The University of Alabama at Birmingham Athletics
Baseball Hosts No. 18 Rice In Final Home Series
5/2/2013 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
May 2, 2013
Watch Here | GameTracker | Game Notes 
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. ---- The UAB baseball team will welcome the No. 18th-ranked Rice Owls to Young Memorial Field for a three-game series, starting Friday at 6:30 p.m. CT.
UAB (17-29, 3-12 C-USA)
vs. No. 18 Rice (29-14, 9-6 C-USA)
Series Information
Location: Birmingham, Ala.
Stadium: Young Memorial Field (1,000)
Multimedia
Video/Audio: All-Access (UABsports.com)
Radio: WJOX-AM 690 (Saturday Only)
Live Stats: GameTracker
G1: Fri., 6:30 p.m. CT
RICE: RHP Austin Kubtiza
UAB: LHP Turner Lee
G2: Sat., 2 p.m. CT
RICE: RHP Jordan Stephens
UAB: LHP Sam Kelley
G3: Sun., 12 p.m. CT
RICE: TBA
UAB: TBA
Series Information
All-Times Series: Rice leads, 17-8
Last Series: No. 5 Rice took two-of-three
G1: Rice 12, UAB 2
The Owls used a pair of five-run innings to clip the Blazers in game one. Jacob German went 2-for-4 with one RBI.
G2: Rice 8, UAB 6
UAB made a late charge, scoring four times in the top of the ninth and bringing the tying run to the plate, but Rice escaped with the victory. Chase Davis had three hits, while Ivan De Jesus roped two base hits including a RBI triple.
G3: UAB 6, Rice 5 (12)
Each team scored a run in the 11th, but the Blazers put up two in the top of the 12th to hang on for the 6-5 victory. Harry Clark went 3-for-5 with two RBI and Dillon Napoleon earned the victory out of the bullpen.
Last Series in Birmingham: UAB took two-of-three vs. No. 19 Rice
G1: Rice 9, UAB 5
UAB held an early 3-1 lead, but Rice scored five times in the top of the fifth and held on for the game one victory. Clark went 2-for-4 and Frost knocked in a pair of runs.
G2: UAB 7, Rice 2 DH
The Blazers scored four runs in the fifth and added three more in the eighth led by Jamal Austin going 4-for-4 with three RBI. Ryan Woolley went the distance, striking out six in nine innings of work.
G3: UAB 8, Rice 7
UAB fell in an early 4-0 hole, but Keith DePew hit a walk-off RBI single in the bottom of the ninth to give the Blazers the series. De Jesus and Frost each had two hits and two RBI.
Loves Facing Rice
Harry Clark: .333 (7-for-21) 3 runs, 3 RBI
John Frost: .298 (14-for-47) 7 runs, 3 2Bs, 1 HR, 7 RBI
Who's Hot
Tanner Bryant: .417 (15-for-36) 4 runs, 4 RBI -- Last 10G
Chase Davis: .462 (6-for-13) 2 runs, 4 RBI -- Last 5G
Ryan Prinzing: .421 (8-for-19) 2 2Bs, 2 RBI -- Last 5G
UAB Scouting Report
The Blazers fell in their most recent game, a midweek tilt against crosstown foe Samford by a 4-3 score on Tuesday. Overall the Blazers sit at 17-29 overall and 3-12 in conference play.
Offensively, UAB sports four hitters that are hitting above .300 on the season, led by John Frost's .337 average. Frost has clubbed a team-best 15 doubles and knocked in 30 and has recorded 83 total bases.
Joining Frost with averages above .300 are Ryan Prinzing (.331), Tanner Bryant (.317) and Chase Davis (.307). In fact, Prinzing (.364), Frost (.350) and Bryant (.333) rank third, fifth and seventh in Conference USA in league only batting averages.
A pair of southpaws will start for the Blazers this weekend, with Turner Lee going Friday, followed by Sam Kelley on Saturday. Sunday's starter has yet to be announced
Lee will be making his fourth start and owns a record of 1-2 with a 5.67 ERA. He has pitched 33.1 innings and has totaled 36 strikeouts.
Kelley is 3-5 on the year with a 4.80 ERA and will make his 10th start of the season. In seven of his nine starts, Kelley has allowed three earned runs or less.
Rice Scouting Report
The Owls, ranked 18th nationally, and have won five of their last six games to own an overall record of 29-14 and 9-6 in league action.
As a team, Rice is hitting .274, led by Michael Aquino's .340 average. Aquino has 53 total hits, 15 for extra bases, including five homers and has 27 RBI.
Michael Ratterree is another power source for the Owls' lineup, as he has connected for five homers and knocked in 27 runs.
Friday night starter Austin Kubitza has been the ace of the Rice staff, owning a record of 6-2 in 11 starts. The right-hander has a 1.22 ERA and has totaled 90 strikeouts in 66.2 innings on the bump. He is holding opponents to a .178 batting average.
Overall, Rice has a team ERA of 2.95 with eight shutouts and 335 strikeouts in 399.2 total innings.
Senior Day
Saturday's contest will serve as Senior Day, recognizing the careers of four seniors -- Tanner Bryant, Harry Clark, John Frost and Jacob German.
