The University of Alabama at Birmingham Athletics
Blazer Baseball Closes Out 2002 Season With South Florida
5/16/2002 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
May 16, 2002
Thu. 5/16 * UAB vs. South Florida (7 pm CDT)
Fri. 5/17 * UAB vs. South Florida (7 pm CDT)
Sat. 5/18 * UAB vs. South Florida (1 pm CDT)
THE BLAZERS: Are 15-38 overall (6-21 C-USA) and coming off a 6-1 loss to Mississippi State at home on Tuesday evening (May 14). UAB was swept in a three-game Conference USA series at Louisville (May 10-12; 3-5, 3-12, 1-7) and has lost nine of its last 11 games overall.
THE BULLS: South Florida is 29-24 overall (14-13 C-USA) and coming off a 6-5 win at Stetson on Tuesday (May 14). The Bulls are currently tied for sixth place (with Tulane) in the Conference USA standings and have clinched a berth in next week's C-USA Tournament in Kinston, N.C. The Bulls lost two of three games in their C-USA series vs. Tulane last weekend in Tampa (May 10-12; 5-15, 10-3, 8-9).
THE UAB-USF SERIES: The Blazers and Bulls have met 80 times over the years (going back to1979, UAB's first season of intercollegiate play); most of those meetings came when the two teams were members of the Sun Belt Conference in the 1970s and 1980s. South Florida holds a 50-30 edge in the all-time series, but the Blazers have an 18-14 lead in games played at Young Memorial Field.
LAST YEAR (IN TAMPA): The Bulls swept the three-game series at Red McEwen Field, winning 8-4, 7-1, 5-1 (Mar. 23-25, 2001).
LAST TIME IN BIRMINGHAM: South Florida took two of three games from the Blazers at Young Memorial Field during the 2000 series; the Bulls won game one 4-2 and the teams split a double-header the next day with UAB winning 11-5, and SouthFlorida winning 10-6 (Mar. 17-18, 2000).
STARTING PITCHERS: The Blazers' projected pitching rotation for the South Florida series is: Thu. 5/16 * Jon Burgett (Jr., LHP, 1-3, 4.81 ERA); Fri. 5/17 * Joe Yarbrough (Sr., LHP, 0-5, 4.56 ERA); Sat. 5/18 * Jeff Brown (Fr., RHP, 1-3, 5.70 ERA).
USF STARTERS: The Bulls' projected starting rotation is: Thu. 5/16 * Ryan Gloger (Jr., LHP, 4-3, 6.65 ERA); Fri. 5/17 * Jon Uhl (So., RHP, 7-4, 4.00 ERA); Sat. 5/18 * John Gorham (Sr., RHP, 5-8, 5.60 ERA).
"SENIOR DAY" SATURDAY: Eight UAB seniors will be honored prior to Saturday's season finale at Young Memorial Field; they are: catcher Brad Bamberg (Montevallo, Ala.), pitcher Ross Dobbins (Tanner, Ala.), third baseman Matt Gaulden (Birmingham/Homewood HS), shortstop Mark Garner (Spanish Fort, Ala.), outfielder Eric Lyon (Kirkland, Wash.), pitcher Andre Parks (Luverne, Ala.), pitcher Michael Stallings (Alexander City, Ala.), and pitcher Joe Yarbrough (Hazel Green, Ala.).
CALL HIM "GINO": Larry Giangrosso (UAB '75) is in his third season as head coach of the UAB Blazers. The Birmingham native is 68-100 (.405) overall at UAB. Giangrosso was named head coach at UAB on June 16, 1999. Prior to that, he spent nine seasons as head coach at Central Alabama Community College (1991-99), where he posted a 320-183-1 (.636) record and led his teams to a state championship (1998) and three conference titles. Giangrosso also had a very successful stint as head coach at Birmingham's W.A. Berry High School (1979-90), where he had a 254-115 (.688) record and led the Bucs to the Alabama 4A state title (1981), as well as five regional and four Jefferson County championships.
GARNER, LYON HAD GOOD SERIES vs. BULLS IN 2001: Shortstop Mark Garner and outfielder Eric Lyon had very solid offensive performances in the 2001 series vs. South Florida in Tampa; Garner hit .455 (5-11) in the three games, with a double, while Lyon hit .400 (4-10).
UAB PITCHERS vs. USF LAST YEAR: Thursday starter Jon Burgett worked 3.1 innings in relief in the first game of the 2001 series vs. USF (Mar. 23), allowing two (unearned) runs on three hits, with no walks and one strikeout... Friday starter Joe Yarbrough made two appearances in that series -- both in relief -- working 2.2 innings and allowing two runs (one earned) on five hits, with one walk and two strikeouts... Ross Dobbins started the Mar. 23 game at USF, taking a loss in 4.2 innings of work, allowing six runs on eight hits, with six walks and eight strikeouts.
AMAZING DEVELOPMENT: Senior pitcher/DH Joe Yarbrough became a regular member of the Blazers' offensive lineup during the Memphis series (Apr. 19-21); prior to that time he had had only five career at-bats since joining the UAB team in 2000 (he hit .370 in junior college at Jefferson State CC...since stepping into his role as the team's primary DH, the left-handed batting Yarbrough has made a remarkable impact, batting .362 (17-47 in 16 games) with three doubles, three home runs and 11 RBI.
BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM: The Blazers hit 12 home runs in five games last week; six of those bombs came in the two games vs. Birmingham-Southern in midweek...four came in the Wednesday game at Young Memorial Field, and three of those came in the seventh inning of that game, tying a UAB record for homers in an inning (previously set at Jacksonville-1981, vs. Northern Kentucky-1983, and vs. Middle Tennessee-1999)...senior outfielder Eric Lyon hit three homers during the week, with senior pitcher/DH Joe Yarbrough, RS-junior first baseman Matt Womble, junior outfielder Mitch Jones and freshman second baseman Seth Rollin contributing two each...UAB hit six homers in the series vs. Louisville (all of the Blazers' seven runs in the series vs. the Cards came via the home run)...unfortunately, the home run streak was snapped in Tuesday's 6-1 loss to Mississippi State (May 14).
DON'T GO TO SLEEP OUT THERE: One thing that the Blazers definitely do well is pick off baserunners; UAB has picked off 26 this season -- that leads Conference USA.
YOUNG MEMORIAL FIELD: Jerry D. Young Memorial Field is in its 19th season as the Blazers' home field (the program called historic Rickwood Field home from 1979-83). The Blazers have a 334-209-1 (.615) all-time record at Young Memorial Field (1984- ) and are 11-17 at home in 2002.
IN PLAY: The 30-foot high "batter's eye" wall in center field, which was once located behind the outfield fence, is now actually part of the fence and is in play (this became effective at the beginning of the 2001 season after the wooden fence replaced a chain link fence as part of general stadium renovations).
