The University of Alabama at Birmingham Athletics
Baseball Continues Road Trip at WKU
3/26/2015 12:00:00β―AM | Baseball
UAB (14-9, 2-4 C-USA) at WKU (13-10, 4-2 C-USA)
Details: Nick Denes Field • Bowling Green, Ky.
Friday, March 27 - 4 p.m. •Saturday, March 28 - 3 p.m. •Sunday, March 29 - 1 p.m.
Game Coverage: Twitter
Live Stats: Game One • Game Two • Game Three
Live Video (WKUSports.TV): Game One • Game Two • Game Three
Game Notes: UAB | Conference USA
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. - UAB's baseball team continues its spring break trek to Bowling Green, Ky. this weekend to take on Western Kentucky for the first time in more than two decades.
Friday's first pitch in the series has been moved up to 4 p.m. due to cold temperatures, and the two teams will battle it out at 3 p.m. Saturday before closing the series Sunday at 1 p.m. at Nick Denes Field.
Live stats will be available for all three games and live video will be available via WKUSports.TV and the C-USA Digital Network. More information on live stats and video can be accessed in the links above or at WKUSports.com.
Leading Off
• UAB and WKU meet this weekend for the first time since 1994, renewing an old matchup from the Sun Belt days between the two schools in the 1980s and 1990s.
• The Blazers' last time on the diamond was a successful day for the Green and Gold, when UAB swept Southeastern Conference foe Ole Miss in a doubleheader on Tuesday. The Blazers jumped on the Rebels early, winning the first game, 6-1, before taking game two, 3-1, in a dominant pitching effort against the 2014 College World Series participants.
• This weekend's games mark the end of a five-game spring break road swing. The series in Kentucky will also cap the 11-game road trip for the month of March.
• UAB's pitching staff has been its strength this season, a group that leads the league in opposing batting average (.220), is third in ERA (2.97), second in runs allowed (76), first in hits allowed (153), first in doubles allowed (24) and first in home runs allowed (4).
• UAB's defense, arguably the biggest strength of the team, which ranked in the top-25 in the NCAA all of last season, again leads the league thus far with a .974 fielding percentage. The Blazers have turned 25 double plays this year (20th in the NCAA), including five vs. the Rebels Tuesday.
• UAB played its first game against a Southeastern Conference opponent last Tuesday, and will total three games vs. SEC teams over the next week, to play five games vs. the league this season.
• There have been 19 different lineup combinations used for the Blazers' 23 games this season. At least three different players have drawn starts in each of the nine spots in the order this season.
Series History
UAB and WKU square off this weekend in Bowling Green for the first time in more than 20 years. The two programs last met back in 1994, as the Toppers hold a 29-25 advantage in the series.
The last meeting came on Feb. 25, 1994 when the Blazers topped WKU, 10-8. The two clubs last met in Bowling Green in the 1993 season in a series that dates back to 1981.
Scouting The Opponent
The Hilltoppers were picked to finish ninth in Conference USA according to the league's head coaches in the preseason poll. WKU has a 13-10 overall record and 4-2 mark in C-USA play entering the weekend.
WKU is 4-1 in its last five games and has won seven of the last 10, coming off a 12-3 victory over Kentucky Tuesday night. The Hilltoppers also played Ohio State earlier this season, falling to the Buckeyes, 10-1 and 6-4.
Four Toppers are hitting over .300 on the year, led by Philip Diedrick's mark of .350. Danny Hudzina and Ryan Church both lead the club with 21 RBI, while Anderson Miller's seven home runs lead the squad. WKU has 66 extra-base hits on the year, including 42 doubles, four triples and 20 home runs for a .423 slugging percentage.
WKU has a 4.86 team ERA entering the weekend with a .286 opposing batting average. Ryan Thurston will get the start Friday, a sophomore with a 1-1 record on the year and 5.74 ERA in 26.2 IP. Josh Bartley, Saturday's projected starter, is 4-1 with a 4.68 ERA in a team-leading 32.2 IP. Junior Austin King, who is 1-2 with a 5.92 ERA, is slated to start on Sunday.
Looking Ahead
The Blazers return to Regions Field Tuesday at 6:30 p.m. to host Alabama in UAB's annual Strike Out Cancer game.
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).
