The University of Alabama at Birmingham Athletics
Baseball Kicks Off Week At Kennesaw State
3/12/2012 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
March 12, 2012
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BIRMINGHAM, Ala. ---- The UAB baseball team will make a midweek trip to Kennesaw State for a game against the Owls on Tuesday at Stillwell Stadium. First pitch is scheduled for 6 p.m. ET (5 p.m. CT).
UAB (12-4) | Kennesaw State (8-7)
Probable Starters & Game Time
Tues., 6 p.m. ET (5 p.m. CT)
UAB: RHP Michael Busby (1-0, 1.29 ERA)
KSU: RHP Colton Cross (1-1, 1.84 ERA)
ALL-TIME SERIES
Kennesaw State leads the all-time series 6-5 with the Blazers. UAB has won four of the last five meetings. Last season, the team split a two-game season series with each squad winning at home. KSU won 3-1 before UAB earned a victory at Young Memorial Field, 5-3.
SCOUTING UAB
The Blazers are coming off a 4-1 week, including victories at Troy, vs. Alabama State and taking two-of-three at home against Penn State to sit at 12-4 on the season.
Senior Michael Busby gets the start for the Blazers against the Owls. Busby has made three appearances, two of which have been starts. He sports a 1-0 record with a 1.29 ERA. Over 14.0 innings, Busby has allowed just three runs (two earned) off 11 hits. He has posted 11 strikeouts, compared to just two walks.
As a staff, the Blazers own a team ERA of 2.94, third best in Conference USA. Control has been a key element to UAB’s success on the mound as Blazer arms have a better than 3:1 strikeout-to-walk ratio (116K:37BB).
UAB is hitting .265 as a team, led by freshman Jeff Schalk who sports a .294 batting average. Ryan Prinzing is tied with Keith DePew with nine runs scored each and Prinzing also has walked a team-high 11 times and reaching base at an impressive .479 clip.
Player To Watch: Patrick Palmeiro, 3B
Palmeiro has been one of the primary power forces in the Blazers’ lineup. Of his 16 hits, eight have been for extra bases, which includes a team-high six doubles. Palmeiro also leads the squad in RBI with 13.
SCOUTING KENNESAW STATE
The Owls are coming off a three-game sweep at home vs. Georgia State. Two of the three victories came in walk-off fashion, similar to UAB’s series vs. Ball State earlier in the season.
KSU is hitting .280 as a team and has launched 12 homers in 15 games so far in 2012. Seven different student-athletes have gone deep, including four that have hit multiple homers.
The Owls will send right-hander Colton Cross to the mound for the start. The freshman has appeared in five games, making two starts. Cross has a total of 14.2 innings on the bump with a record of 1-1 and ERA at 1.84. He has recorded 13 strikeouts and six walks, while holding opponents to a .173 batting average.
Player to Watch: Aaron Dobbs, 3B
Dobbs, who serves as the Owls’ leadoff hitter, sports a .344 (21-for-61) average along with a team-best 14 RBI. He is tied for the team lead in total bases with 31 and is 8-for-12 on stolen base attempts.
