The University of Alabama at Birmingham Athletics
Baseball Heads West to Take on No. 14 Arizona State
2/22/2007 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
Feb. 22, 2007
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. -- For the first time in UAB baseball history the Blazers will play a game west of Houston, Texas when it travels to Tempe, Ariz. for a three-game set with the Arizona State Sun Devils. The series gets underway Friday night at 8 p.m. CST and then continues Saturday at 2 p.m. CST and concludes on Sunday at 2 p.m. Fans can follow each contest on Gametracker at UABsports.com.
UAB will bring its 2-2 record to Tempe to take on the nation's 14th-ranked team fresh off a 15-2 victory at Alabama A&M on Tuesday.
The Blazers got their bats going against the Bulldogs as the team put up a season-high 15 runs in just seven innings of play. Senior outfielder Steven Turner separated himself from a large group of standouts against AAMU, going 4-for-5 at the plate with a career-high six RBI. Turner legged out an impressive three doubles and drilled a home run to left field in a six-run sixth inning for the Blazers.
Senior infielder Ryne Lovdahl was only to be outdone by Turner with his 4-for-4 performance with three runs scored. Another senior leader breaking out at Alabama A&M was catcher Danny Sawyer who was 3-for-4 with four RBI and a triple.
The Blazers are expected to start junior right-hander Brandon Wallace on Friday against the Sun Devils. Wallace was the Blazers' opening day starter, throwing 6.0 innings and allowing just two earned runs in a game UAB eventually won, 5-4, in 11 innings. On the year, Lovdahl leads the Blazers with a .462 average with two doubles and one RBI, while Sawyer is hitting .438 with three doubles and four RBI. Turner leads the team in RBI with six and is hitting .400 for the year. Senior outfielder J.R. Bond is hitting .333 with three RBI and one run scored.
Arizona State enters the weekend with a 7-3 record having only lost to No. 1 Vanderbilt, No. 9 Oregon State and Missouri.
The Sun Devils are led by Matt Spencer and his .486 batting average, in addition to his four home runs and remarkable 19 RBI. ASU has three players already in double-figures in RBI and has had six players hit homers.
ASU is expected to send three-straight lefties to the mound against the Blazers. The Sun Devil staff has held opposing hitters to a .220 average at the plate this season.
