Notes

South Alabama Jaguars (6-5)
            at
No. 24 Alabama Crimson Tide (10-2)

Tue., March 9 • 6 pm  • Sewell-Thomas Stadium • Tuscaloosa, Ala.

Media Information
Live Stream:  The game will be broadcast live on SEC Network with John Schriffen and David Dellucci on the call. The game can also be accessed online at WatchESPN.com as well as through the Jaguar baseball schedule page at USAJaguars.com. 

On the Radio:  The game will be broadcast live on Sports Talk 99.5 FM in Mobile, and can be accessed through the iHeart Radio app. JT Crabtree will handle play-by-play duties.

Live Stats:  Live stats will be available and accessible through the multimedia section of USAJaguars.com, as well as through the Jaguar baseball schedule page.

Twitter:  Follow the official Twitter account of South Alabama baseball — @WeAreSouth_BSB — for news and updates.

Probable Starting Pitchers
Tue., March 9 | 6 p.m.
USA - RHP  Matt Boswell (0-0, 4.50 ERA)
UA -   RHP  William Freeman (0-0, 1.17 ERA)

 All-Time Series
Alabama owns a 60-48 all-time lead over South Alabama in a series that opened in 1967. The Crimson Tide has won four straight games in the series dating back to 2019, including a 12-2 win last season in Tuscaloosa. The Jaguars' last win over Alabama came on April 20, 2016, in Tuscaloosa when right-hander Randy Bell struck out seven in eight innings to lead then-No. 23 South Alabama to an 8-2 victory. USA scored five runs in the fourth inning, two in the fifth and added one run in the seventh in that win.

CALVI TO COACH 500TH CAREER GAME
Tuesday's contest will mark Jaguar head coach Mark Calvi's 500th career game, all of which have come at South Alabama. Calvi enters the game with a 283-216 (.567) career record, and is 2-6 in his career against Alabama.

BOSWELL TO MAKE SECOND CAREER START AGAINST ALABAMA
Jaguar right-hander Matt Boswell will get the start against Alabama for the second time in his career on Tuesday. Boswell started last year's game at Alabama, and allowed seven runs on seven hits with one strikeout and one walk in five innings to suffer the loss in a 12-2 Crimson Tide win.

JAGS LEAD NATION IN SACRIFICE BUNTS
South Alabama enters the week as the nation's leader in sacrifice bunts with 15. Santi Montiel and Reid Powers are tied for the Sun Belt Conference lead with three, which is tied for 10th nationally. 

JAGUAR PITCHING STAFF IN SBC RANKINGS
The Jaguar pitching staff enters Tuesday's contest as the Sun Belt Conference leader in ERA (2.74), which ranks 25th nationally. USA has allowed seven earned runs over its last 38 innings pitched, which spans its last four games. The Jags also lead the league in opposing batting average (.202), tied for the league lead in fewest home runs allowed (4), and rank second in fewest hits allowed (74).

JAGS IN EXTRA INNINGS THIS YEAR
South Alabama is 2-2 in extra-inning games this season after splitting a pair of 10-inning contests with Middle Tennessee last weekend at Stanky Field. The Jags have played at least one extra-inning game on each weekend of the 2021 season.

JAGUAR PITCHING STAFF STRIKEOUTS
The Jaguar pitching staff has recorded 10 or more strikeouts in four consecutive games, and posted 10 or more in eight of 11 contests this season with its season high of 14 strikeouts coming in last weekend's series-opening win over Middle Tennessee.

BALGAARD TIED FOR LEAGUE LEAD IN TWO OFFENSIVE CATEGORIES
Caleb Balgaard ranks tied for first in the Sun Belt Conference in home runs (3) and doubles (5) entering Tuesday's contest. Balgaard also ranks fifth in the league in slugging percentage (.656), but also third in strikeouts (17). 

MONTIEL AMONG SBC LEADERS IN WALKS
Santi Montiel enters the week ranked tied for second in the Sun Belt in walks (9).

TWO-OUT RBIs
South Alabama has recorded 15 two-out RBIs this season, which accounts for 36.5 percent of its 41 total RBIs. Hunter Stokes leads the team with eight RBIs with two outs, followed by Reid Powers and Michael Sandle with three apiece. 

FIVE OR FEWER
South Alabama is 6-2 this season when allowing five or fewer runs, but is 0-3 when allowing six or more. 

JAGUAR DEFENSIVE WOES
South Alabama has committed at least one error in three straight games entering Tuesday's contest, and has been charged with at least one error in nine of its 11 games this season. The Jags have committed multiple errors in seven games this year, including a season-high five in the series finale at Oral Roberts on Feb. 27.

85 AND COUNTING
Shortsop Santi Montiel has started in 85 consecutive games - every game since joining the program. He started all 56 games in 2019, in addition to all 18 games last season, and has started each game this year. 

JAGS SHUT OUT UNO, EARN FIRST WIN UNDER THE LIGHTS
South Alabama shut out New Orleans 5-0 last Wednesday in New Orleans in a combined two-hit effort by right-handers Miles Smith and Jackson Boyd. Smith tossed a career-high 5 1/3 innings, while Boyd struck out a career-high eight in a career-best 3 2/3 innings pitched. It marked the first shutout since a 2-0 win over Gonzaga last season at Stanky Field. It also marked the Jags' first night win of the season.

WILSON NAMED PRESEASON SBC PLAYER OF THE YEAR, ALL-AMERICA
Ethan Wilson was named the 2021 Sun Belt Conference Preseason Player of the Year, marking the second straight season he was voted the league's top player in preseason voting. Wilson was also named Baseball America First-Team Preseason All-America, and Third-Team Preseason All-America by D1Baseball.

JAG PITCHING LAST 5 GAMES
In its last five games, the Jaguar pitching staff has recorded 52 strikeouts against 13 walks and limited the opposition to a .182 batting average in a span of 46 innings.

WILSON NAMED TO GOLDEN SPIKES AWARD WATCH LIST
Ethan Wilson was selected to the 2021 USA Baseball Golden Spikes Award Preseason Watch List, marking the second straight season he has been named to the list. 

DELATORRE, WILSON CONSECUTIVE STARTS STREAKS END
Both Kaleb DeLaTorre and Ethan Wilson each had a 74-game consecutive starts streak snapped after neither started in the season opener against Southeast Missouri on Feb. 19.

WILSON NAMED TO BOBBY BRAGAN COLLEGIATE SLUGGER AWARD WATCH LIST
Ethan Wilson was named to 2021 Bobby Bragan Collegiate Slugger Award watch list, which honors the nation's top collegiate hitter. Wilson was one of 48 student-athletes named to the watch list, and the lone Sun Belt Conference representative. The winner of the BBCSA will be announced in June at the Fort Worth Club in Fort Worth, Texas.

For more information about South Alabama athletics, check back with USAJaguars.com, and follow the Jaguars at Twitter.com/USAJaguarSports. Season tickets for all Jaguar athletic events can be purchased by calling (251) 461-1USA (1872).

Join the Dugout Club - the baseball-specific support club of the Jaguar Athletic Fund. Members enjoy all games from inside the Stadium Club with climate control, private restrooms, private concessions and access to listen to the radio broadcast. All donations to the Dugout Club go directly to support the South Alabama baseball program. For more information on how you can join visit JaguarAthleticFund.com.