The University of Alabama at Birmingham Athletics
Baseball Opens Season Friday Against Arkansas State
2/18/2016 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – First pitch of the 2016 baseball season is set for 4 p.m. Friday as UAB hosts Arkansas State at Regions Field for a three-game series. Both the Saturday and Sunday games are tabbed for 1 p.m. for what is expected to be a beautiful weekend in the Magic City.
“From Little League to high school to the pros, Opening Day is a special day in baseball,” head coach Brian Shoop said. “It’s no different for Division I baseball. Every coach wishes they had more time, but the players are ready to go.”
The 2016 campaign is the 38th season of UAB baseball since its inception in 1979. The program boasts a 1,037-979-1 record, and Shoop’s 262 wins rank second among those who have held the title of its head coach. The veteran skipper enters his 27th season just 39 wins shy of 1,000 career victories and 38 shy of 300 at the helm of the Blazers.
While Shoop brings a wealth of experience to his team, youth populates the roster — including nine true freshmen.
“Friday will be the first time we take the field for the season, but it will be the first time a lot of our guys take the field at the collegiate level,” Shoop said. “We have a talented team, but we are young. I think everyone is going to get a chance to play this weekend.”
Friday marks the eighth meeting between UAB and Arkansas State. The Blazers currently hold a 4-3 advantage in the all-time series, while the Red Wolves claimed the last meeting 5-3 on March 3, 2014.
UAB goes into the series ranked No. 8 in the Conference USA preseason poll, led by Preseason All-Conference teamers Esteban Tresgallo and Thomas Lowery. Tresgallo, projected to start both behind the plate and on each corner of the diamond throughout the weekend, led the Blazers with 12 home runs and was a Second Team All-Conference USA performer in 2015. Lowery, a lefty reliever, touts a team-best seven wins from the previous year and appears on the NCBWA Stopper of the Year award watch list to begin the season.
The Sun Belt’s Arkansas State also enters the weekend ranked as the No. 8 team in its conference and is led by senior infielder Tanner Ring. The third baseman is a 2016 Preseason All-Sun Belt honoree and posted a .401 slugging percentage as a junior. He finished with the third-most home runs (four) among Red Wolves’ sluggers and hit .275 in 2015.
Right-handed freshman Tanner Graham gets the start on the mound to begin the series, facing off against Arkansas State righty Tyler Zuber. Both Saturday’s and Sunday’s UAB starting pitchers have yet to be announced, while the Red Wolves will throw right-handers Adam Grantham and Bryan Ayers.
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 social media accounts of UAB Athletics on Twitter (@UABAthletics), on Facebook (Facebook.com/UAB.Blazers), on Instagram (@uabathletics) or on Snapchat (@uabathletics).
