⚾ 🥎 ⚾ Bama Baseball Mid-Week: (TU: UA-3, Samford- 2) Alabama State (WEDS, 4 CT) on ESPN+ / SECN+

[RTB.com]

Game Info:	Probable Pitching:	Tune In:
Location: Birmingham, Ala. Venue: Joe Lee Griffin Field Tuesday, Feb. 17 at Samford – 4:00 p.m. CT – ESPN+ Location: Tuscaloosa, Ala. Venue: Sewell-Thomas Stadium Wednesday, Feb. 18 vs. Alabama State – 4:00 p.m. CT – SEC Network+	Tuesday, Feb. 17 RHP JT Blackwood (UA) vs. RHP Joseph Lee (SU) Wednesday, Feb. 18 TBA (UA) vs. TBA (ASU)	Live Stats Live Audio (The Varsity Network) Video Links Tuesday, Feb. 17 at Samford (ESPN+) Wednesday, Feb. 18 vs. Alabama State (SEC Network+)

 

[Brandon Van de Graaff]

A little note that I didn’t mention over the weekend… it’s way early still, and not like WSU had SEC level arms, but Jason Torres looked much more comfortable at the plate last weekend than he did all of last season. He did strike out with the bases loaded once, but other than that I don’t really recall a bad at bat for him. Even his outs, the ball was jumping off his bat. If he can be more dependable (and not a liability) with his bat this season (he does bring a good eye, draws a lot of walks even when he’s not hitting well), then that’ll be a big boost for this offense. Hopefully last weekend was a preview of things to come for him and not an anomaly.

 

[Brandon Van de Graaff]

Bama wins 3-2… JT Blackwood pitched really well, a very efficient 6 innings, 2 hits, 0 runs allowed. Austin Morris relieved him and was wild, as per usual. He gave up 2 runs before wiggling out of the 7th inning. In the top of the 8th, Bama finally broke through and got on the scoreboard… the big hit was a 2 out, 2 run HR from Peyton Steele that gave UA a 3-2 lead. Hagan Banks pitched the final 2 innings (5 K’s) for the save.

 

[Brandon Van de Graaff]

Steele’s HR…

 

[rick4bama]

Just watch the 9 inning and that was the best.

 

[BamaFan334]

How the hell can you still be wild at the D1 level?

 

[TerryP]

How the hell can you still be wild at the D1 level?

The same way it happens in the league?

I read a piece in the last 48 hours where a former Vandy pitcher was talking about this very thing. In his bit he was talking about how a guy can be in the pen throwing 98, right down the middle, and then get to the mound and can't find the zone.

I don't know if anyone, ever, has accurately diagnosed what causes the 'yips." I do know they haven't found a "cure."

 

[TerryP]

I don't know why this crossed my mind. Last season, when the Tide was in B-ham playing Samford, they gave up 10 H's and as I recall at least half of them were extra bases. In the two games last season I know they put up at least 15 runs against Bama in both outings.

Mid-week games have always been a bit of an enigma with me. I look at holding Samford to two runs and think "that's a good thing." Their bats are usually pretty hot.

 

[BamaFan334]

The same way it happens in the league?

I read a piece in the last 48 hours where a former Vandy pitcher was talking about this very thing. In his bit he was talking about how a guy can be in the pen throwing 98, right down the middle, and then get to the mound and can't find the zone.

I don't know if anyone, ever, has accurately diagnosed what causes the 'yips." I do know they haven't found a "cure."

Yeah, but I still can't understand how a coach, team, program can use a roster spot on a guy that can't produce, especially when being paid. Knowing the sport and what goes into it, the off-season work, out of facility lessons and coaches, how can you waste a roster spot on a guy that is not productive for the team.

I look at it like this, I can't stand Marcel Ozuna. So happy his dumbass is gone from the Braves. A lot of Braves fans love him solely for the line he used when getting arrested for breaking the law. Society can really show its idiocy and it's unfortunate. Either way, he was paid to do one thing, that's hit the ball. His time with the Braves in my eyes was extremely mixed. Some bad seasons, mixed with mediocrity, with one really good year. Last year he had the second worst average on the team and the most strikeouts. How do you justify keeping a guy paid to do that one thing when it clearly negatively affects the team? Knowing the game of baseball you trade him after his record year knowing the replication is extremely low. Now, the pitching aspect may be even tougher than the hitting portion. How do you justify the use of a scholarship or salary on a guy that can't hit his spots and puts his team in bad situations? Walks kill you. Missing with your pitches ultimately kills you. Where is the value? Velo doesn't scare hitters anymore. Too many ways to train for it and be prepared. If you're nkt moving the ball, you will get drilled. Especially if you can't move the ball and manage it. So it leads me back to how a guy gets to Division 1 baseball and can't locate and control his pitches, and since scholarships are so important why one gets used up by a guy like that? To me it keeps the more trained arms and better producing players out of the program which hurts the team and our efforts of building.

 

[Brandon Van de Graaff]

I don't know why this crossed my mind. Last season, when the Tide was in B-ham playing Samford, they gave up 10 H's and as I recall at least half of them were extra bases. In the two games last season I know they put up at least 15 runs against Bama in both outings.

Mid-week games have always been a bit of an enigma with me. I look at holding Samford to two runs and think "that's a good thing." Their bats are usually pretty hot.

Blackwood was cruising last night... I think he ended with a Maddux like 6 innings on 66 pitches.

Would like to see the Bama bats get going tonight... Alabama St. usually throws a lot of arms at Bama in the midweek games and they aren't exactly blessed with many golden ones.

 

[Brandon Van de Graaff]

Thunder bat Hines getting his first start...

 

[rick4bama]

Watching on my computer.