The University of Alabama at Birmingham Athletics
Blazers Open Conference USA Play Against Saint Louis
3/17/2005 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
March 17, 2005
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BIRMINGHAM, Ala. -- The UAB baseball team opens up conference play this weekend when the Blazers welcome Saint Louis to town for a three-game series at Young Memorial Field. UAB (12-5) has won six straight games heading into the weekend while the Billikens (2-10) look to snap a five-game skid. Follow all of the action live this weekend on Gametracker at www.uabsports.com
Blazer junior Randy Mills (1-0, 5.29 ERA) will take the mound in Friday's opener at 7 p.m. against Tim Landy (1-2, 9.82 ERA) of Saint Louis.
Jeff Brown (3-1, 4.66 ERA) will make the start for UAB on Saturday at 2 p.m. with Adam Price (2-1, 3.86 ERA) getting the ball in Sunday's series finale at 1 p.m.
"We've been playing pretty solid," said UAB head coach Larry Giangrosso. "What has made us better as of late is that the middle of our order is starting to swing the bats like we knew they could. But everything starts over now this weekend. Every team is 0-0 and its like the beginning of a second season. We're glad we have the opportunity to open up at home this year."
During UAB's current six-game winning streak, the Blazers have put 57 runs on the board and are hitting .344 as a team. Freshman centerfielder Clint Toomey leads Conference USA with an outstanding .442 overall batting average and has an on-base-percentage of .586 in the leadoff spot. Last week's Conference USA Hitter of the Week Nathan McCorkle and Cole Helms provide the power in UAB's lineup. McCorkle leads the Blazers with five home runs while Helms has driven in a team-best 19 runs.
Saint Louis, who dropped three games to Illinois-Chicago last weekend, is led by Pat Steinhoff's .386 batting average while Matt Gerst has hit three of the Billikens' six home runs this season.
UAB leads the all-time series against Saint Louis, 43-13.
