TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – Alabama takes to the road for the second time in Southeastern Conference play this season, traveling to Bryan-College Station for a three-game series with Texas A&M. The weekend begins on Friday with a 6:30 p.m. CT first pitch at Blue Bell Park followed by a 2 p.m. start on Saturday. Sunday’s series finale is slated for 1 p.m. with all three games airing live on SEC Network+.
Follow the Tide
Fans can follow this weekend’s series via the below outlets:
Watch: SEC Network+
Listen: 100.9 FM / CTSN / TuneIn App
Twitter: @AlabamaBSB
Live Stats: StatBroadcast.com
Probable Starting Pitching Matchups
FRIDAY: UA – Tyler Ras (Jr., RHP) vs. A&M – Dustin Saenz (Sr., LHP)
SATURDAY: UA – Dylan Smith (Jr., RHP) vs. A&M – Bryce Miller (Sr., RHP)
SUNDAY: UA – TBA vs. A&M – Nathan Dettmer (Fr., RHP)
Leading Off
- Alabama and Texas A&M will meet for the 25thtime when the two teams open the series on Friday evening at Blue Bell Park. The Aggies hold the all-time advantage in the series, 17-7, including a 9-3 mark at home in Bryan-College Station.
- The two teams last met from May 10-12, 2019, in Tuscaloosa with the Aggies earning a 2-1 series win across a trio of games that were all decided by one run. Texas A&M opened up with a 3-2 win on Friday night with the Tide answering the next day, 2-1, to even the series. The Aggies clinched on Sunday with a 6-5 win.
- Texas A&M swept the last series in Bryan-College Station from April 12-14, 2018. The Aggies cruised to a 12-6 win in the opener before a 9-6 win in game two to secure the series win. Alabama battled in the finale but came up just short, falling to A&M by a score of 6-5.
- Alabama opens the series with right-hander Tyler Ras on the hill on Friday evening. Ras will be followed by fellow righty Dylan Smith on Saturday with the junior making the start in his return to Texas. The Crimson Tide’s Sunday starter has yet to be announced.
- Texas A&M will call on a pair of seniors for games one and two, first with left-hander Dustin Saenz on Friday. Right-hander Bryce Miller will take the hill for Saturday’s matchup with freshman righty Nathan Dettmer getting the nod in the series finale.
About Alabama
- Alabama heads to College Station having gone 1-3 across the last four contests. The Crimson Tide hosted sixth-ranked Tennessee in Tuscaloosa last weekend, finishing 1-2 against the Vols, before suffering a 5-3 loss to ULM on Wednesday afternoon at Sewell-Thomas Stadium.
- The Tide fielded a late comeback but came up short against ULM, 5-3, on Wednesday. ULM got out front early, using a two-out, three-run home run to take a 3-0 lead after one inning of play. The Crimson Tide answered with two in the bottom of the third to make it a one-run affair before both teams went scoreless until the eighth.
- That inning saw the Warhawks plate a pair to widen the gap to three. Alabama was able to fight for one in the ninth thanks to a Zane Denton RBI-single but would come no closer as a flyout ended the game with the tying runs on base.
- Alabama’s effort at the plate was highlighted by Denton. The sophomore went 3-for-5 with a double and a team-high two RBI. Also contributing a multi-hit effort was Jim Jarvis with the Tide shortstop finishing 2-for-3 with a run.
- In the absence of at least one weekend starter, the Crimson Tide bullpen was tasked with throwing 18.0 of the 27.0 innings in the series with Tennessee.
- The only Alabama starter to take the hill against the Vols and make it to the halfway point was Tyler Ras, who contributed 5.0 frames on his way to earning the win in Friday’s matchup. The next two days saw UA’s starter exit early, forcing Alabama to lean on nine total relief arms by weekend’s end, four of which made two separate appearances.
- Alabama was able to keep things close offensively last weekend thanks to six home runs over the three-day stretch. Sam Praytor led the way with two as part of his .500 (6-12) weekend. William Hamiter returned from a five-game hiatus to pace UA in average at .538 (7-13) while also contributing his first career homer. Owen Diodati, Drew Williamson and Peyton Wilson each added a home run of their own with Williamson’s roundtripper adding an insurance run in Friday’s win.
- The Crimson Tide scored seven unearned runs in a 7-4 comeback win over Tennessee on Friday.
- Alabama fell behind, 4-0, after two innings. The Tide rallied for three in the fourth before adding another three runs an inning later in the fifth to take the lead for good. One more run in the bottom of the eighth provided all the security UA would need on the way to the Friday night win.
- Ras grinded through 5.0 innings, allowing four runs on seven hits and a walk with three strikeouts for his fourth win of the season. William Freeman followed with 1.0 inning before Landon Green took the hill to contribute 2.0 frames. Chase Lee then entered for the final inning to pick up his second save of the season. The trio combined for 4.0 scoreless innings, allowing just one hit and two walks while striking out eight Volunteer hitters.
- Alabama’s effort at the plate was highlighted by Praytor and Williamson. Praytor led the Tide in hits, finishing 3-for-4 with the go-ahead home run and adding two RBI to go with a pair of runs scored. Williamson was UA’s leader in RBI with three as part of his 1-for-2 effort that included one run, a hit-by-pitch and a sacrifice fly.
- A wild, extra-innings game between Alabama and Tennessee finished in favor of the Vols, 8-4, on Saturday evening.
- UA used a solo home run from Hamiter to get on the board in the fourth. The Tide then held the lead until the top of the seventh when Tennessee posted a four-spot to gain the advantage. Alabama answered with one in the home half of the seventh before tying things up in the bottom of the eighth with two runs.
- Both teams were unable to score in the ninth, sending it to extras. The two squads went scoreless in the 10th before the Vols used two hits and three walks to bring in four runs in the 11th.
- Alabama battled all game in the series finale but came up short, 9-8, on Sunday afternoon.
- Tennessee put pressure on the Tide from the start, scoring three in the top of the first. Alabama answered right back with three of their own in the home half before UT put up two in the top of the second. Once again, UA answered, this time with one run. Tennessee proceeded to add one in the fourth with Alabama matching in the home half.
- The Vols posted single tallies in the sixth, seventh and eighth, but the Tide would not sit idly by, scoring two in the eighth and one in the ninth. Alabama was able to reach the tying and go-ahead runs in the ninth but a groundout to second ended the game in favor of UT.
- Seven of the nine Alabama starters recorded at least one hit on Sunday, led by Hamiter. The sophomore finished 3-for-5 with a double and one run scored.
- Also notching multi-hit efforts were Praytor and Williamson. Praytor went 2-for-3 with a home run, two walks, two RBI and a pair of runs scored, while Williamson recorded two hits as part of his 2-for-5 day that included a double, one run and a stolen base.
- Alabama returned 20 letterwinners while losing 12 from the 2020 squad. The 2021 Crimson Tide welcomed back six positional starters and 10 total pitchers while hosting 14 redshirts or newcomers.
About Texas A&M
- The Aggies finished the pandemic-shortened 2020 campaign at 15-3 overall. Texas A&M was set to open SEC play at then-No. 14 Auburn before the season was officially canceled.
- Rob Childress is in his 16th season as a head coach, all coming at Texas A&M. Childress entered 2021 with a career record of 593-309-2, including a string of 13 straight NCAA Regional appearances. A 1994 graduate of Northwood, Childress is assisted by Chad Caillet and Justin Seely along with volunteer assistant Kyle Simonds.
- The Aggies were selected to finish fifth in the West and 10th overall in the SEC in the league’s preseason poll, as voted on by the conference’s head coaches.
On Deck
Alabama returns to Tuscaloosa to begin a five-game homestand, first with Samford on Tuesday, April 13. The Crimson Tide and Bulldogs are scheduled for a 6 p.m. first pitch at Sewell-Thomas Stadium with the game airing on SEC Network+.
