BIRMINGHAM – The UAB baseball team will kick off a 14-game homestand over the weekend as it hosts Miami (Ohio) for a weekend series. The Blazers and Redhawks are scheduled to square off at 4 p.m. on Friday and 1 p.m. on Saturday, both at Regions Field. The series capper is set for 1 p.m. on Sunday at Young Memorial Field.
The Blazers (3-5, 0-0 C-USA) come into the contest after doubling up Alabama State, 10-5, on Wednesday. The all-around effort was led at the dish by juniors Thomas Johns and Caleb Floyd. Johns sparked the team going 2-for-4 with a triple, a run scored and three RBI while Floyd put together a 2-for-4 night with two runs scored and two RBI. On the bump, senior lefty Austin Bohannon got the start and went 3.2 innings with four strikeouts and just three hits allowed. Senior right hander Sylvester Toe was credited with the win after tossing 1.2 scoreless innings with a pair of strikeouts and one hit allowed.
On the season, senior utility man Colton Schultz has had the most production at the plate, tallying 10 hits, three doubles, a homerun and nine RBI for a .313 batting average. Among the conference, Schultz currently ranks third in doubles and RBI.
Bohannon continues to lead the Blazers from the mound with seven strikeouts and just three earned runs in 14.1 innings of work for a 1.88 ERA. Meanwhile grad transfer closer Mac McCarty has been a nearly flawless in 7.1 innings of work with 11 strikeouts and one hit allowed for a conference-high and top-20 national mark of two saves and an unblemished ERA.
On the base path, redshirt sophomore Jess Davis and junior Justin Wiley have both been active. The speedsters each have four steals on the season, which ties at the top of Conference USA.
Miami (3-3, 0-0 MAC) enters the matchup after sweeping Purdue Fort Wayne in a home series. The Redhawks were previously swept opening weekend at No. 18 Texas A&M. As a team, Miami is currently tied for the conference homerun lead with six on the year and tops the MAC while coming in fourth in the nation in triples with five to date.
The Redhawks have a pair of batters over .400 this season in seniors Charlie Harrigan and Landon Stephens. Harrigan holds a MAC-leading .467 batting average with seven hits, a double, a triple and five RBI. Stephens is just behind Harrigan with a .429 batting average after tallying nine hits, three doubles (second in the conference) and a homerun for four RBI. From the mound, sophomore pitcher and day-one starter Sam Bachman leads the MAC with 15 strikeouts.
The series will mark the first time the two sides have faced each other.
UAB will continue the homestand with another action-packed slate following the series with five games in the coming week. The Blazers will host Troy on March 3 and Jacksonville State on March 4 for midweek matchups before hosting another MAC school in Toledo for the next weekend series with all games scheduled to be played at Regions Field. Live stat and streaming information for each game is available on the UAB baseball schedule page.
Fans may secure baseball season tickets by purchasing the 2020 Gold Card for $65. The Gold Card is an exclusive offer that grants you admission into all baseball, softball and women’s basketball events for the remainder of the academic year. Mini plans and single game tickets are also available here. Contact the UAB Ticket Office at (205) 975-UAB1 for more details.
For more information on the UAB baseball team, follow @UAB_Baseball on Twitter and Instagram.
-Go Blazers-
