The University of Alabama at Birmingham Athletics
UAB
Arkansas State
Baseball Falls in Season Opener to Arkansas State
2/19/2016 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. -- Despite a lopsided 14-5 loss to Arkansas State on Friday night at Regions Field, baseball head coach Brian Shoop saw promise in the young talent that took the field for UAB on opening day.
"The score looks terrible, but I saw a lot of really good things," Shoop said following the game. "We had so many freshmen and red-shirt freshmen take the field for the first time tonight. There are going to be growing pains with a young team, but they had competitive at-bats."
The Red Wolves (1-0, 0-0) out-hit the Blazers 10-9, plating five runs on a couple of home runs. Preseason All-Sun Belt teamer Tanner Ring hit a three-run homer in the third, and Jeremy Brown hit a two-run dinger in the fourth.
UAB (0-1, 0-0) totaled nine hits on the night, including two from senior catcher Mitch Williams. Senior Esteban Tresgallo accounted for one run with a double to center in the fourth, and Evan Peterson drew a walk with the bases jammed in the seventh to record the Blazers' remaining RBI. The other three runs crossed courtesy of two double-play balls and an error.
Freshman Tanner Graham was named the Blazers' opening-day starter -- the first freshman to be awarded the much-anticipated start under Shoop. The right-hander gave up just four hits and two walks over four innings, but allowed seven runs (six earned).
"Tanner is going to be good," Shoop stated. "It took a while for Chase Mallard to be good and for Alex Luna to be good. They were not forced into that role that early in their careers, but our injury situation and loss of juniors to the draft put him in this situation as a freshman opening-day starter."
Red-shirt freshman Brewer Hicklen got the start in center and was a shining example of a leadoff hitter, going 1-for-2 with three walks. Freshman Jared Nixon collected his first collegiate hit and started at DH, and fellow freshman Zakez Jones was 1-for-1 with a pinch-hit single to right-center.
"Nixon was robbed of a would-be hit on a great diving play in the outfield; otherwise it's an 11-8 game in the seventh with Tresgallo coming to the plate," Shoop said. "And I know there are a lot of jitters that come with making your first collegiate game, but Zakez didn't show any at all. He took a couple of good swings and smoked a single to the outfield in his at-bat."
Out of the bullpen, senior Stephen Baggett logged four innings, yielding six hits and five earned runs. Freshman Garrett Whitlock closed out the game with a one-two-three ninth.
The two teams return to action Saturday at 1 p.m. to continue the three-game series. Former Blazers James Naile, Adam Lau and Alex Luna -- all taken in the 2015 Major League Baseball Draft -- will be on-hand at Regions Field to throw out the ceremonial first pitches.
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).
