The University of Alabama at Birmingham Athletics
UAB Squares Off with Auburn in Tuesday Affair
3/13/2017 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – The UAB baseball team takes its five-game winning streak on the road for a Tuesday game against Auburn. This is the last tune-up game for the Blazers before entering Conference USA play this weekend versus Western Kentucky and the Green & Gold carry an 11-5 record into tomorrow's game. The Tigers are receiving votes in the national polls and are currently 12-5 with all 17 games coming at home.
The game is set for a 3 p.m. first pitch at Plainsman Park.
HOW TO FOLLOW
GAME NOTES • UAB | Auburn
LIVE STATS • LIVE STREAM • SEC Network +
TWITTER • @UAB_Baseball
INSTAGRAM • @UAB_Baseball
SNAPCHAT • UABathletics
ON THE MOUND
| Day | Player | R/L | Class | Stats | Opp. Pitcher | R/L | Class | Stats |
| Tuesday | R | So. | 1-0, 0.90 ERA | Andrew Mitchell | L | R-Jr. | 2-0, 0.00 ERA |
QUICK RECAP – BLAZERS SWEEP ULM
A dramatic series against ULM ultimately led to a series sweep by the UAB baseball team. The Blazers earned their second home series sweep of the season and have won all three home weekend series on the year.
UAB won the first two games by identical scores of 4-3 the first two games but the second was the first Sunday game of a doubleheader and went into extra innings. Colton Schultz delivered the game-winning bunt to score Brewer Hicklen that frame.
Carter Pharis stood as the hero in game two. Hicklen got into scoring position via a triple in the 10th inning and then Pharis drove him home with a deep shot to the left field wall. Pharis and Hicklen each had multiple hits across all three games.
BREWING SUCCESS
Brewer Hicklen has crushed the ball lately. The sophomore earned Conference USA Co-Hitter of the Week honors after batting .600 across the last five games. Hicklen totaled eight runs including the game-winning runs in each of the last two games. He added 12 hits, one double, two triples, the first home run of the UAB season, three RBI, 20 total bases, and four steals this past week while batting a perfect 4-for-4 with runners in scoring position. Hicklen was the first Blazer to earn this honor since Esteban Tresgallo on May 11, 2015. He currently leads the team with .345 average, 19 hits, 11 runs, four triples, and 33 total bases (only player on the team above 20). Nationally, he is one of seven players with four triples and leads C-USA in that category.
Hicklen returned to center field for the Blazers after starting all 55 games a year ago as a freshman. He batted .289 with a team-high 37 runs, four triples, 38 walks, and 22 stolen bases. The redshirt sophomore also hit three home runs, drove in 26, and added seven doubles. Hicklen is also a member of the UAB football team and spent the fall practicing with both sports. In football, the 6'2", 208 lbs. athlete is a wide receiver and hauled in three catches for 102 yards in two scrimmage games in the fall. D1Baseball.com recongized his gifted athletic ability, recently tabbing him the seventh-best overall prospect and fourth-best position player in Conference USA. Hicklen is already nearing the UAB record books as he has 23 career steals, 11 shy of the top ten in UAB history.
IT'S NOT FAIR
Carter Pharis (FAIR-is) has been impressive over the last five games for UAB. The Green & Gold first baseman is hitting 11-for-14 (.786) with three walks and two HBP over the last week, good for a .842 on-base percentage. Pharis has added a perfect 7-for-7 clip when leading off an inning. He has scored five runs and hit three doubles, three RBI, and totaled 14 bases.
Pharis was the only returning starter in the infield for the Blazers, he started all 55 games last season and led UAB with a .297 average, 36 RBI and 13 doubles. He added 23 runs, two home runs and was a perfect 7-for-7 in stolen bases. The sophomore played third base over the summer in the Valley League on his way to All-Star honors and was named the 12th-best pro prospect in the league. Pharis is slated to play for the Y-D Red Sox of the Cape Cod League this upcoming summer.
SCOUTING AUBURN
The Tigers are receiving votes in the latest polls after starting the year 12-5 with all 17 games coming at home. Auburn's pitching staff has been superb as they lead the NCAA with eight shutouts.
Auburn head coach Butch Thompson is a former assistant under UAB head coach Brian Shoop at Birmingham-Southern. Thompson worked under Shoop in two seperate stints from 1994-96 and 1998-2001 including the 2001 National Championship.
SERIES HISTORY
Auburn leads the overall series 43-9. The Tigers 29-2 at home against UAB and have won 18 consecutive meetings in the rivalry dating back to 1997.
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).
