The University of Alabama at Birmingham Athletics
UAB, Penn State Start Three-Game Series Friday
3/8/2012 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
March 8, 2012
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BIRMINGHAM, Ala. ---- The UAB baseball team is set to play a three-game series with Penn State, starting Friday at 3 p.m. CT at Young Memorial Field. The Blazers have won four-straight games and nine of their last 10.
UAB (10-3) | Penn State (2-9)
INSIDE THE SERIES
UAB and Penn State have only met on one prior occasion before this weekend's three-game set. The two teams squared of in 1995, with the Blazers earning the win at home, 3-1.
Game Times & Probable Starters
Game 1: Fri., 3 p.m. CT
UAB: RHP Dillon Napoleon (1-1, 4.26 ERA)
PSU: RHP Cody Lewis (1-2, 6.39 ERA)
Game 2: Sat., 2 p.m. CT
UAB: RHP Ben Bullard (0-1, 3.06 ERA)
PSU: RHP John Walter (0-2, 5.79 ERA)
Game 3: Sun., 12 p.m. CT
UAB: TBA
PSU: RHP Steven Hill (0-2, 6.50 ERA)
SCOUTING UAB
The Blazers have been finding a variety of different ways to win ball games so far in 2012. UAB is a perfect 6-0 in one-run games and sports a home record of 7-1 at the friendly confines of Young Memorial Field.
Dillon Napoleon gets the nod in Friday's series opener. The right-hander is coming off one of the toughest outings of his career in Green and Gold. Last Friday, the senior gave up seven earned runs in just 4.1 innings on the bump vs. Utah.
UAB sends right-hander Ben Bullard to the mound on Saturday. The junior has been outstanding over his last two starts, but not figuring in the decision in either appearance. Bullard has tossed 14.0 total innings, giving up just one run (earned) off eight hits, while striking out 21 batters compared to just two walks. In his start against Utah on March 3, Bullard posted a career-high 12 strikeouts as the Blazers eventually won 2-1 in 11 innings.
Sunday's starter for UAB has not been named yet, as the team can go with a number of options, depending on the first two outcomes of the series.
As a staff, UAB sports a team ERA of an even 3.00, giving up 40 earned runs in 120.0 innings. The Blazers have shown great control as a unit, striking out a total of 98 batters to just 30 base on balls.
At the plate, the Blazers have started to increase their offensive production, totaling 28 runs over the last three games. For the season, UAB is hitting at a .251 clip, with 20 doubles and 51 RBI.
Freshman Jeff Schalk tops the team in batting average at .318, with 14 hits in 44 at bats. A player who has swung the bat well when recently called upon has been classmate Todd Wilkinson. In just 11 at bats, Wilkinson has roped five hits, including a double and triple, while knocking in three.
SCOUTING PENN STATE
The Nittany Lions close out their spring break with the three-game series at Young Memorial Field. Penn State has dropped four consecutive games. Two of those losses came at Samford along with a pair of defeats at Mississippi State during the week.
As a staff, PSU owns a team ERA of 5.67 as all three staring hurlers for the Lions own ERA's north of five.
Cody Lewis will start Friday's matchup and is coming off his best performance of the season. At Samford, Lewis fired 6.0 innings, surrendering two runs (one earned) off seven hits with a trio of punch outs to earn the victory. At the time, the win snapped a PSU three-game losing streak.
John Walter is the scheduled pitcher for Saturday and has shown the ability to get batters to swing and miss. In 14.0 total frames, Walter has recorded 21 strikeouts. However, with the impressive punch-out total, comes 12 walks.
In the series finale, Steven Hill will start. Hill was touched up for seven runs off 10 hits in 7.1 innings at Samford in his last outing. In three starts, the righty has recorded 15 strikeouts in 18.0 innings, giving up 16 runs off 24 hits.
The PSU offense sports a team batting average of .215, with 82 hits in 381 total at bats and has scored 39 runs in 11 games.
The top offensive player for the Lions has been Steve Snyder. The leadoff hitter owns a team-best batting average of .326 with 15 hits in 46 at bats.
