The University of Alabama at Birmingham Athletics
Blazers Host Mid-Week Series with Big Ten's Purdue
3/12/2007 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
March 12, 2007
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. -- The UAB baseball team welcomes the Purdue Boilermakers to Young Memorial Field for a two-game mid-week series on Tuesday and Wednesday. The matchup marks the second time the two teams have faced one another after Purdue won two-out-of-three games at Young Memorial Field back in 2004. The Blazers, however, won the last game in that series, 13-4. Both Tuesday and Wednesday's games are scheduled for 7 p.m.
The Blazers (7-8) have won three-straight after sweeping the Furman Paladins at home last weekend. UAB used a pair of late-inning comebacks to win the first two games of the series before pulling away for a 6-2 victory in the final game of the series on Sunday.
Senior third baseman Ryne Lovdahl had a remarkable week last week, hitting .500 (8-for-16) with two home runs and eight RBI, while senior outfielder J.R. Bond has hit .444 with a home run and four RBI in the team's last five games.
UAB is expected to send a pair of first time starters to the mound this week as junior Dustin Colburn will take the hill on Tuesday after he put together back-to-back impressive relief outings. In his last two outings, both against SEC opponents (Alabama and Mississippi State), Colburn threw a combined 6.0 innings, allowing three earned runs and striking out two batters.
On Wednesday, sophomore right-hander Kyle Roberson will take the mound after his impressive role as the team's closer last Saturday against Furman. Against the Paladins, Roberson earned his first save of the season by shutting Furman down in the ninth, allowing no runs and recording two strikeouts.
UAB head coach Brian Shoop will be vying for a monumental victory on Tuesday. Shoop currently stands at 699 career head coaching victories, 692 of which came at the helm of the Birmingham-Southern program.
Purdue enters the week with a record of 4-5 after being swept at No. 13 Auburn this past weekend in the first of eight games the Boilermakers will play on their spring break trip to Alabama. The club will open a three-game series at Samford on Friday.
Catcher Spencer Ingaldson is hitting .400 through nine games for the Boilermakers to go along with two RBI, while outfielder Jordan Comadena is .batting .382 with a team-best two home runs and nine RBI.
The Boilermakers will send a pair of right-handers to the mound with 2006 All-Big Ten selection Dan Sattler expected to make his first start of the season on Tuesday and on Wednesday, Matt Bischoff will serve as the club's starter as he too will be making his first start of the season.
The two-game series gets underway on Tuesday at 7 p.m. at Young Memorial Field.
