The University of Alabama at Birmingham Athletics
Baseball Opens Up Fall Practice, Prepares For 2012 Season
9/30/2011 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
Sept. 30, 2011
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. ---- The UAB baseball team begins fall practice on Friday, Sept. 30 and will run through Nov. 5 in preparation for the 2012 season. The Blazers welcome back 21 players from last season’s squad that finished 29-28 overall and 9-15 in league play.
UAB will practice six times a week over the next five weeks with Mondays serving as an off day. Practices will run from 1:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. with some exceptions on Saturdays due to events on campus and weather conditions throughout the previous week.
Practices, which are open to the public, will be held at Young Memorial Field, where UAB posted an impressive 19-9 home record last year.
Fall Ball Events
Scout Day: Thursday, Oct. 13
Green & Gold Series: Friday-Sunday, Oct. 28-30
Family Day: Saturday, Nov. 5
The Blazers will have a total of 13 intrasquad scrimmages scheduled for the fall season, with the first game slated for Wednesday, Oct. 5.
Head coach Brian Shoop, entering his sixth season leading the Blazers, hopes to see some players emerge through the fall practices.
A player that emerged in 2011 was pitcher Dillon Napoleon, who is back for his senior season. The right-hander was tabbed Conference USA Newcomer of the Year along with being named second-team all-conference.
Napoleon along with junior Ben Bullard provide a strong slate of weekend starters for the Blazers, with several pitchers vying for the third starting slot, vacated by graduate and Major League Baseball draft pick Ryan Woolley.
Offensively, the Blazers’ coaching staff will look for replacements up the middle of the field, with shortstop Nick Crawford departing after his senior season and center fielder Jamal Austin being selected in the MLB draft.
Patrick Palmeiro is back to man the hot corner after leading the team in homers (8) and RBI (43) in his first season donning the Green and Gold. Fellow infielder John Frost, a first baseman, also returns after putting forth a strong postseason run at the plate, earning him a spot on the C-USA All-Tournament team.
Other offensive returners include outfielders Coy Arrowood, Ivan De Jesus, Ryan Nance and Ryan Ussery, catchers Harry Clark and Jacob German along with second baseman Keith DePew.
