Complete Release in PDF Format
GAMES 15-17 ♦ MARCH 13-15 ♦ BOWLING GREEN, KY.
ALL TIMES CENTRAL (HOME TEAMS LISTED FIRST)
FRIDAY:
Western Kentucky vs. South Alabama, 6 p.m.
SATURDAY:
Western Kentucky vs. South Alabama, 3 p.m.
SUNDAY:
Western Kentucky vs. South Alabama, 1 p.m.
The Jags hit the road again, this time traveling to Bowling Green, Ky. for their first Sun Belt Conference action of the 2009 season. Western Kentucky enters the weekend with a 3-0 conference record after sweeping Louisiana-Monroe last weekend. USA is the last team to open SBC play.
USA looks to get off to a strong start in Sun Belt Conference play. Matt Jackson (USA) and Matt Ridings (WKU) are slated to start on the mound in Friday’s game in a battle of Sun Belt Conference Pitcher of the Year candidates.
All South Alabama home games and select road games are broadcast on WNSP 105.5 FM in Mobile and live on the internet at www.wnsp.com. Live video for home games is available through Jaguar Nation at www.usajaguars.com. Subscriptions can be purchased for $7.95/month or $69.95/year.
Note: All three games against Western Kentucky will be broadcast by WNSP, though a possibility remains for the games to be delayed on 105.5 FM in Mobile. Regardless of possible delays in Mobile, all games can be heard live on www.wnsp.com.
PROBABLE PITCHING MATCHUPS
FRIDAY
USA: RHP Matt Jackson (1-1, 2.37 ERA, 3 G, 19.0 IP, 12 H, 8 R, 5 ER, 6 BB, 20 K)
WKU: RHP Matt Ridings (2-0, 2.55 ERA, 3 G, 17.2 IP, 12 H, 5 R, 5 ER, 4 BB, 15 K)
SATURDAY
USA: LHP Lance Baxter (2-0, 3.10 ERA, 4 G, 20.1 IP, 22 H, 9 R, 7 ER, 9 BB, 16 K)
WKU: LHP Matt Hightower (2-0, 0.77 ERA, 2 G, 11.2 IP, 6 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 4 BB, 8 K)
SUNDAY
USA: LHP Brandon Sage (1-1, 1.77 ERA, 5 G, 20.1 IP, 19 H, 9 R, 4 ER, 3 BB, 15 K)
WKU: RHP Shane Cameron (2-0, 3.65 ERA, 3 G, 12.1 IP, 10 H, 6 R, 5 ER, 5 BB, 11 K)
COACHES
SOUTH ALABAMA: Steve Kittrell (South Alabama, 1971)
Career Record: 1,005-585-1 (27th season)
Record at USA: 972-566-1 (26th season)
WESTERN KENTUCKY: Chris Finwood (VMI, 1988)
Career Record: 141-188 (seventh season)
Record at Western Kentucky: 89-91 (fourth season)
INTERNET FEEDS
Live Stats: www.usajaguars.com
Video: www.usajaguars.com
Audio: www.wnsp.com
SOUTH ALABAMA-WESTERN KENTUCKY SERIES
South Alabama and Western Kentucky have met 119 times, making it the second-most played series in USA history ... The teams have met for at least two games in every year since the first meeting in 1983 ... Road teams have won two of three in each of the past two seasons, but the Jags hold a 76-43 advantage in the all-time series ... USA had not lost a season series to the Hilltoppers since 1999 before dropping two of three a year ago.
FOUR JAGS RECEIVE PRESEASON ALL-CONFERENCE HONORS
Senior David Doss was named the first team catcher in all four preseason all-conference rankings (SBC, Baseball America, SEBaseball.com, Rivals.com), and three other Jags received various honors.
Senior first baseman Ryan Bohanan was selected to the first team by Rivals and to the second team by SEBaseball, and senior RHP Greg Johnson earned a slot as one of two relievers on SEBaseball's second team.
Junior RHP Matt Jackson, a transfer from Chipola Community College, also earned second-team honors from SEBaseball. Jackson was the only player selected to either team who is entering his first season in the Sun Belt Conference.
SOUTH ALABAMA AMONG NATION'S BEST PROGRAMS OVER LAST 20 YEARS
Since 1989, South Alabama has gone to 16 NCAA Regionals. Only 10 teams have made more postseason appearances in those 20 years. Florida State and Miami top the list after going to a regional in all 20 years. They're followed by Wichita State (19), Clemson (19), Texas (18), Georgia Tech (18), Cal State Fullerton (18), LSU (18), Stanford (17) and Long Beach State (17).
STANKY FIELD CELEBRATES 30 YEARS
The Jags celebrate 30 years of baseball at Eddie Stanky Field with the 2009 season. USA holds an all-time record of 659-235 at its home park. Named after legendary coach Eddie Stanky, who coached the Jags from 1969-79 and 1981-83, the stadium is one of the most impressive facilities in the nation. After a multi-million dollar transformation in 2004, the stadium now seats 3,575.
USA has never posted a losing record at home in the stadium's history. Over the past 30 years, the Jags have lost five games or fewer at home in five seasons: 1992 (28-4), 1997 (19-5), 1999 (21-5), 2001 (31-3) and 2003 (27-4).
USA TAKES 30-PLUS FOR EIGHT STRAIGHT SEASONS
South Alabama has won at least 30 games in every season since 2001 and 22 of the past 23 years. The Jags' only seasons without 30 wins since Stanky Field opened in 1980 were in 1985 (22-32) and 2000 (27-33). Even with a losing record, USA made its way to a regional in 2000 by sweeping all four games in the Sun Belt Conference tournament.
JACKSON TAKES COCA-COLA CLASSIC MVP
Matt Jackson was selected MVP of the Coca-Cola Classic after pitching 7.1 innings and collecting 10 strikeouts in USA’s 9-2 win over Mercer. Jackson allowed just two hits and walked one batter.
Jackson’s selection was the first time a Jaguar has been selected MVP of the Coca-Cola Classic since Clark Secchiari won the award in 2004.
JACKSON NAMED FIRST SBC PITCHER OF WEEK IN 2009
Matt Jackson was named the first Sun Belt Conference Pitcher of the Week for the 2009 season. Jackson's honor is the first time a USA pitcher has been selected since Joey Doan won the award on May 14, 2007. Last season was the first time USA did not have a Pitcher or Player of the Week since the awards were first given out in 1985.
FREE BASEBALL EARLY IN SEASON
Two of USA’s first four games went 10 innings. The Jags didn’t play their second extra-inning game in 2008 until March 26, and they played only two extra-inning games during the entire 2007 season.
The extra-inning game vs. Liberty (Feb. 21) was the earliest in the season a USA team has gone to extras since 2000, when the Jags beat UAB 5-4 in 12 innings, also in their third game of the season. The Jags went to extra frames for the third time in game 11 of the season. All three have gone 10 innings.
STELLAR STARTERS
USA’s starting pitchers have pitched extremely well through the first 14 games of the season. Jag starting pitchers have allowed three earned runs or less in 13 of 14 outings, and have combined to post a 2.39 ERA.
The six pitchers to make starts (Jackson, Sage, Baxter, Ethridge, Crenshaw, LaGrow) are holding opposing hitters to a .238 batting average.
DOSS' HAT TRICK MAKES HISTORY
When David Doss hit three home runs against UAB in the Jags’ second game at the 2009 QTI Baylor Classic, he made more than just South Alabama history.
Doss became just the third player to homer three times in one game at Baylor Ballpark, which opened in 1999. Baylor’s Aaron Miller and McNeese State’s Ben Broussard were the only previous players to accomplish the feat in the park’s 11-year history.
Doss also became just the seventh Jag to accomplish the hat trick. Josh Touchstone was the last player to do so when he hit three in a 25-24 win over Eastern Illinois on March 17, 2004.
Other Jags to hit three homers in a game are:
Glenn Borgmann (1971), Forrest Crowder (1974), Tony Barylski (1976), Greg Meier (1978), and Ryan Mulhern (2002).
Each of Doss’ three home runs moved him up one slot from 12th place on USA’s all-time home runs list. He tied Joey Choron in 11th with 26, then tied Jerry Poston in 10th with 27 and Mike Mordecai in ninth at 28.
DOSS CLIMBS USA RECORDS LISTS
Doss knocked his 54th double in a 4-for-5 effort against Memphis on March 11, tying him with Tyrone Dixon for the most doubles in a career in USA history.
In the same game, Doss moved past Mike Mordecai and into sole possession of ninth place on the career home runs list with 29, and he also moved passed Tim Merritt and into six place with his 155th RBI.
Additionally, he passed Dewayne Jones for seventh on the runs list with 153.
MIDWEEK PREVIEW
The Jags round out a four-game road swing by traveling to Nashville, Tenn. to take on perennial power Vanderbilt Tuesday at 4 p.m. USA will be playing its fourth of eight games against Southeastern Conference opponents when it meets the Commodores.
