The University of Alabama at Birmingham Athletics
Blazers Open Hawaii Trip With Saturday Doubleheader At Hawaii-Hilo
3/8/2008 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
March 8, 2008
UAB Baseball in Hawaii Photos 
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. - The UAB baseball team begins its Hawaii road trip on Saturday when it plays a doubleheader against the University of Hawaii at Hilo at Wong Stadium beginning at 3:00 p.m. HT. UAB enters the series with a record of 4-6, while Hawaii-Hilo is 4-4.
Right-hander Brandon Wallace (1-0) will start game one of the doubleheader on the mound for the Blazers. After being one of the Blazers' most reliable arms in 2007, Wallace is off to an impressive start in 2008, boasting a 2.03 ERA through two starts in which he has walked just two batters.
Freshman right-hander Blake Huddleston will get his first career start in game two on Saturday and righty James Oliver will take the hill for the Blazers on Sunday.
Playing against the Vulcans for the first time in program history, the Blazers will look to first baseman Ryan Keedy and left fielder Phil Bell to pace the offense in the series.
Keedy leads the team with his .447 batting average and leads Conference USA with 12 RBI. Bell is coming off a 3-for-4 outing at Jacksonville State on Tuesday that left him just a double shy of hitting for the cycle. For the year, Bell is hitting .368 with a home run and seven RBI.
Center fielder Cody McMurry's will look to keep his hot bat going in Hawaii as well. McMurry has hit .313 with four runs scored and three doubles during his current four-game hitting streak.
Hawaii-Hilo is coming off a 3-2 series win Feb. 22-24. The Vulcans are led by infielder Michael Higa and his .500 batting average. Outfielder Dayne Ogawa has also provided substancial production at the plate, hitting .333 with a team-best six RBI.
Following the Blazers' three-game series with Hawaii-Hilo, the team will travel to Honolulu to play a two-game set with Hawaii on Tuesday and Wednesday.
