Jacksonville State on Wednesday.
• The Tide used another impressive start from Connor Shamblin to take down Jacksonville State, 7-2, on Wednesday evening at Sewell-Thomas Stadium. The victory completed the 2021 home-and-home sweep of the Gamecocks.
• Shamblin tossed a career-long 6.0 innings, allowing just one run on three hits to pick up his second win of the season. The Tide starter did not issue a walk while striking out six to match his career-high total.|
• Alabama was led at the plate by William Hamiter, who finished 3-for-5 with a double, two RBI and a run against the Gamecocks. Also contributing a multi-hit effort was Zane Denton who finished 2-for-5 with two RBI and one run.
• Owen Diodati recorded his third grand slam of the season, this one in walkoff fashion as the sophomore's roundtripper led Alabama to an 11-8 win over South Alabama on Tuesday.
• The Crimson Tide and Jaguars traded leads all night with USA taking an 8-6 advantage into the ninth. Alabama used two hits and a pair of errors to score one and load them up for Diodati, with the Canadian sending a ball deep into the student section for the grand slam and walkoff win.
• Chase Lee picked up his third win of the season thanks to 1.2 scoreless innings that included three strikeouts against the Jaguars. Lee entered in a tough spot with the bases loaded and one down in the eighth but battled to keep things close and allow his offense to complete the midweek comeback.
• Tyler Ras put together another solid start, helping Alabama blank the College of Charleston, 8-0, on Friday evening at The Ballpark at Patriots Point. Ras got the series-opening start for a second straight week, totaling a career-high six strikeouts and allowing only three hits with no walks across 6.0 innings.
• Ras was followed by Jacob McNairy, who contributed 2.0 frames, and then Grayson Hitt with 1.0 inning of scoreless baseball to complete the shutout. It was Alabama's second shutout effort this season.
• The Crimson Tide offense received contributions from the entire lineup on Friday. All nine starters reached base safely on the night with eight of the nine starters recording one run apiece. Peyton Wilson and Caden Rose each homered and posted two RBI each with Hamiter also contributing two RBI.
• Despite a strong outing from starter Dylan Smith, Alabama was unable to secure the win against the College of Charleston in a 1-0 ballgame on Saturday afternoon. Smith improved upon his career-best totals from a week ago to set new career-high marks for innings and strikeouts. The junior allowed just one run on four hits with no walks and 10 punchouts but his offense was unable to provide the necessary assistance.
• Alabama downed the College of Charleston, 21-3, in Sunday's matchup to clinch the series. The Crimson Tide bounced back from a shutout on Saturday to score a season-high 21 runs, the most by an Alabama offense since 2019.
• Diodati and Sam Praytor tied for the team lead with four RBI apiece while Will Patota and Andrew Pinckney were close behind with three each. Diodati's four came on a grand slam while Praytor delivered a single and a bases-clearing double for his four as the foursome accounted for 14 of the Tide's 20 RBI.
• Alabama's bats produced a season-high 20 hits and saw 13-of-14 players in the game record at least one hit. Leading the way was Pinckney, who finished 3-for-5 with a double, two runs scored, a walk and a hit-by-pitch to go with his three RBI in his first career start.
• Antoine Jean highlighted the Alabama effort on the mound, picking up his first win of the season with 5.0 scoreless innings. He allowed just three hits and issued two walks while punching out four across his 68 pitches.

About Stetson

• Stetson finished the pandemic-shortened 2020 campaign at 11-4. The Hatters were set to host Penn for a weekend series right before the season was shut down.
• Steve Trimper is in his 23rd season as a collegiate head coach and his fourth as the head man at Stetson. A 1992 graduate of Eastern Connecticut State University, Trimper is joined by associate head coach Dave Therneau and assistant coach Joe Mercadante along with volunteer assistant coach Brandon Brewer.
• Stetson was selected to finish second overall in the ASUN Conference's preseason poll, as voted on by the league's head coaches. The Hatters received two first-place votes.

Senior Day 2020

• The Crimson Tide will recognize the 2020 Senior Class at Saturday's game against Stetson. A total of six players and one manager will return to The Joe to take part in the festivities.
• Brett Auerbach, Kyle Cameron, Casey Cobb, Walker McCleney, Dylan Oliver and Kolby Robinson will all be present in addition to student manager Jim Tierney.
• Alabama will begin the ceremonies 30 minutes prior to first pitch.

On Deck
Alabama will take to the road to face Troy on Tuesday, March 16, in the Tide's final non-conference pairing before SEC play begins. The Crimson Tide and Trojans are set for a 6 p.m. first pitch at Riddle-Pace Field.

-UA-



RTR,

Diamond Tide

 

[bamamick]

Still no Connor.

 

[edwd58]

I've been watching the game via ESPN/WATCH. Stetson leads 4-0 after the 7th. Three Bama errors have led to 3 unearned runs. Of course we aren't helping ourselves at the plate as we have zero (0) hits thus far.

 

[Blindside17]

I've been watching the game via ESPN/WATCH. Stetson leads 4-0 after the 7th. Three Bama errors have led to 3 unearned runs. Of course we aren't helping ourselves at the plate as we have zero (0) hits thus far.

First opponent we have played that is even close to resembling a sec shoool. Not a good sign headed into conference play next weekend. If this score holds our backs are against the wall to win the series.

 

[edwd58]

Still no hits as we went in order in the 8th.

 

[edwd58]

Williamson singles on the first pitch in the bottom of the 9th, no hitter is broken up. Denton follows with a dinger! Stetson 4-2 , but no outs for Bama.

 

[edwd58]

We got the tying runs to 2nd and 3rd but a ground out ends it. Stetson 4-2 winner.