No. 21 Auburn Heads to Tuscaloosa for In-State Showdown

No. 21 Auburn Heads to Tuscaloosa for In-State ShowdownNo. 21 Auburn Heads to Tuscaloosa for In-State Showdown

April 19, 2018

AUBURN (26-12, 6-9 SEC) at ALABAMA (22-17, 5-10 SEC)









AUBURN, Ala. ââ'¬" No. 21 Auburn (26-12, 6-9 SEC) travels across the state for a showdown with rival Alabama (22-17, 5-10 SEC) this weekend. Game one is scheduled for Friday at 6 p.m. CT followed by game two Saturday at 7 p.m. and the series finale Sunday at 1 p.m.

Friday and Sunday's games will be broadcast on SEC Network+ and can be found online at WatchESPN.com and the WatchESPN app. Saturday's game will air on national television on SEC Network. All three games will also broadcast on the Auburn Sports Network. You can listen on the radio on WTGZ-FM (93.9), online at AuburnTigers.com, or on a mobile device via the TuneIn app.

Probable Starters

  • Friday ââ'¬" Jr. RHP Casey Mize (7-1, 2.00) vs. Jr. RHP Sam Finnerty (4-1, 3.49)
  • Saturday ââ'¬" Fr. RHP Tanner Burns (2-4, 2.66) vs. Sr. RHP Jake Walters (2-4, 5.14)
  • Sunday ââ'¬" TBA vs. R-Fr. LHP Garrett Rukes (1-1, 1.02)

QUICK HITTERS

  • Casey Mize has issued four walks this season and leads the country in strikeout-to-walk ratio (21.50) for the second straight year. The rest of the SEC's pitchers have walked four or more batters in an outing 68 times this season.
  • Mize and freshman Tanner Burns have posted a combined 2.27 ERA and are holding opponents to a .183 batting average against in 18 starts this season. The duo has struck out 132 batters in 107.0 innings.
  • In the last four games, Auburn relievers have gone 2-0 with a 1.76 ERA and have posted a 19-3 strikeout-to-walk ratio. The staff is holding opponents to a .167 average in 15.1 innings pitched.
  • Auburn has won nine SEC series since the start of last season. Only Florida (13), Kentucky (10) and LSU (10) have more conference series wins during the span.
  • Josh Anthony's next game will be the 100th of his Auburn career. He needs three starts to get to 100 starts. Jay Estes is three games and five starts shy of 100 in his Auburn career.

SCOUTING THE CRIMSON TIDE

  • Alabama enters the weekend with a 22-17 overall record and 5-10 mark in SEC play. After beating Kentucky and Missouri in back-to-back conference series, the Crimson Tide were swept by Texas A&M in College Station last weekend.
  • Offensively, Alabama is hitting .261 as a team and .232 in conference play. The Crimson Tide is led by senior infielder Chandler Avant's .329 average and 31 RBI. Junior outfielder Chandler Taylor leads the way from a power standpoint with 11 home runs.
  • On the mound, Alabama boasts a 3.03 ERA, which ranks second in the league and 10th in the NCAA. The Crimson tide lead the way in conference games with a 3.09 ERA despite allowing opposing batters to hit .278 against them.

SERIES HISTORY vs. ALABAMA

  • Alabama holds a 161-129 record in the all-time series that dates back to 1896.
  • Auburn has defeated Alabama in nine of the last 10 matchups in the Capital City Classic, including a 5-2 win against the Crimson Tide earlier this season, but is looking for its first series win since 2011 and its first series win in Tuscaloosa since 2004.