The University of Alabama at Birmingham Athletics
Baseball Hosts Ohio for Three-Game Series
2/25/2016 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. - The UAB baseball team returns to Regions Field tomorrow as it hosts Ohio for a three-game series in the Magic City.
Friday's first pitch is set for 4 p.m. The teams return to action Saturday at 2 p.m. and wrap up Sunday with a noon first pitch.
UAB is running special ticket promotions for the Saturday and Sunday games. Fans who bring their ticket from the UAB men's basketball game against Western Kentucky will receive a $1 ticket to Saturday's baseball game, and $1 youth tickets are available with the purchase of an adult ticket on Sunday.
The Blazers (1-3, 0-0 C-USA) are coming off a narrow 2-1 loss to Troy on Wednesday night. Despite holding the Trojans to just three hits and two runs, UAB was handed its third loss of the season.
Senior Griffin Gum heads up the offense with seven hits and an even .500 batting average. The outfielder is tied in total bases at nine with fellow outfielder Brewer Hicklen. Hicklen follows Gum's lead with six hits, averaging .462 at the plate. Hicklen is following up a 2-for-2 night at the plate in Troy, where he blasted his first career home run.
Sophomore left-hander Ryan Ruggles is slated to start Friday against the Bobcats. The hurler is 1-0 in one start this season, tossing six innings of one-hit baseball against Arkansas State last weekend. Austin Thomas gets the start Saturday, and Sunday's starter has yet to be announced.
Ohio (2-1, 0-0 MAC) is coming off a 2-1 series win over Asheville in its opening weekend. The Bobcats offense outscored Asheville 33-20 during the three-game series. Ohio was selected to finish second in the Mid-American Conference Preseason Poll.
The Bobcats are batting .371 collectively. Freshman Rudy Rott is hitting .714 through seven at-bats, totaling six RBIs and three extra-base hits. Six Ohio batters are currently hitting above .300, and the 13 batters to see time at the plate have tallied 43 hits in 116 plate appearances.
Ohio will throw left-hander Gerry Salisbury on Friday, righty Jake Miller on Saturday and right-hander Jake Rudnicki on Sunday. Miller leads the pack with a 1-0 record and 3.60 ERA. Both Salisbury and Rudnicki are decisionless in one start each.
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).
