The University of Alabama at Birmingham Athletics
UAB Opens Home-And-Home Series Tuesday At Samford
3/15/2011 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
March 15, 2011
Game Notes 
| Tuesday Gametracker
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. -- The UAB baseball team makes the short trip to crosstown foe Samford on Tuesday as the teams open a two-game, home-and-home, midweek series.
First pitch Tuesday night is scheduled for 6 p.m. CT at Samford's Joe Lee Griffin Field. The Blazers and Bulldogs will then meet Wednesday night at 6:30 p.m. at UAB's Young Memorial Field.
UAB (8-6) is looking to bounce back from an 0-3 weekend at Coastal Carolina's Caravelle Resort Classic. The Blazers dropped games to Notre Dame, Kent State and 24th-ranked Coastal Carolina. Prior to those defeats, UAB had won seven contests in a row.
Jamal Austin continues to lead the Blazer regulars and ranks second in Conference USA in both batting average (.439) and stolen bases (10). Patrick Palmeiro's 14 RBI and seven extra-base hits are tops on the team.
The Blazers will send senior right-hander Blake Huddleston (1-0, 2.70 ERA) to the mound on Tuesday for his fifth appearance and second start. Samford will counter with senior right-hander Joshua VanFleteren (1-1, 3.75 ERA).
Samford (11-6) opened Southern Conference play over the weekend with a three-game sweep of The Citadel on the road. The Bulldogs have won six of their past eight games.
Michael Johnson paces Samford offensively with a .444 batting average, while Brandon Miller tops the Bulldogs in the power categories with three home runs and 17 RBI. Samford has hit 11 home runs as a team, while UAB pitchers have combined to allow just one homer this season.
UAB leads Samford 53-18 in the all-time series, but the Blazers will be looking to avenge a pair of losses in last year's series with the Bulldogs.
