The University of Alabama at Birmingham Athletics
UAB Baseball Welcomes Savannah State For Weekend Series
2/19/2015 12:00:00β―AM | Baseball
UAB (3-0, 0-0 C-USA) vs. Savannah State (3-1, 0-0 MEAC)
Details: Regions Field • Birmingham, Ala.
Friday, Feb. 20 - 2 p.m. • Saturday, Feb. 21 - 1 p.m. • Sunday, Feb. 22 - 1 p.m.
Game Coverage: Twitter
Live Video: Game One
Live Stats: Game One • Game Two • Game Three
Game Notes: UAB
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. - The UAB baseball team returns to Regions Field this weekend to host Savannah State for a three-game series.
The Blazers and Tigers are set for first pitch Friday at 2 p.m., while Saturday and Sunday's games are slated for a 1 p.m. start time.
Live stats and live video will be available for all three games and information to access those can be found in the links above or at UABSports.com.
Starting Rotation Dominant To Begin 2015
UAB's starting combo of Alex Luna, James Naile and Johnny Lieske were nothing short of dominant in their first appearances of 2015. The three combined to throw 23.2 innings of work, not allowing an earned run with just 10 hits allowed and one walk. They combined for 19 strikeouts and a .122 batting average against.
Luna went 7.2 IP in the opener, picking up where he left off in 2014, with just three hits allowed and six strikeouts. Naile, in his return from injury that kept him out all of last season, also allowed just three hits in 8 IP with one unearned run and six strikeouts. Lieske kept the consistency going in the series finale in eight innings of work with just four hits and seven strikeouts to his credit.
Series History
UAB and Savannah State have met six times entering this weekend's games. The Blazers hold a 5-1 advantage in the series that dates back to the 2009 season. UAB swept that series with wins of 11-5, 20-2 and 8-3 and didn't play the Tigers again until last season, when the Blazers took two out of three at Regions Field.
Scouting The Opponent
Savannah State was picked to finish third in the MEAC's Southern Division in the preseason awards. The Tigers boast the Preseason MEAC Player of the Year, first baseman Charles Sikes. Two other Tigers were also named to the preseason list for a team that finished 22-31 overall last season and 11-13 in conference play.
Savannah State enters the series with a 3-1 mark on the year after hosting Alcorn State for three games and Air Force for one game. The Tigers posted 21 combined runs in the first two contests, defeated the Braves, 10-5 and 11-1, before dropping the series finale, 9-4. They then defeated Air Force by a 6-1 score in their last outing.
Savannah State has two players with six RBI in Zachary Brigham and Charles Sikes. Hector Benitez posted four RBI in the first four games, while he and Brigham both totaled six hits over the four games to lead the Tigers offensively.
The Tigers sent 14 different pitchers to the mound through their first four contests, with Austin Robinson, Kenny Glover, Austin Denny and Malik Jones getting the starts. Robinson didn't allow a run in six innings pitched, while Glover and Denny both allowed just one in their starts to begin 2015.
Weekend Promotions
Family Friday's: Fans can purchase a pack of four tickets (two adults, two children) for a low price of $14.
Kids' Days: Every Sunday admission is free for children eighth grade and under with a paid adult.
Church Bulletin Days: Every Sunday is $1 admission with a current church bulletin.
For more information on the UAB baseball team, follow the Blazers on Twitter (@UAB_Baseball). For more on all Blazer sports teams follow the official Twitter account of UAB Athletics (@UABAthletics).
