The University of Alabama at Birmingham Athletics
Baseball Hits Road For C.C. Classic
3/15/2012 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
March 15, 2012
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BIRMINGHAM, Ala. ---- The UAB baseball team hits the road to Myrtle Beach, S.C. to compete in the C.C. Classic hosted by Coastal Carolina, beginning Friday. The Blazers will battle Connecticut, Michigan and the tournament-host Chanticleers over the weekend.
UAB (12-5) | Connecticut (7-9) | Michigan (6-8) | Coastal Carolina (9-6)
Game Times & Probable Starters
Game 1: Fri., 12 p.m. ET - Connecticut
Conway, S.C. (Watson Stadium)
UAB: RHP Dillon Napoleon (2-1, 3.46 ERA)
UConn: LHP Brian Ward (3-0, 1.71 ERA)
Game 2: Sat., 11 a.m. ET vs. Michigan
Myrtle Beach, S.C. (BB&T Park)
UAB: RHP Ben Bullard (1-1, 2.92 ERA)
UM: LHP Bobby Brosnahan (2-2, 2.54 ERA)
Game 3: Sun., 1 p.m. ET at Coastal Carolina
Conway, S.C. (Watson Stadium)
UAB: RHP Michael Busby (1-0, 1.06 ERA)
CC: TBA
All-Time Series
UAB vs. UConn: Huskies lead, 2-1
UAB vs. Michigan: Blazers lead, 1-0
UAB vs. Coastal Carolina: Series tied, 2-2
SCOUTING UAB
The Blazers are coming off a 7-3 loss at Kennesaw State this past Tuesday. UAB has been on the losing effort in back-to-back games for just the second time this season, after dropping the series finale vs. Penn State prior to falling to the Owls. The only other time UAB lost consecutive games was at Clemson in the opening series of the 2012 campaign.
On The Offense
UAB has hit .266 collectively as a team, which has been boosted thanks to a .317 average over the last five games. The Blazers are averaging 4.5 runs per game, but in the last five contests have scored better than six times per contest.
The Blazers have 35 extra-base hits for the season, 28 doubles, five triples and three homers. Michael Busby, Patrick Palmeiro and Ryan Ussery have registered the three round trippers.
Palmeiro has been the primary offensive threat, topping the squad in extra-base hits (8), RBI (13) and total bases (28).
Jeff Schalk, a true-freshman, leads the team in batting average at .315, while Ryan Prinzing has recorded the best on-base percentage (.469). Prinzing has also drawn a team-high 11 walks.
On the base paths, UAB has picked the right time to steal against the opposition. The Blazers are 17 of 20 on stolen base attempts, with 11 different players recording a steal. Ivan De Jeus is 4-for-5 on steals to lead the team.
Pitching Pointers
The pitching staff has been a strength for the Blazers through 17 games as the team owns a collective ERA of 3.14. In 155.0 total innings, UAB arms have given up only 133 hits and 39 walks for an impressive WHIP of 1.13. The staff has also struck out 123 batters for a strikeout-to-walk ratio of 3.15:1.
Dillon Napoleon gets the nod for Friday's start, as the righty sports a 2-1 record and 3.46 ERA. In 26.0 innings he has allowed 10 earned runs on 20 hits, along with 11 strikeouts and four walks in four starts. Napoleon has produced three quality starts in four total appearances, including a 7.0 inning outing with a season-high six strikeouts in a victory against Penn State last Friday. His lone poor appearance came vs. Utah, when he gave up seven earned runs in his lone loss.
Saturday will feature Ben Bullard, who has been outstanding over his last three starts. The righty has worked 7.0 innings in each of last three starts, totaling 24 strikeouts during that span. For the season, Bullard is 1-1 with a 2.92 ERA.
In Sunday's contest vs. Coastal Carolina, Busby will start for the Blazers. The righty pitched 3.0 scoreless innings vs. Kennesaw State on Tuesday. He owns a record of 1-0 with a 1.06 ERA. In 17.0 innings on the hill, he has surrendered just 15 hits, two earned runs, two walks and 13 strikeouts.
Closer Ryan Nance has put forth a strong effort in his senior year out of the UAB bullpen. Nance is 2-0 with five saves and a 1.12 ERA. He has surrendered just seven hits in 16.0 innings for an opponent's batting average of .127, lowest in Conference USA.
SCOUTING UCONN
The Huskies enter the weekend with a 6-8 record with Friday starter Brian Ward (3-0, 1.71 ERA) owning half those victories.
Ward has produced four strong starts for the Huskies, giving up only five earned runs off 15 hits in 26.1 innings. Teams are hitting .165 for the season against the southpaw. He defeated then No. 16 Oklahoma in his last start, going 6.0 innings and allowing two earned runs with seven strikeouts.
Second baseman L.J. Mazzilli is the reigning BIG EAST Hitter of the Week. For the season, Mazzilli is hitting .302, with two homers, seven RBI and team-high 11 runs scored.
SCOUTING MICHIGAN
Michigan is 7-9 on the year after going 1-3 at the LSU Tournament in Baton Rouge, La., last weekend. The Wolverines lost a pair of games against the Tigers, while splitting against the Fighting Irish of Notre Dame. Michigan is 1-5 over its last six games.
Michael O'Neill has been a serious threat in the batter's box for Michigan. The outfielder leads the team in batting average (.394), homers (6), RBI (17) and slugging percentage (.788). He is also 10 of 11 on stolen base attempts.
Lefty Bobby Brosnahan will start against UAB on Saturday. In four starts, Brosnahan owns a 2-2 record with a 2.54 ERA. Over 28.1 innings he has only walked four batters along with 15 strikeouts.
SCOUTING COASTAL CAROLINA
Coastal Carolina (9-6) picked up a victory on Wednesday in a midweek contest against the College of Charleston and has won three of its last four games.
The Chanticleers pitching staff has an impressive ERA 2.17, giving up only 35 earned runs in 145.0 total innings.
CCU has struggled offensively, only hitting .243 as a team. Topping the team in batting average is Daniel Bowman, who garnered NCBWA National Hitter of the Week for his efforts last week.
