The University of Alabama at Birmingham Athletics
UAB Baseball Treks to Louisiana Tech
4/16/2015 12:00:00β―AM | Baseball
UAB (21-14, 8-7 C-USA) at Louisiana Tech (16-17, 3-11 C-USA)
Details: J.C. Love Field at Pat Patterson Park · Ruston, La.
Friday, April 17 -- 6 p.m. ·Saturday, April 18 -- 3 p.m. ·Sunday, April 19 -- 1 p.m.
Follow the Blazers: Twitter
Live Stats: Game One · Game Two · Game Three
Live Video: Game One · Game Two · Game Three
Game Notes: UAB
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. -- The UAB baseball team makes the long trek to Ruston, La. this weekend to face Louisiana Tech in a three-game Conference USA series.
The two teams get the series started Friday night at 6 p.m. Saturday's game is set for 3 p.m., and the series closes Sunday at 1 p.m.
Live stats and live video will be available for all three games. Information to that can be accessed at UABSports.com or in the links above.
Leading Off
- With just 20 games left in the 2015 regular season, UAB hits the road again for the second time in three weeks, for its longest trek of the year to Ruston, La. this weekend for a three-game C-USA set against the Louisiana Tech Bulldogs.
- The Blazers are coming off their second midweek matchup with in-state foe Alabama, where they dropped a 5-1 decision to the Tide Tuesday night at the Hoover Met.
- Redshirt junior RHP James Naile was just named the C-USA Pitcher of the Week Monday, after tossing seven hitless innings with eight strikeouts vs. the league's top offensive team -- No. 12 Rice -- in Friday's 4-0 shutout.
- UAB's pitching staff has permitted no more than three runs in 57 percent of its games this season (20-of-35), and allowed one run or less in 12 games.
- The Blazers have had a remarkable 31 different lineup combinations through 35 games this season, as no less than four different players have drawn starts in each spot of the order.
- Head coach Brian Shoop claimed UAB win No. 250 in last Saturday's win over Rice, and is one away from career No. 950.
- The Blazers swept all three from the Bulldogs last season in Ruston in the first C-USA series between the two schools.
- UAB turns 1.17 double plays per game, which ranks No. 4 in the NCAA, and the Blazers are seventh overall with 41 double plays. UAB is also first in C-USA and 26th in the nation in fielding percentage (.976).
- Following this weekend's trip, UAB returns home to play three of the last four C-USA series to close the regular season.
- Outfielder Griffin Gum is hitting .529 with one home run and RBI in the last five games to lead the team's 26 RBI over the last five contests.
Series History
UAB and Louisiana Tech enter the weekend with the all-time series locked at 7-7. The Blazers swept the Bulldogs last season in Ruston, 8-1, 4-2 and 7-4, in the first meeting between the two schools since the 2006 campaign. The series dates back to 1988, when UAB won the first game in the series, 6-2.
Scouting The Opponent
Louisiana Tech was picked to finish 12th in C-USA according to the preseason poll, as voted on by the league's head coaches. The Bulldogs have three C-USA wins entering the weekend, an 8-1 victory over Southern Miss to salvage game three of that series, a 20-1 blowout win over WKU in that series, and most recently a 7-3 win in the first of three with Middle Tennessee.
This weekend's series for the Bulldogs is sandwiched between eight road games for the bulk of April, as Louisiana Tech has fared 12-5 within the confines of J.C. Love Field this season. Two of the three Bulldogs' C-USA wins have been at home, a club that is 16-17 overall entering the weekend.
As a team the Bulldogs are hitting .256, led by one player hitting over .300, Bryce Stark. He's batting at a clip of .338 with a team-best .486 slugging percentage. LA Tech has only hit 13 home runs on the year, led by four from Brent Diaz. He and Stark are neck-and-neck for the club lead in RBI with 21 and 20, respectively.
The Bulldogs have a 4.31 team ERA, led by reliever Adam Atkins' 2.54 mark in 14 appearances. LHP Tyler Clancy (5-3, 3.81, 30 K, 21 BB) will start Friday, RHP Phil Maton (3-1, 2.96, 49 K, 14 BB) is slated to start the middle game, and RHP Laetten Galbraith (3-5, 3.35, 32 K, 20 BB) is Sunday's projected hurler.
Looking Ahead
UAB has a rare week with no midweek game next week, and will return to C-USA play at home vs. Charlotte next weekend.
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).
