The University of Alabama at Birmingham Athletics
Blazers Look to Continue Home Success Versus Valpo
2/23/2017 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. - The UAB baseball team heads back to Regions Field looking to rid the taste of its first loss of the season. The Blazers host Valparaiso this weekend in its second home series of the season. UAB's record sits at 3-1 while the Crusaders are 1-2 after the opening weekend.
The Blazers, who swept Creighton by outscoring them 22-4 to begin the season, lost 7-2 Wednesday night at Alabama State.
"Baseball is a grind," said UAB head coach Brian Shoop. "It's a long year so you try to learn and move on to the next one."
HOW TO FOLLOW
GAME NOTES • UAB | Valparaiso
LIVE STATS • LIVE STREAM • UAB
TWITTER • @UAB_Baseball
INSTAGRAM • @UAB_Baseball
SNAPCHAT • UABathletics
WEEKEND ROTATION
| Day | Player | R/L | Class | Stats | Pitcher | R/L | Class | Stats |
| Friday | R | So. | 1-0, 0.00 ERA | Mario Losi | R | So. | 0-0, 5.06 ERA | |
| Saturday | R | So. | 1-0, 0.00 ERA | Wes Gordon | R | Jr. | 0-0, 2.84 ERA | |
| Sunday | TBA | - | - | - | Grant Inman | R | So. | 1-0, 3.60 ERA |
QUICK RECAP - ROAD LOSS
The UAB baseball team fell in its first road game of the season on Wednesday evening. The Blazers traveled to Alabama State and fell 7-2 to suffer its first loss of the year. UAB's record is now 3-1 while the Hornets picked up their first win of the season and are 1-3. It was just the third loss for UAB all-time in the series.
The Hornets used just two pitchers while allowing only three walks over nine innings compared to five free passes over eight innings allowed by the Blazers. Alabama State outhit UAB 12-9 and neither team made an error in the game.
Carter Pharis hit two doubles in a singel game for the first time in his career. He was 2-for-5 at the plate and has reached base safely in seven straight games.
PITCHER OF THE WEEK
Garrett Whitlock's incredible opening day performance was recognized by Conference USA as the sophomore was tabbed the Conference USA Pitcher of the Week following the opening weekend of action. Locked into a pitcher's dual with Bluejays junior Rollie Lacy, Whitlock induced 13 groundouts and registered three, 1-2-3 innings. The Snellville, Georgia, native didn't allow an extra-base hit. Whitlock would allow on two hits over his final three innings. He will once again head to the mound to open this weekend's series.
HOME COOKIN'
UAB enjoys the benefit of being able to call two parks home. The Blazers play the majority of their home games at Regions Field, the ballpark of the AA Birmingham Barons. Since beginning play there in 2014, the Blazers own a 36-17 record at the minor league ballpark. UAB opened 2014 by winning its first nine games played at Regions. The rest of their home games come at the campus field, Young Memorial Field. The Blazers have had a winning record at home each of the last three seasons, posting a record of 57-34 at Regions and Young combined.
SCOUTING VALPARAISO
The Crusaders went 1-2 over the opening weekend but their starting pitchers earned just a single result, that coming in their 5-2 in the series finale against another Conference USA foe, Western Kentucky. The three starters - Mario Losi, Wes Gordon, Grant Inman - allowed seven earned runs over 16.2 innings, each lasting over five innings. The bullpen, however, has given up five runs in nine innings.
Nate Palace has shined at the plate for Valpo. He is hitting 7-for-9 (.778 avg) with three runs, one home run, 4 RBI, and 13 total bases, all team-highs.
SERIES HISTORY
The Blazers have controlled the brief history between the two teams, rebounding from one of just two losses to the Crusaders in the last meeting in 2013. UAB won a closely contested game 1-0 to improve to 10-2 in the series.
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 (@UAB_Athletics), on Facebook (Facebook.com/UAB.Blazers), on Instagram (@uab_athletics) or on Snapchat (@uabathletics).
