The University of Alabama at Birmingham Athletics
Blazers, Crimson Tide Meet In Tuscaloosa
4/9/2012 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
April 9, 2012
Watch Here | GameTracker | Live Chat | Game Notes 
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. ---- UAB and Alabama will take the field at Sewell-Thomas Stadium in Tuscaloosa, Ala. on Tuesday at 6:05 p.m. CT.
UAB (19-14) | Alabama (13-19)
Game Information & Probable Starters
Location: Tuscaloosa, Ala. (Sewell-Thomas Stadium)
Time: 6:05 p.m. CT
Radio: WJOX-AM 690 – David Crane (pxp), Ryan Keedy (color)
Video/GameTracker/Live Chat: UABsports.com
UAB: RHP Ruben Tresgallo (1-0, 6.75 ERA)
UA: RHP Spencer Turnbull (1-2, 7.03 ERA)
All-Time Series: Alabama leads, 39-19
Last Meeting: UAB 1, Alabama 0 (12) – March 27, 2012 (Regions Park)
John Frost broke a scoreless tie in the bottom of the 12th on a RBI single to right-center field plating Ivan De Jesus from second for the walk-off win.
Five Blazer pitchers – Tanner Bryant, Chase Mallard, Dylan Munger, Ryan Nance, Jacob German – combined to shutout the Crimson Tide. The group of arms struck out nine batters without issuing a walk.
Scouting UAB
UAB defeated No. 14 UCF in the series opener in Orlando, Fla. before dropping the next two games.
In midweek games, UAB sports a record of 7-2 as part of the team overall record of 19-14.
On The Offense
UAB upped its team batting average to .277 as a team after hitting at a .342 (40-for-117) clip against the Knights.
UAB is averaging 4.9 runs per game off 9.6 hits a contest.
As a team, UAB now has nine homers hit by nine different players.
Jeff Schalk tops the team with a .336 batting average and owns a .431 on-base percentage. The freshman has nearly as many walks (17) as strikeouts (19).
Third baseman Patrick Palmeiro leads the team in doubles (11), RBI (22) and tied with a team-best 18 runs scored. He is hitting .277 and started in all 33 games this season.
Pitching Pointers
The staff has worked 299.1 innings, giving up 127 earned runs for a 3.82 ERA.
UAB arms have combined to strikeout 223 batters to just 90 walks, while opponents are hitting .258
Ruben Tresgallo is scheduled to make his first of the season on Tuesday. The right-hander sports a 1-0 record and 6.75 ERA. In five total appearances, all in relief, Tresgallo has allowed five runs (four earned) off eight hits in 6.2 innings. Four of his five earned runs came in one outing. Tresgallo also has three strikeouts and three walks.
Quick Hitters
> OF Jeff Schalk hit .500 last week, going 9-for-18, including three-hit games against Troy and in the series finale at UCF. He knocked in four and connected for his first homer in Green and Gold.
> In the third game vs. the Knights, UAB launched three homers as a team. The Blazers entered the contest with only six round trippers on the season. OF Ivan De Jesus, OF Jeff Schalk and SS Todd Wilkinson all hit homers, each marking the first of their careers with the Blazers. It also marked the first time UAB hit three long balls in a game since May 22, 2010 at Rice.
> Despite dropping two of three to the Knights, UAB outscored (21 to 19) and outhit (40 to 35) UCF.
> In last Friday’s 11-4 victory over UCF, the Blazers scored nine times in the fourth inning. It was the most runs scored in a single inning since March 30, 2010 when UAB scored 10 times in the third inning at home against Alabama State.
> UAB collected double digit hits in three of the four games last week, going 50-for-152 at the plate for a .329 average.
> The victory against UCF on Friday night marked the 850th win for head coach Brian Shoop in his 23rd season.
Scouting Alabama
The Crimson Tide enters Tuesday with a 13-19 overall record and 4-8 in SEC action after sweeping a three-game series against No. 23 Auburn. Alabama is currently on a four-game win streak.
Alabama sports a team batting average of .256 and scoring 4.8 runs off 8.4 hits a contest.
Ben Moore is the team’s top hitter, registering a .362 average with 42 hits in 116 at bats. Moore has scored 20 times and knocked in 17.
Outfielder Taylor Dugas is right behind Moore, hitting .350, scoring 24 times with 18 RBI. He has nine doubles, three triples and two homers, while walking 17 times, been hit 13 times with only 13 strikeouts. On Monday, Dugas was named SEC Co-Player of the Week after going 6-for-13, including a walk-off homer in a game two victory versus Auburn.
Right-hander Spencer Turnbull will start on the mound for the Tide. Turnbull is 1-2 with a 7.03 ERA over nine appearances, featuring four starts. Turnbull has 24 strikeouts in 24.1 innings, but has given up 19 runs (all earned) off 28 hits with 12 walks.
