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GAMES 27-29 ♦ APRIL 3-5, 2009 ♦ BOCA RATON, FLA.
ALL TIMES CENTRAL (HOME TEAMS LISTED FIRST)
FRIDAY:
Florida Atlantic vs. South Alabama, 5:30 p.m.
SATURDAY:
Florida Atlantic vs. South Alabama, 3 p.m.
SUNDAY:
Florida Atlantic vs. South Alabama, noon
South Alabama heads to the Sunshine State for a weekend series with Florida Atlantic. USA hasn’t played since dropping Sunday’s series finale at Arkansas State. The Jags’ game against Auburn on Tuesday was postponed due to inclement weather. FAU has dropped three straight after losing a pitchers’ duel Wednesday at South Florida and dropping two of three against Louisiana-Monroe last weekend.
With Friday night starter Matt Jackson out for the week, the Jags haven’t settled on a pitching rotation for the series. Miles Ethridge and Chris LaGrow are both strong candidates for spot starts, but the bullpen will also need to step up if the Jags are going to win the first conference series. If LaGrow starts, all three of USA’s weekend starters will be lefties.
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.
PROBABLE PITCHING MATCHUPS
FRIDAY
USA: RHP Miles Ethridge (1-2, 8.80 ERA, 10 G, 30.2 IP, 44 H, 32 R, 30 ER, 14 BB, 35 K)
FAU: RHP Mike Gipson (2-2, 4.67 ERA, 6 G, 34.2 IP, 37 H, 24 R, 18 ER, 17 BB, 31 K)
SATURDAY
USA: LHP Lance Baxter (3-2, 4.21 ERA, 7 G, 36.1 IP, 45 H, 20 R, 17 ER, 16 BB, 28 K)
FAU: LHP Barry Rooks (3-1 2.97 ERA, 6 G, 33.1 IP, 31 H, 16 R, 11 ER, 13 BB, 19 K)
SUNDAY
USA: LHP Brandon Sage (1-4, 3.82 ERA, 10 G, 30.2 IP, 32 H, 19 R, 13 ER, 12 BB, 25 K)
FAU: LHP Adam Morrison (0-0, 4.95 ERA, 7 G, 20.0 IP, 25 H, 20 R, 11 ER, 11 BB, 19 K)
COACHES
SOUTH ALABAMA: Steve Kittrell (South Alabama, 1971)
Career Record: 1,009-591-1 (27th season)
Record at USA: 976-572-1 (26th season)
FLORIDA ATLANTIC: John McCormack (Lynn, 1990)
Career Record: 15-10 (first season)
Record at FAU: 15-10 (first season)
INTERNET FEEDS
Live Stats: www.usajaguars.com
Video: www.usajaguars.com
Audio: www.wnsp.com
SOUTH ALABAMA-FLORIDA ATLANTIC SERIES
South Alabama and Florida Atlantic have met only six times, with three-game series in each of the past two seasons ... FAU has taken two of three in both series ... The Jags traveled to Boca Raton in 2007 and dropped the first two games before salvaging an 11-9 win in the series finale ... Last year, USA won the opener 14-3 before dropping the next two games to the Owls ... Ryan Bohanan went 7-for-12 with three home runs and six RBI in the series, and Eric Gonzalez earned a win by allowing two runs in 7.0 innings in the series opener.
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 26 games of the season. Jag starting pitchers have allowed three earned runs or less in 23 of 26 outings, and have combined to post a 3.39 ERA.
The eight pitchers to make starts (Jackson, Baxter, Sage, Ethridge, Crenshaw, LaGrow, Logan, Byrd) have combined to hold opposing hitters to a .266 batting average as starting pitchers.
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 55th double of the season against Mississippi State on March 24. With the double, he passed Tyrone Dixon and became USA’s all-time doubles leader.
In the same game, Doss also hit two home runs. His first homer was the 32nd of his career. It moved him into a tie for sixth place with Luis Gonzalez and Jeff Cunningham, and he took sole possession of sixth place when he later hit number 33.
He also took sole possession of fourth place on the all-time runs list when he scored his 161st run in the first inning of that game. While he has more work to do, he is on pace to also become the Jags’ all-time hits, RBI, and runs leader.
DOSS ONE OF TWO SBC CATCHERS NAMED TO JOHNNY BENCH AWARD WATCH LIST
University of South Alabama senior catcher David Doss has been selected as one of 44 student-athletes named to the 2009 Coleman Company-Johnny Bench Award Watch List.
"I’m honored to be named to the watch list for the Johnny Bench Award," Doss said. "There are a lot of great catchers on the list, and it’s nice seeing my name among some of the best in the nation."
Since 2000, the Johnny Bench award has been given annually to the nation’s top Division I collegiate catcher. The Greater Wichita Area Sports Commission named Florida State’s Buster Posey as the Johnny Bench Award winner in 2008.
Doss is joined by Nick Criaris of Florida Atlantic as the only two Sun Belt Conference catchers named to the watch list.
The 10 semifinalists for the award will be announced May 14, and statistics will be compiled and sent to the national voting panel at the end of May to determine the three finalists, which will be announced June 3.
All finalists will be brought to Wichita, and the winner will be announced at the 12th-annual Greater Wichita Sports Banquet on June 26.
JAGS' GAME AT MONROE SLATED FOR TV
South Alabama’s Saturday, May 2 game at Louisiana-Monroe is scheduled to be televised as part of CSS’ 2009 College Baseball Schedule. CSS is scheduled to televise four Sun Belt Conference games this season.
The Jags take on the Warhawks at 3 p.m. in the middle of a string of three consecutive college games televised on CSS that day. Florida at Georgia is scheduled for noon, and USA will be followed by Ole Miss at Auburn at 6 p.m. All times are central.
JACKSON TAKES SECOND SBC PITCHER-OF-THE-WEEK HONOR
Matt Jackson was named Sun Belt Conference Pitcher of the Week for the second time in the 2009 season on March 23. He earned the honor after pitching 7.0 innings and allowing just three hits in Friday’s 10-1 win over New Orleans. He allowed his lone run in the first inning, and the only hit he allowed the rest of the way was a two-out double in the third.
The Haughton, La. native retired the last 10 batters he faced in order, and allowed only three balls to be hit out of the infield after the first inning. The lone base runner he allowed over the last 14 batters he faced came when he hit a batter in the fourth.
With the award, he becomes the first pitcher to be honored twice during the 2009 season, and the first Jag to win the award twice in a season since P.J. Walters did so in 2006. He has been named SBC Pitcher of the Week after each of his first two starts at home.
MIDWEEK PREVIEW
The Jags return home for the first of five straight at Stanky Field when they take on Nicholls at 6 p.m. Tuesday. UALR heads to Mobile next weekend in SBC play.
