Complete Release in PDF Format
GAMES 7-9 ♦ FEB. 27-MARCH 1 ♦ DELAND, FLA.
ALL TIMES CENTRAL (HOME TEAMS LISTED FIRST)
FRIDAY:
South Alabama vs. Southern Illinois, 1 p.m.
SATURDAY:
Iowa vs. South Alabama, 1 p.m.
SUNDAY:
Stetson vs. South Alabama, 4 p.m.
South Alabama continues its season-long, eight-game stretch of games away from Stanky Field when it travels to DeLand, Fla. this weekend for the Bright House Invitational, hosted by Stetson. The Jags will face Southern Illinois Friday at 1 p.m., Iowa Saturday at 1 p.m. and Stetson Sunday at 4 p.m.
The Jags look to rebound after dropping a pair of midweek games in the Magnolia State. USA fell 5-1 at Mississippi State Tuesday and 12-0 at Southern Miss Wednesday.
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 due to scheduling conflicts with South Alabama basketball.
PROBABLE PITCHING MATCHUPS
FRIDAY
USA: RHP Matt Jackson (1-0, 0.00 ERA, 1 G, 7.1 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 10 K)
Southern Illinois: RHP Adam Curynski (1-0, 4.50 ERA, 1 G, 6.0 IP, 3 H, 3 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, 4 K)
SATURDAY
USA: LHP Lance Baxter (0-0, 1.35 ERA, 1 G, 6.2 IP, 9 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 3 BB, 2 K)
Iowa: RHP Wes Freie (1-0, 1.80 ERA, 1 G, 5.0 IP, 6 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 7 K)
SUNDAY
USA: TBA
Stetson: TBA
COACHES
SOUTH ALABAMA: Steve Kittrell (South Alabama, 1971)
Career Record: 1,000-582-1 (27th season)
Record at USA: 967-563-1 (26th season)
SOUTHERN ILLINOIS: Dan Callahan (Quincy College, 1981)
Career Record: 544-552-2 (21st season)
Record at SIU: 391-394-1 (15th season)
IOWA: Jack Dahm (Creighton, 1989)
Career Record: 386-398 (15th season)
Record at Iowa: 103-122 (sixth season)
STETSON: Pete Dunn (Stetson, 1972)
Career Record: 1,070-663-3 (30th season)
Record at Stetson: 1,070-663-3 (30th season)
INTERNET FEEDS
Live Stats: www.usajaguars.com
Video: none
Audio: none
SOUTH ALABAMA-SOUTHERN ILLINOIS SERIES
USA and Southern Illinois have met four times ... SIU traveled to Stanky Field for a pair of games in 1983, and the Jags returned the favor in 1984 ... USA won the first meeting 5-1, but the Jags lost each of the next three games against the Salukis ... SIU outscored the Jags 24-9 in the three most recent meetings.
SOUTH ALABAMA-IOWA SERIES
USA and Iowa have met three times, most recently in 1989 ... The Hawkeyes visited Stanky Field for a pair of games in 1975 ... Head coach Eddie Stanky’s team took both games on its way to a 52-win season ... Iowa and USA met again in 1989, this time in Panama City, Fla. at the Panama City Tournament ... The Hawkeyes won 15-2.
SOUTH ALABAMA-STETSON SERIES
Only six teams have played USA 13 times or more and hold an advantage over the Jags in the all-time series ... At 7-6, Stetson is one of those six teams ... The other five teams are Alabama (50-47), Florida State (35-27-1), Miami, Fla. (15-8), Mississippi State (38-23) and Ole Miss (17-14) ... The Hatters and Jags first met in DeLand in 1975, when USA took the first meeting 3-2 before dropping the second 2-1 ... Stetson traveled to Stanky Field for a pair of games a year later, and the Jags took both of those ... The teams played a pair of games on each home field again in 1977 and 1979, but they did not meet again until the 1984 NCAA Tallahassee, Fla. Regional ... USA won that meeting 10-9, and went on to come within one win of a trip to Omaha ... The Jags and Hatters wouldn’t meet for 12 more years, and they were brought together again in postseason play, this time at the 1996 NCAA Tuscaloosa, Ala. Regional ... Stetson got even with the Jags, defeating them 9-8 ... USA and Stetson met again in 1997, when the Jags traveled for a single game in DeLand, which they won 7-5 ... Eight years later in 2005, the Jags made a one-game stop in DeLand on their way down to Miami for the SBC Tournament ... Stetson won that meeting 15-12 ... The last time USA and Stetson met was in the 2006 Coca-Cola Classic, a game the Hatters won 5-3.
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
Despite posting a 1-3 record, USA’s starting pitchers have pitched extremely well through the first six games of the season. Jag starting pitchers have allowed two earned runs or less in all six outings.
The five pitchers to make starts (Jackson, Sage, Baxter, Ethridge and Crenshaw) have combined to hold opposing hitters to a .241 batting average.
UP NEXT FOR THE JAGS
South Alabama completes its stretch of eight games away from Stanky Field when the Jags head to Waco, Texas to play in the fourth-annual QTI Baylor Classic. USA takes on No. 6 Baylor Friday, UAB Saturday and No. 5 UC Irvine Sunday.
