MOBILE, Ala. – The University of South Alabama baseball team will travel to Tallahassee, Fla., Tuesday for a contest with No. 5 Florida State that will be broadcast on ESPN3.
First pitch is scheduled for 5 p.m. (CT) at Dick Howser Stadium. The game will also be airied live on WNSP 105.5 FM in Mobile, and can be accessed nationwide at WNSP.com. Live stats for all Jaguar baseball games are available through the multimedia section at USAJaguars.com, while in-game updates will be provided via Twitter at Twitter.com/SouthALBaseball.
USA right-hander Payton Gardner (0-0) will make his first start of the season in Tuesday’s contest. Gardner carries a 7.71 ERA in three appearances with six strikeouts and three walks in 4 2/3 innings into the game.
He will square off with Seminole right-hander Peter Miller (3-1), who will make his ninth start of the season. Miller has a 3.74 ERA in 33 2/3 innings of work, and has struck out 30 batters against 15 walks. Opponents are hitting .286 against him.
South Alabama (27-10) enters the game on a three-game winning streak after sweeping Arkansas State in Jonesboro, Ark., over the weekend. USA hit .275 with 10 doubles, three triples, three homers, 28 RBI and 27 runs scored in the series, and carries an RPI of 16 (WarrenNolan.com, BoydsWorld.com) into Tuesday's contest.
The Jaguars rank fourth in the Sun Belt Conference with a .291 team batting average. USA leads the SBC in sacrifice flies (21), hit by pitch (47), at-bats (1,297) and total plate appearances (1,545), and is second in runs scored (264), hits (377) and RBI (237).
The Jaguar pitching staff leads the league in opposing batting average (.242) and saves (14), and is second in the SBC in ERA (3.76) and strikeouts (332).
Jordan Patterson leads the league in on-base percentage (.503), and is second in runs scored (44) and hit by pitch (14). Jeff DeBlieux is tied for the league lead in triples (4), while Nolan Earley is tied for the lead in sacrifice flies (4). Whitt Dorsey ranks second in the conference with a .393 batting average.
FSU (30-6) also enters the game with a three-game winning streak, and has won four of its last five contests. The Seminoles swept Duke over the weekend in Tallahassee. The Seminoles are 23-2 at home this season, and 17-1 in non-conference games with an RPI of six.
FSU is led offensively by Jose Brizuela who carries a .360 batting average with 11 doubles, two triples, three homers, 31 RBI and 27 runs scored into Tuesday’s contest.
The Seminoles are hitting .293 as a team, and enters the week with a 2.67 team ERA.
Florida State holds a 35-27-1 all-time lead over the Jaguars in a series that dates back to 1969. USA is 11-17-1 all-time at Florida State, but has won the last two meetings at Dick Howser Stadium after a 7-2 win in 2006 and a 6-5 win in 2002 with each of those contests going to extra innings.
For more information about South Alabama athletics, check back with www.usajaguars.com, and follow the Jaguars at www.twitter.com/USAJaguarSports. Season tickets for all Jaguar athletic events can be purchased by calling (251) 461-1USA (1872).
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