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GAMES 10-12 ♦ MARCH 6-8 ♦ WACO, TEXAS
ALL TIMES CENTRAL (HOME TEAMS LISTED FIRST)
FRIDAY:
Baylor vs. South Alabama, 6:30 p.m.
SATURDAY:
South Alabama vs. UAB, 2 p.m.
SUNDAY:
UC Irvine vs. South Alabama, 11 a.m.
South Alabama hits the road again to travel to Waco, Texas for the fourth-annual QTI Baylor Classic, hosted by Baylor University. The Jags take on No. 6 Baylor Friday at 6:30 p.m. before a Satuday meeting with UAB at 2 p.m. and Sunday’s 11 a.m. showdown with No. 5 UC Irvine.
The Jags look to build momentum in their last weekend before conference play begins. USA has a chance to knock off a top-10-ranked team for the second and possibly third times of 2009. The Jags defeated then No.6 Ole Miss 3-2 in 10 innings on Feb. 22.
All South Alabama home games are broadcast on WNSP 105.5 FM in Mobile and live on the internet at www.wnsp.com. Live video is available through Jaguar Nation at www.usajaguars.com. Subscriptions can be purchased for $7.95/month or $69.95/year.
Note: None of the weekend matchups will be broadcast by USA due to scheduling conflicts with South Alabama basketball, but the game against Baylor will be available online. Visit the QTI Baylor Classic page on Baylor's web site for more information.
PROBABLE PITCHING MATCHUPS
FRIDAY
USA: RHP Matt Jackson (1-0, 0.00 ERA, 2 G, 15.2 IP, 7 H, 2 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 18 K)
Baylor: RHP Craig Fritsch (0-1, 3.60 ERA, 2 G, 10.0 IP, 11 H, 7 R, 4 ER, 3 BB, 7 K)
SATURDAY
USA: LHP Brandon Sage (1-1, 0.68 ERA, 3 G, 13.1 IP, 11 H, 5 R, 1 ER, 3 BB, 11 K)
UAB: LHP Shay Crawford (1-1, 6.23 ERA, 2 G, 8.2 IP, 13 H, 11 R, 6 ER, 7 BB, 8 K)
SUNDAY
USA: LHP Lance Baxter (1-0, 1.35 ERA, 2 G, 13.1 IP, 14 H, 4 R, 2 ER, 3 BB, 10 K)
UC Irvine: RHP Crosby Slaught (1-0, 3.38 ERA, 2 G, 8.0 IP, 11 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 2 BB, 6 K)
COACHES
SOUTH ALABAMA: Steve Kittrell (South Alabama, 1971)
Career Record: 1,003-582-1 (27th season)
Record at USA: 970-563-1 (26th season)
BAYLOR: Steve Smith (Baylor, 1986)
Record at Baylor: 529-339-1 (15th season)
Career Record: 529-339-1 (15th season)
UAB: Brian Shoop (Malone, 1980)
Record at UAB: 54-71 (third season)
Career Record: 746-378-1 (20th season)
UC Irvine: Mike Gillespie (USC, 1962)
Record at UC Irvine: 47-21 (second season)
Career Record: 810-492-3 (22nd season)
INTERNET FEEDS
Live Stats: www.usajaguars.com
Video: none
Audio: none
Tournament web page: http://baylorbears.cstv.com/sports/m-basebl/09-qti-classic.html
SOUTH ALABAMA-BAYLOR SERIES
USA and Baylor have met just once, with the Jags taking a 9-3 win in the 1993 NCAA Baton Rouge, La. Regional.
SOUTH ALABAMA-UAB SERIES
USA holds a 52-31 edge in the all-time series with UAB ... The two teams have met just once since 2000, with UAB taking a 2-1 win in the 2006 Screen-Tech Wiregrass Classic in Dothan, Ala. ... The Jags and Blazers first met for a pair of games in Birmingham in 1979, with UAB taking the first and USA winning the second game ... South Alabama played UAB eight times in 1982 and took all eight games as part of a nine-game winning streak in the series ... UAB’s current three-game winning streak is tied for their longest in the all-time series.
SOUTH ALABAMA-UC IRVINE SERIES
South Alabama and UC Irvine have never met, but Anteaters head coach Mike Gillespie and Jags head coach Steve Kittrell met 10 times when Gillespie was at USC ... Gillespie holds an 8-2 advantage in those meetings.
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
Each of USA’s last two games have gone 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.
Saturday’s extra-inning game 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.
STELLAR STARTERS
USA’s starting pitchers have pitched extremely well through the first nine games of the season. Jag starting pitchers have allowed two earned runs or less in all nine outings, and have combined to post a 1.32 ERA.
The five pitchers to make starts (Jackson, Sage, Baxter, Ethridge and Crenshaw) are holding opposing hitters to a .227 batting average.
UP NEXT FOR THE JAGS
USA returns home for the first time since hosting the Coca-Cola Classic when it takes on Memphis Tuesday and Wednesday at 6 p.m. before traveling to Bowling Green, Ky. to open conference play against Western Kentucky.
