The University of Alabama at Birmingham Athletics
UAB Baseball Welcomes Alabama To The Hoover Met
4/25/2006 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
April 25, 2006
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. -- The UAB baseball team, fresh off its first C-USA series win this past weekend, will host in-state rival Alabama for a mid-week clash to be played at the Hoover Met in Hoover, Ala., on Wednesday night. The Blazers will put a two-game win streak on the line as they face the No. 6 ranked Crimson Tide, in the second game of a home-and-home series between the two schools.
UAB's new head men's basketball coach Mike Davis will throw out Wednesday's ceremonial first pitch before the game, as the intrastate battle between the Blazers and Crimson Tide is slated to begin at 6:30 p.m. CT. The game will be sponsored by the Alabama Organ Center, which participates in the "Give the Gift of Life" program.
The Hoover Met, the home of Chicago White Sox Double-A affiliate the Birmingham Barons, has played host to this contest five times since its opening in 1988, with Alabama holding a 3-2 advantage over UAB. Overall, the Blazers have played nine games at the Met, and hold a 3-6 record going into this contest.
These two squads mixed it up on April 5th at Tuscaloosa, with Alabama defeating UAB 4-3 on the strength of a strong outing by Crimson Tide pitcher Jake McCarter. That loss for UAB was the first of a four-game stretch that saw the Blazers lose one-run games to teams ranked in the top 10.
Since that win, the Crimson Tide has continued to climb up the national rankings, as it now sits as the No. 6 team in the country. Head coach Jim Wells' squad is 31-12 on the year, and sports a 13-5 record in SEC play, good enough for first in the Western Division. The Tide has been surging in all facets of the game, as it sports a .292 team batting average along with an ERA of 3.33.
The tandem of Emeel Salem and Kody Valverde have paced the offensive attack, as the two have combined for 110 hits on the year. Salem leads the club with a .346 average, and has a team high 46 hits. Once on base, Salem has been a terror, recording an SEC high 23 stolen bases. Valverde has supplied the power, mashing 10 home runs and collecting 41 RBIs so far in 2006. He has slugged an impressive .655, and also has 10 doubles to his credit thus far.
The Blazers will see a familiar face on the mound, as Jake McCarter will once again take the hill against UAB. McCarter is 6-0 on the year, with a 2.01 ERA and 39 strike outs. The junior went six innings for the Tide in the first matchup with UAB, allowing only three hits and two earned runs during the outing.
UAB comes into Wednesday's game riding the high of its first C-USA series win, as the Blazers broke out the heavy lumber to take two of three against UCF. The Green and Gold was stellar offensively in the series, scoring 25 runs and pounding out four home runs. That surge upped UAB's season average to .268 on the year, with a team on-base percentage of .350. Several players have sparked UAB's recent turnaround, but none have been bigger than the sticks of Steven Turner and Danny Sawyer.
Sawyer has been the one consistent force for the Blazers all season, as the junior catcher from Suwanee, Ga., is in the midst of a monster year. Sawyer leads the team in seven offensive categories and has been a stalwart for head coach Larry Giangrosso. He is first in batting average (.327), runs (28), hits (53), doubles (15), RBIs (35), slugging percentage (.506) and on-base percentage (.397).
Turner's rise to prominence has had a bit more twists and turns, as the junior from Birmingham, Ala., has seen his role change on a day-to-day basis. Originally a pinch runner for the squad, injuries have seen Turner's name written in the lineup with more frequency, and Turner has taken advantage of every opportunity. Nowhere else was that shown more than this past weekend, when Turner put on both an offensive and defensive exhibition, using his elite speed and power to lead the Blazers in wins over Central Florida.
The speedster is tops on the team in steals, having swiped eight on the year. He has also flashed power, connecting for three home runs and six doubles. Turner's monster night on Saturday helped snap a 19-game losing skid, as he went 2-for-3 with five RBIs in a 9-7 victory. His glove also shined, as he robbed two doubles that saved the UAB staff runs during the contest.
Randy Mills will toe the rubber for UAB, as the senior will start his third game of the season. So far in 2006, Mills is 0-0 with a 7.59 ERA.
First pitch is set for 6:30 p.m., and will be broadcast live on 101.1 FM. New play-by-play voice Cory Provus will call his first Blazer baseball game, and former UAB baseball standout EJ Brophy will provide the color analysis. The game can also be followed online with gametracker, available at the UAB athletics website, www.uabsports.com.
