The University of Alabama at Birmingham Athletics
UAB, JSU To Meet Twice In Midweek Baseball Action
4/26/2010 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
April 26, 2010
Game Notes 
| Tuesday Gametracker
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. -- The UAB and Jacksonville State baseball teams will meet four times over the next three weeks, starting with a 6:30 p.m. CT contest Tuesday at the Gamecocks' Rudy Abbott Field in Jacksonville, Ala.
Jacksonville State will then pay a return visit to Birmingham on Wednesday as the teams meet again at 6:30 p.m. CT at Young Memorial Field. Fans can follow both games through Gametracker live stats at uabsports.com, while Wednesday's game will feature All-Access streaming video through the site and a radio broadcast on WJOX-AM 690 courtesy of the Blazers ISP Sports Network.
Jacksonville State is the only non-conference opponent remaining on UAB's schedule this spring. The Blazers have 16 games left -- 12 versus Conference USA opponents and four against the Gamecocks -- over the final month of the regular season.
UAB (20-17) will take the field Tuesday following its longest layoff of the year. The Blazers will be playing for the first time in six days after having their entire weekend series with Manhattan cancelled because of inclement weather in Birmingham.
In its most recent action, UAB dropped both games of a home-and-home series last week against Samford. Center fielder Jamal Austin had his 12-game hitting streak snapped last Tuesday against the Bulldogs but bounced back in the Wednesday game with a 3-for-5 effort, including his first career home run. Jacob German also belted his first career homer as the Blazers went deep three times as a team in an 11-10 loss.
Austin continues to lead the Blazers with a .383 batting average a conference-best 19 stolen bases. Designated hitter John Frost is hitting .327, while first baseman Luke Stewart owns a team-high 11 home runs and 40 RBI.
UAB will send left-hander Shay Crawford (2-3, 4.97 ERA) to the mound on Tuesday to square off against Jacksonville State right-hander Kevin Elwell (1-2, 6.38 ERA).
The Gamecocks (20-18) also had their weekend series affected by rain but were able to fit in a doubleheader on Sunday. JSU lost both games to Southeast Missouri to drop from first place to second in the Ohio Valley Conference standings.
Second baseman Bert Smith, the all-time hits leader in the OVC, paces the Gamecock attack with a .362 batting average and 24 stolen bases. Third baseman Sam Eberle tops the team in the power categories with 10 home runs and 47 RBI, while catcher Andrew Edge and outfielder Daniel Adamson have each homered nine times for JSU.
In addition to this week's two games, UAB and Jacksonville State will meet for another midweek, home-and-home series May 11-12.
The teams have met 39 times in the all-time series with the Gamecocks holding a 22-17 edge. UAB and JSU split four games last season with each team winning once at home and once on the road.
