The University of Alabama at Birmingham Athletics
Baseball Set For C-USA Tournament
5/23/2012 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
May 23, 2012
GameTracker | Video | Live Chat
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. ---- The UAB baseball team will play UCF in the first of three scheduled games at the Conference USA Championship presented by Trustmark, starting Thursday at 11 a.m. CT from Trustmark Park in Pearl, Miss.
The Blazers earned the seventh seed in the tournament, after finishing 9-15 in league play and 29-27 overall. The seventh overall finish for UAB placed the team in the second of two four-team pods.
UAB’s pod features No. 2 seed UCF (41-14, 16-8 C-USA), No. 3 seed Tulane (37-18, 14-10) and No. 6 seed East Carolina (34-20-1, 13-10-1).
Following Thursday’s action against the Knights, UAB is slated to play Tulane at 11 a.m. CT on Friday and conclude pool play vs. East Carolina on Saturday at 3 p.m. CT.
If the Blazers were to post the best record in pool play in their respected pod, they would advance to the C-USA Championship game on Sunday, slated for 1 p.m. CT. The championship contest will be nationally televised by CBS Sports Network.
Top seeded Rice, No. 4 Southern Miss, No. 5 Memphis and No. 8 Houston make up C-USA’s first pod.
Tournament Schedule
Location: Pearl, Miss. (Trustmark Park)
Video/GameTracker/Live Chat: UABsports.com
Radio: WJOX-AM 690 – David Crane (PxP)
Game 1: Thurs., 11 a.m. CT
(7) UAB: RHP Michael Busby (4-4, 4.20 ERA)
(2) UCF: LHP Eric Skoglund (5-1, 2.01 ERA)
Game 2: Fri., 11 a.m. CT
(7) UAB: TBA
(3) TLN: TBA
Game 3: Sat., 3 p.m. CT
(7) UAB: TBA
(6) ECU: TBA
UAB
>UAB is 4-8 all-time in the C-USA Tournament under head coach Brian Shoop.
>The Blazers are 3-1 since 2007 in their first games of the tournament with all three victories coming as the lower seed.
2011 - (8) UAB 9, (1) Rice 8
2009 - (6) UAB 8, (3) Houston 3
2008 - (8) UAB 8, (1) Rice 2
>UAB last advanced to a tournament championship in 1994 as member of the Great Midwest. The Blazers defeated Memphis in the championship game, 14-5.
All-Time C-USA Tournament Record: 11-23
Total Appearances: 13
‘96, ‘97, ‘98, ‘99, ‘00, ‘04, ‘05, ‘06, ‘07, ‘08, ‘09, ‘11, ‘12
Championship Game Appearances: None
Earned #7 Seed: 2012, 2004, 2000
Record As #7 Seed: 3-4
Tournament Record vs. UCF: 0-1
2011: UCF 6, UAB 4
Tournament Record vs. Tulane: 2-2
2007: Tulane 13, UAB 5
2005: Tulane 8, UAB 6
2004: UAB 10, Tulane 4
2000: UAB 11, Tulane 4
Tournament Record vs. ECU: First Meeting
2011 Tournament Record: 1-2 as the No. 8 seed
Look at the Lineup
UAB is hitting .263 overall as a team, heading into the conference tournament. The Blazers have actually swung the bat better in C-USA games, posting a team average of .274.
The Blazers have used several different lineups as 13 players started 20 or more games on the season. The lone UAB player to start all 56 games has been senior 3B Patrick Palmeiro, who has started 113 consecutive games over the past two seasons.
On average, UAB scored 4.8 runs off 9.1 hits per game overall.
Three players reached the 50-hit plateau in OF Ivan De Jesus (63), OF Jeff Schalk (52) and Palmeiro (50).
De Jesus topped the regulars in batting average (.292), hits (63), triples (4) and stolen bases (12). His triple total tied for second in the league, while his 12 swipes were tied for ninth.
Palmeiro has been the top run producer for the Blazers, knocking in a team-high 32. The Colleyville, Texas native also tops the squad in homers (5), RBI (32), multi-RBI games (9).
C-USA All-Freshman team selection Jeff Schalk produced a team-high .309 batting average in league play and reached base in 22 of 24 C-USA ball games.
Pitching Pointers
The UAB pitching staff has dealt with several injuries throughout the season as seven different pitchers started a league game.
As a staff, the Blazers posted a 4.56 ERA overall and collected two shutouts. UAB arms are averaging 6.4 strikeouts and 3.3 walks per nine innings.
Despite missing his last two starts, RHP Ben Bullard put forth a strong junior season for the Green and Gold. In 13 starts, the right-hander topped the Blazers in innings pitched (82.0), strikeouts (79) and tied for the team-lead in wins (5). Bullard’s strikeout total ranked fifth in the conference. He also held opponents to a .233 batting average. In 10 of his 13 starts he went at least six innings and he gave up three earned runs or less in another 10 outings.
Another starter who has been competitor all season is RHP Michael Busby. The senior is 4-4 with a 4.20 ERA, including the first complete game shutout by a UAB pitcher since 2004, when he blanked Houston back on April 29.
RHP Dillon Napoleon has battled injuries and been utilized recently in a new role out of the bullpen. The righty has made 15 appearances, 11 starts, with a 5.01 ERA and 5-4 record. Of his five wins, three came against top-20 teams at the time (Clemson, UCF, Rice) and were all on the road.
Defensive Dandies
The Blazers have turned 58 double plays this season, leading all of C-USA. That total ranks tied for 12th in the nation and is the most twin killings turned by a Blazer team since 2007 (60).
1B John Frost and 2B Keith DePew have been a part of 45 and 39 double plays respectively this season. Frost’s twin killing total ranks first in the league, while DePew is fourth. DePew is also tied for 10th in the conference in assists with 130.
Teams have opted not to seal against the catching duo of Harry Clark and Jacob German. The catching combo has caught 17 of 47 (36.2) base stealers this season. The 47 steal attempts is the second lowest against any team in the league.
UCF
The Knights, ranked as high as 16th in the nation, finished the 2012 campaign with a 41-14 overall record and second place in the C-USA at 16-8. UCF found to be successful away from Jay Bergman Field, sporting a 14-3 tally in contests on the road.
For the season, UCF hit .295 as a team, with six regulars hitting over .300. As a club, the Knights have shown both speed and power, leading C-USA in steals, going 87-for-116, and totaling 151 extra-base hits, second to only Tulane. The next closest to UCF’s steal total is Memphis, with 62. Four players have 15 or more steals for the year.
D.J. Hicks tops C-USA in RBI with 68 and ranks third in the nation in that statistic. He also has a team-best 11 homers.
Overall, UCF is averaging 6.7 runs per game off 10.2 hits and has walked (253) nearly as much as it has struck out (317).
On the mound, the Knight’s staff owns a 3.27 ERA and holding opponents to a .254 batting average. Six different pitchers have four or more wins, led by Ben Lively’s 8-2 record.
Player to Watch: OF Ronnie Richardson
Leadoff hitter Ronnie Richardson is the engine that makes the UCF offense go. He is hitting .305 with eight homers and 31 RBI, but what is more impressive is his ability to get on base, with a .475 on-base percentage. He has walked 36 times and been hit by a pitch 30 times, while striking out only 23 occasions.
Tulane
The Green Wave has put together one of the more impressive offensive seasons in the new bat era, hitting .310 as a club with seven regulars hitting .315 or higher.
Topping Tulane in batting average is Brennan Middleton, who is hitting .360 and has 14 stolen bases.
One of the many talented hitters in the Green Wave lineup is catcher Jeremy Schaffer. In his senior season, Schaffer is hitting .333 with nine homers and 48 RBI and walking more (40) than he strikes out (31).
In total, Tulane is averaging 6.3 runs and 10.5 hits per game, while the pitching staff owns a 3.39 ERA and holding opponents to a .263 batting average.
Player To Watch: RHP D.J. Ponder
Despite all the offensive numbers Tulane has put up, it has been closer D.J. Ponder who has been equally if not more impressive. In 25 relief appearances totaling 47.0 innings, the right-hander has allowed only three runs (all earned), for a 0.57 ERA. He has collected 11 saves and has held opponents to a .178 batting average.
East Carolina
The Pirates who were in and out of the national rankings throughout the season, concluded the 2012 regular season at 34-20-1 and 13-10-1 against the league.
On average, ECU scored 5.7 runs off 10.1 hits per contest, hitting at a .291 average.
John Wooten leads the Pirates in batting average (.336) and homers (8) and is second in RBI with 35.
The pitching staff has a 3.07 ERA and holding opponents to a .242 batting average with five pitchers collecting 50 or more strikeouts.
Player To Watch: LHP Kevin Brandt
The senior southpaw sports a 7-5 record, but his ERA is a microscopic 1.82 for the season. In 94.0 innings, the lefty has 63 strikeouts and allowed only 74 hits to keep the opposition to a .219 average. He has fired three complete games, two of which have been shutouts.
