Tech will host UAB for a 3-game series at the Love Shack this weekend.
Sitting at 14-10 overall and 2-4 in CUSA play, there is still a long way to go. It’s a marathon, not a sprint. That said, Tech needs to win a bunch of games in a row if they want to get even close to an at-large selection.
Can they do it? I’m not holding my breath.
Brian Shoop is in his 13th season as the head man of the Blazers. He has a 340-370 overall record.
UAB is 12-14 overall and 1-5 in CUSA play. They were swept by WKU, who is terrible. They also lost 2 of 3 at home last weekend to FAU.
UAB is 1-8 on the road this year. Five of those losses have come to Alabama, Mississippi State, and Ole Miss. The other 3 were to WKU.
Tech is only 7-7 at home after finishing 18-9 at home a season ago. Disappointing to say the least.
Traditionally, UAB is strong on the mound and weak at the plate. This year it has been the opposite.
The pitching staff has a 5.56 team ERA under first year pitching coach Adam Revelette. Revelette came to UAB from Eastern Kentucky.
UAB Probables:
Friday: RHP Graham “Doug” Ashcraft (1-2, 3.54 ERA, 28 IP, 26 hits allowed, 18 BB, and 34 K) – Ashcraft is a Miss State transfer, and he’s GOOD. He can touch 96 with his fastball, with a good slider and curveball. The biggest thing for Tech will be making him throw strikes.
Saturday: RHP Tanner Rusk (1-1, 3.00 ERA, 30 IP, 26 hits allowed, 13 BB, and 25 K) – Rusk is in his first year with the UAB program after transferring in from Wallace State CC. He’s been in the rotation throughout the year.
Sunday: RHP Tyler Gates (2-0, 4.18 ERA, 23.2 IP, 29 hits allowed, 7 BB, and 17 K) – Gates is an undersized right-hander, fifth year senior, he’s not that good, but he competes his tail off. He beat FAU last weekend in a must win game for the Blazers to avoid a second straight sweep.
Top Relievers:
RHP Ryan Wesson (1-1, 5.94 ERA, 16.2 IP, 17 hits allowed, 10 BB, and 18 K) – Wesson is the go-to-guy out of the pen, he leads the team with 10 appearances. He can have command issues at times, but has a wipeout curveball that he goes to often.
RHP Tanner Graham (2-2, 6.00 ERA, 21 IP, 20 hits allowed, 7 BB, and 11 K) – Graham was a kid that the Blazers expected big things from, but he hasn’t had a good year. He has started two games, and pitched out of the pen five times. He was their best starter last year, just having a down year as a senior.
LHP Cole Whitman (0-0, 2.79 ERA, 9.2 IP, 8 hits allowed, 3 BB, and 12 K) – Whitman has been their best left-hander out of the pen. He was rated as the 86th best left-handed prospect in the 2016 class by Perfect Game
Overall, they have a bunch of guys you’ll see on the mound that have bad numbers. They are still trying to find the right combination of guys right now outside of Ashcraft and Rusk. If a reliever is rolling, they will ride with him. They don’t have set roles.
Offensively, UAB is hitting .277 with a .380 OBP and are averaging over 6 runs per game. Oh yeah, they’ve also already stolen 66 bases!!! We better do a good job at holding runners or they’ll have a field day all weekend.
Carter Pharis is their most complete hitter. He’s hitting .306 with 2 home runs and 17 RBI.
Tyler Tolbert will be at shortstop, he’s only hitting .233 with 2 home runs and 8 RBI. I’m sure he’ll go off this weekend. He can tear it up on the base paths as he has 19 stolen bases. Defensively, he’s gifted. He’s only committed 2 errors.
Colton Schultz is coming into his own as a junior. He’s hitting .337 with 4 home runs and 29 RBI.
JC transfer, JP Fullerton has had a really solid year after coming into the year with high expectations. He’s hitting .341 with 3 home runs and 20 RBI.
Please keep Jess Davis off base. He has stolen 27 bases in 26 games. That’s absurd. He also has a .411 OBP, so he gets on base.
Tech will trot out Matt Miller, Logan Robbins, and Logan Bailey once again this weekend. A big start from Miller on Friday night would set the bullpen up really well once again.
I’m not sure what the status of Hunter Wells is, but I can’t imagine him being healthy yet.
I know Burroughs found some magic with Blake Johnson and Phil Matulia against MTSU, but gosh I hope we don’t see that lineup again. If Johnson isn’t going to play stellar defense, his offense isn’t good enough to be in the lineup. Give me Manny Garcia.
Huddleston has heated up as of late, but he’s still showing no power at all. Not good because he was a guy that was expected to drive in a bunch of runs.
Please put Netterville back at DH.
UAB is 1-5 in CUSA play, but this series concerns me. They have a true Friday night guy, plus a solid Saturday arm, plus a lineup that can score. Add in the fact that the Love Shack is a premium hitters park with Tech’s struggles on the mound, and this weekend has me nervous.
Sitting at 14-10 overall and 2-4 in CUSA play, there is still a long way to go. It’s a marathon, not a sprint. That said, Tech needs to win a bunch of games in a row if they want to get even close to an at-large selection.
Can they do it? I’m not holding my breath.
Brian Shoop is in his 13th season as the head man of the Blazers. He has a 340-370 overall record.
UAB is 12-14 overall and 1-5 in CUSA play. They were swept by WKU, who is terrible. They also lost 2 of 3 at home last weekend to FAU.
UAB is 1-8 on the road this year. Five of those losses have come to Alabama, Mississippi State, and Ole Miss. The other 3 were to WKU.
Tech is only 7-7 at home after finishing 18-9 at home a season ago. Disappointing to say the least.
Traditionally, UAB is strong on the mound and weak at the plate. This year it has been the opposite.
The pitching staff has a 5.56 team ERA under first year pitching coach Adam Revelette. Revelette came to UAB from Eastern Kentucky.
UAB Probables:
Friday: RHP Graham “Doug” Ashcraft (1-2, 3.54 ERA, 28 IP, 26 hits allowed, 18 BB, and 34 K) – Ashcraft is a Miss State transfer, and he’s GOOD. He can touch 96 with his fastball, with a good slider and curveball. The biggest thing for Tech will be making him throw strikes.
Saturday: RHP Tanner Rusk (1-1, 3.00 ERA, 30 IP, 26 hits allowed, 13 BB, and 25 K) – Rusk is in his first year with the UAB program after transferring in from Wallace State CC. He’s been in the rotation throughout the year.
Sunday: RHP Tyler Gates (2-0, 4.18 ERA, 23.2 IP, 29 hits allowed, 7 BB, and 17 K) – Gates is an undersized right-hander, fifth year senior, he’s not that good, but he competes his tail off. He beat FAU last weekend in a must win game for the Blazers to avoid a second straight sweep.
Top Relievers:
RHP Ryan Wesson (1-1, 5.94 ERA, 16.2 IP, 17 hits allowed, 10 BB, and 18 K) – Wesson is the go-to-guy out of the pen, he leads the team with 10 appearances. He can have command issues at times, but has a wipeout curveball that he goes to often.
RHP Tanner Graham (2-2, 6.00 ERA, 21 IP, 20 hits allowed, 7 BB, and 11 K) – Graham was a kid that the Blazers expected big things from, but he hasn’t had a good year. He has started two games, and pitched out of the pen five times. He was their best starter last year, just having a down year as a senior.
LHP Cole Whitman (0-0, 2.79 ERA, 9.2 IP, 8 hits allowed, 3 BB, and 12 K) – Whitman has been their best left-hander out of the pen. He was rated as the 86th best left-handed prospect in the 2016 class by Perfect Game
Overall, they have a bunch of guys you’ll see on the mound that have bad numbers. They are still trying to find the right combination of guys right now outside of Ashcraft and Rusk. If a reliever is rolling, they will ride with him. They don’t have set roles.
Offensively, UAB is hitting .277 with a .380 OBP and are averaging over 6 runs per game. Oh yeah, they’ve also already stolen 66 bases!!! We better do a good job at holding runners or they’ll have a field day all weekend.
Carter Pharis is their most complete hitter. He’s hitting .306 with 2 home runs and 17 RBI.
Tyler Tolbert will be at shortstop, he’s only hitting .233 with 2 home runs and 8 RBI. I’m sure he’ll go off this weekend. He can tear it up on the base paths as he has 19 stolen bases. Defensively, he’s gifted. He’s only committed 2 errors.
Colton Schultz is coming into his own as a junior. He’s hitting .337 with 4 home runs and 29 RBI.
JC transfer, JP Fullerton has had a really solid year after coming into the year with high expectations. He’s hitting .341 with 3 home runs and 20 RBI.
Please keep Jess Davis off base. He has stolen 27 bases in 26 games. That’s absurd. He also has a .411 OBP, so he gets on base.
Tech will trot out Matt Miller, Logan Robbins, and Logan Bailey once again this weekend. A big start from Miller on Friday night would set the bullpen up really well once again.
I’m not sure what the status of Hunter Wells is, but I can’t imagine him being healthy yet.
I know Burroughs found some magic with Blake Johnson and Phil Matulia against MTSU, but gosh I hope we don’t see that lineup again. If Johnson isn’t going to play stellar defense, his offense isn’t good enough to be in the lineup. Give me Manny Garcia.
Huddleston has heated up as of late, but he’s still showing no power at all. Not good because he was a guy that was expected to drive in a bunch of runs.
Please put Netterville back at DH.
UAB is 1-5 in CUSA play, but this series concerns me. They have a true Friday night guy, plus a solid Saturday arm, plus a lineup that can score. Add in the fact that the Love Shack is a premium hitters park with Tech’s struggles on the mound, and this weekend has me nervous.
