Big Weekend For South Alabama Baseball And Softball
The #18 ranked University of South Alabama baseball team will host Troy University for a three-game Sun Belt Conference series beginning this evening at Eddie Stanky Field. This series will close out the regular season, but it also will determine who the regular-season conference champion will be.
The Jags are 39-14 overall on the season and 19-8 in Sun Belt play. They have won their last six conference series and are looking to earn their 14th Sun Belt Conference title and a #1 seed for the Sun Belt Conference Championship tournament coming up soon.
The three game series will be played on Thursday, Friday and Saturday evenings with first-pitch scheduled for 6:30pm each night.
Troy is 37-15 overall and 18-9 in Sun Belt play.
Scheduled to take the mound for the Jags on Thursday night is James Traylor, he has a 5-3 record with a 3.93 ERA. Matt Bell, who is 6-0 with a 2.87 ERA, is scheduled to take the mound for game two on Friday. The Jags have not named their starter for the third game while Troy has not named their starters for any of the games yet.
USA has won seven of their last eight games and enter the series with a 22-6 record at home. In addition to the #18 ranking in both the Baseball America and Perfect Game polls, they also bring in a #14 RPI.
The Jags are looking to take at least two of three games to secure the regular season title and a #1 seed for the conference tournament. But they are also hoping to bring their first NCAA Regional home to Eddie Stanky Field.
While we are on the subject of NCAA Regionals, the Lady Jaguars are gearing up to host their first-ever NCAA Regional at Jaguar Field. It gets underway on Friday with Mississippi State and Florida State facing off in game one followed by South Alabama and Mississippi Valley State facing off in Game two at 6pm on Friday.
The winners from Friday will face on in the first of three games scheduled on Saturday. Then both of the losers from Friday will face off in Game two on Saturday in an elimination game. Then the third game will feature the loser from the first game on Saturday (between the two winners from Friday) and the winner of the elimination game.
Sunday will see the final two teams play for the right to move on with a possible second game scheduled, if needed, to determine who moves on to face the winner of the Austin Regional which consists of #4 Texas, Houston, South Caroline and Army.
Each of the regional games will be aired on ESPN3.
Ladd-Peebles Stadium To Get New Turf For 2013 Season
The Jaguar offense looks to the sideline for play adjustments against UTSA in August of 2012.
Ladd-Peebles Stadium will get new turf installed this summer prior to South Alabama’s 2013 football season opener on August 29.
The Mobile City Council voted unanimously for a $311,168 contract with Field Turf to replace Ladd-Peebles aging current turf. Mobile City Attorney Larry Wettermark estimated that the original installation was eight to 10 years old and is approaching it’s end of life. He was worried that if a Senior Bowl player was to get injured by faulty turf, it would jeopardize the event in Mobile.
The city will pay for the turf from the city’s capital escrow account, which is one of the accounts that receives revenues from the penny sales tax that was passed by the city council in October of last year.
Field Turf was the low bidder. Field Turf’s base bid was $295,168 and $6,000 to maintain certain equipment on the field plus $10,000 in contingency funds. Hellas Sports Construction’s base bid was $343,435.
Field Turf has had some issues recently with turf degradation and has admitted to replacing some fields across the nation, including some in Florida. The company believes the problem stems from a supply of defective fiber. The city council did not discuss any of the companies issues during its meeting. But the contract includes an eight-year warranty for defects in materials and workmanship.
Wettermark said that both products from the two bidders were of equal quality and noted that the city’s recommendation was to accept the lowest bidder.
The contract also includes two new goal posts which will be paid for by the Ladd-Peebles Stadium Board. Wettermark introduced the extra expenditure for the first time during the city council meeting and expressed that the timing of the expenditure was important due to the short window before the Jaguars football season.
Work is expected to begin on May 21 and should be completed in July.
City Council President Reggie Copeland’s only concern was that the contract meets the NFL requirements for the Senior Bowl with striping that would be adequate to take care of the needs for the Senior Bowl, South Alabama and GoDaddy.com Bowl.
Copeland also indicated that, if properly maintained with the equipment, they should be a longer life than they did with the previous turf installation.
USA Men’s Golf Team Open NCAA Regional Play Today
South Alabama’s Men’s Golf team will open play at the NCAA Southeast Regional hosted by LSU on Thursday. It will be the first of three rounds of play beginning at 8am. This is the program’s first-ever at-large bid.
The University Club is a 7,436 yard par 72 course. The Jags will play 54 holes over three days with the top five teams and the leading individual not from one of the teams advancing to the NCAA Championships that will begin on May 28.
The second-ranked Alabama is the top seed in the regional with #10 Florida, 17th ranked LSU, #23 Mississippi State and Houston are the top five seeds in the regional. Also competing, in order by seeding, are: Northwestern, Tennessee, USA, Coastal Carolina, UAB, Wichita State, Southeastern Louisiana and Houston Baptist.
The Jags will tee off at 8:50 am and will be playing with Tennessee and Coastal Carolina.
Go Jags!
Dustin Dalken Named SBC Player Of The Week
Senior Dustin Dalken earns his first SBC Player of the Week honor. Photo by Bobby McDuffie | usajaguars.com
South Alabama’s Dustin Dalken was named the Sun Belt Conference Player of the Week on Monday.
Dalken, a 6’6″ Senior from Gainesville, Georgia, went 7-for-13 with a double and two home runs, six RBI, three runs scored and a .571 on-base percentage as he led the Jags to a 3-1 record last week. He got a hit in all four games and recorded two multi-hit games and two multi-RBI games. He also extended his hitting streak to 12 consecutive games, a career-best.
Dalken went 6-for-12 against Louisiana-Lafayette over the weekend with a double, two home runs, six RBI and three runs scored with 13 total bases.
This is Dalken’s first Player of the Week honor and the third Jag this season.
Jags Split Sunday Doubleheader To Clinch Series Over ULL
The South Alabama baseball team had their opening game in Lafayette cancelled due to weather but came back on Saturday to defeat ULL 9-6. Anthony Izzio tossed seven shutout innings in relief to earn his first win of the season by only allowing four hits while striking out four with only one walk.
Izzio entered the game facing a 6-0 deficit and proceeded to retire eight of the final nine batters he faced before being lifted with two outs in the bottom of the ninth for Dylan Stamey who struck out the only batter he faced to earn his fourth save of the season.
USA fell behind 6-0 after two innings due to a six-run second inning by the Ragin’ Cajuns.
The Jags finally responded in the top of the fifth inning when Nolan Earley doubled to left-center to lead off the inning and scored on an RBI single by Dustin Dalken.
In the top of the sixth inning the Jags would cut the deficit to one run by scoring four, all with two outs in the inning.
Nick Zaharion left off the top of the eighth inning with a single. Dalken then gave the Jags their first lead of the game at 7-6 when he nailed a two-run homer. Jeff DeBlieux added two runs for insurance with a two-run single for the 9-6 final score.
After the Friday game was scrubbed, the Jags and the Cajuns played a doubleheader on Sunday to make it up. The Jags were able to clinch the series by splitting to double bill.
They won the first game of the day by a score of 9-5 by jumping out to a 2-0 lead in the top of the first inning.
The Jags then fell in the second game of the day by a score of 17-7. ULL scored in six of seven innings and used two five-run innings to avoid the series sweep.
The Jags improved their overall record to 39-14 and 19-8 in Sun Belt play. USA continues to hold onto first place in the conference by one game over Troy.
First place in the conference will be determined this week when the Jags host Troy for the regular season final in a three game series at Eddie Stanky Field. The two teams will face on on Thursday, Friday and Saturday with first pitch scheduled for 6:30pm each game.
USA Set To Host 2013 NCAA Softball Regional This Weekend
The 2013 South Alabama Softball Team earned their second consecutive SBC Tournament title after defeated WKU 2-0 on Saturday, May 11, 2013 | sunbeltsports.org
The University of South Alabama was named a #13 seed in the NCAA Division I Softball Championships that will get underway this weekend. But that is not where the good news ended for the University. They were also named a Regional Host for the 2013 NCAA Softball Championships.
The Jags earned an automatic berth in the championships by winning the Sun Belt Conference Tournament title for the second consecutive year. But with a 45-7 record overall, the Jags were seeded 13th and named a regional host for the first time in program history.
South Alabama will host Mississippi Valley State (24-26), Mississippi State (32-22) and Florida State (41-16). Each of the regional games will be aired on ESPN3 and is one of seven NCAA Regionals that will be aired on one of ESPN’s many platforms.
Mississippi State and Florida State will square off in game one at 3:30pm then South Alabama and MVSU will face off in Game two at 6pm on Friday. Friday’s winners will face each other in the first of three games on Saturday. While the two losers from Friday will face each other in the second game on Saturday in an elimination game. Then the winner of Saturday’s final game will take on the winner of the first game of the day on Sunday with an rematch later on Sunday if needed.
The winner of the Mobile Regional will face the winner of the Austin Regional which includes #4 seed Texas, Houston, South Carolina and Army.
Last season the Jags appeared in their first-ever NCAA Championships and defeated Georgia Tech twice at the Tuscaloosa Regional to advance to the final, but fell to Alabama, the host, with the Tide going on to win the National Championship against Oklahoma.
The Jags defeated Mississippi State 3-2 to begin the 2013 season and shout out Florida State 4-0 on April 10.
Tickets for the Mobile Regional will go on sale Tuesday and may be purchased at the Mitchell Center, over the phone by calling the athletic ticket office or in person at Jaguar Field on the day of the game. Gates will open on hour before first pitch of the first game each day. Tickets are $20 for adults and $15 for students, children and senior citizens for a tournament pass. Or $7 for adults and $5 for students, childred and seniors for per-day passes. Children under two do not require a ticket.
Go Jags!
Lady Jaguars Defeat WKU 2-0 To Earn Second Consecutive SBC Tournament Title
The 2013 South Alabama Softball Team earned their second consecutive SBC Tournament title after defeated WKU 2-0 on Saturday, May 11, 2013 | sunbeltsports.org
South Alabama’s Hannah Campbell pitched a complete-game shutout as the #18 ranked Jaguars defeated Western Kentucky 2-0 in the championship game to earn it’s second consecutive Sun Belt Conference Tournament title.
Hannah was not only named the Player of the Game, but also the tournament’s Most Valuable Player for the second year in a row. She struck out three and did not allow a walk in the win.
Brittany Fowler reached base in all four of her appearances at the plate on Saturday. She went 2-for-2 with a single and a double and two walks and an RBI.
Alex Breeden delivered her first RBI in five games in the top of the fifth and the Jags really needed it. She singled to left field and drove in Stephanie Pilkington, who was pinch running for Haley Fagan, to put the Jaguars up 2-0. Just before Breeden delivered her hit, she made solid contact on the first pitch from the WKU pitcher which broke the bat with a piece flying towards the pitchers circle.
Emily Rousseau, who was named pitcher of the year in the Sun Belt Conference prior to the tournament, gave Western Kentucky all she had to get into the championship game. The WKU ace threw all 10 innings in a 7-4 win over ULL to earn their spot in the championship game for the first time since 2005. Which led to WKU putting their number-two starter Mallorie Sulaski in the circle to pitch at the last minute.
Sulaski, a senior, did well against the Jags through four innings by only allowing tow hits and pitching herself out of three separate situations where Jags were in scoring position.
Hannah Campbell retired the final four WKU batters as the Jags cruised to their 16th consecutive win and improving her record to 21-7 on the season. She also lowered her NCAA-leading ERA to 0.86 and she has not allowed a run in the last 18 1/3 innings. She and Farish Beard and the rest of the Jaguar pitching staff has combined to not allow a run in the last 15 1/3 innings.
The Jags batted .216 in the tournament while holding their opponents to a .135 average.
Along with Hannah’s honor as Most Outstanding Player, Britany Campbell, Brittany Fowler and Kaitlyn Griffith were all named to the 2013 Sun Belt Conference All-Tournament Team.
The NCAA softball selection show will air live on ESPNU at 9pm Central time on Sunday. The Jags will host a viewing party at Heroes Sports Grill on Hillcrest just off of Old Shell Road on Sunday from 8-10pm. Friends, Family and Fans are all welcome to join the team as they anxiously await word of who they will be playing and if they will be selected to host a Regional tournament.
GO JAGS!!
Farish Beard Two-Hits North Texas To Advance To Championship Game Saturday
Farish Beard tossed a two-hit complete-game shutout for the #2 seeded South Alabama Jaguars to defeat #4 seeded North Texas on Friday to earn a 5-0 win and advance to the Championship game on Saturday.
Beard is still undefeated on the season with a 21-0 record as the struck out 10 while extending the Jaguars winning streak to 15 consecutive games and also extending an impressive 18 consecutive innings without allowing a run for the Jags.
The Jags would not get their first hit of the game until the fourth inning when Blair Johnson would lead off with a single to center field. Kaitlyn Griffith and Meghan Collins would both walk with two outs to load the bases. Johnson would score on a fielding error for the first run of the game.
With the bases still full, a passed ball would lead to scores by Griffith and Collins. Then Emily Messer would walk and Britany Campbell would single to right field to put the Jags up 4-0.
They would add one more run in the fifth inning as SBC Freshman of the Year Haley Fagan would hit an RBI double to left field with two outs to score Johnson from first base.
UNT’s only hits came in the third inning with a single up the middle and another single to right field to put runners on first and second with two outs. But Beard would get out of the inning by forcing a foul out to the catcher.
The undefeated Jaguars will face the winner of #1 seed Western Kentucky and #3 Seed Louisiana-Lafayette that will get underway at 9am on Saturday. The Championship game will get underway at 3:00pm on Saturday from Troy, Alabama and can be seen on ESPN3.com online and CSS/CST on local cable carriers.
Go Jags!!
Jags Baseball Travel To Lafeyette For Weekend Series Beginning Tonight
The South Alabama Jaguar baseball team will travel to Lafayette, Louisiana for a three-game Sun Belt Conference series against Ragin’ Cajuns.
Jarron Cito, 4-2 on the season with a 5.21 ERA will make his 13th start of the season in the opening game tonight at 6pm. He will face off against Austin Robichaux who is 7-2 on the season with a 2.92 ERA.
The Jags lead the Sun Belt standings with a 37-13 record overall and a 17-7 record in conference play while winning 10 of their last 11 games. They have also won their last five consecutive Sun Belt series and swept their last two conference road series.
ULL is 34-15 on the season and 15-9 in Sun Belt play. They enter the game with a three-game winning streak after sweeping Arkansas State las weekend in Fayafette. They lead the nation in home runs with 57 and have homers in 12 consecutive games.
Hannah Campbell No-Hits #21 ULL At SBC Tournament
Hannah Campbell threw her second no-hitter of her career against #21 Louisiana-Lafeyette on Thursday at the Sun Belt Tournament | usajaguars.com
The South Alabama Jaguar softball team played a thriller on Thursday evening in a rematch of last years championship game. Hannah Campbell threw her second career no-hitter to snap #21 ranked Louisiana-Lafayette’s 23 game winning streak.
The only hit of the game came from the bat of senior outfielder Britany Campbell. She knocked a two-out 2-2 pitch up the middle to score freshman designated player Emily Messer from first base in the top of the eighth inning.
A moment of controversy happened a half inning earlier when ULL led off the bottom of the seventh inning with a double to left center field but was called out at first after failing to touch the base on her trip. ULL head coach Michael Lotief argued with the officials but the call stood and the player was sent back to the dugout.
The win gave the Jags their 43rd win of the season, a new program-record.
Hannah Campbell struck out a season high 13 batters with no walks and no hits. ULL ace Jordan Wallace struck out 10 but she gave up a walk before allowing her only hit to Messer which allowed the only earned run of the game.
The Jags will will play in Game 12 at 5:30pm in the semifinal game. They will face the winner of game 10 of the SBC Championships which start at 12:30 between #4 North Texas and #7 Troy. The winner between the Jags and whomever their opponent is will earn a spot in the SBC Championship Game on Saturday at 3pm.
Go Jags!!