Photo by: Sam Craft/Texas A&M Athletics
SERIES PREVIEW: Alabama
Apr 11, 2018 | Baseball
COLLEGE STATION, Texas – The No. 19 Texas A&M Aggies continue their eight-game home stand as they host the Alabama Crimson Tide in a three-game series on Olsen Field at Blue Bell Park beginning Thursday.
The first game of the series will air nationally on ESPNU with Steve Lenox (play-by-play) and Ben McDonald (color analyst) on the call. Every game of the series is available for viewing on WatchESPN or SEC Network +. SEC Network + provides digital-only events to SEC Network subscribers through WatchESPN and the ESPN app on smartphones, computers, tablets and connected devices (Amazon Fire TV and Fire TV Stick, Apple TV, Chromecast, Roku, Xbox 360 and Xbox One). All three games will air on SportsRadio 1150/102.7 The Zone with Dave South on the call.
The Aggies are ranked in the top 25 in the nation in triples (3rd – 14), WHIP (8th – 1.17), ERA (10th – 2.85), walks allowed per nine innings (15th – 3.00), double plays (15th – 32), hits allowed per nine innings (23rd – 7.49) and hits (24th – 331).
Texas A&M is pouncing early in 2018, scoring first in 24 of the 33 games on the season, including scoring in the first inning in 17 games. The Aggies are outscoring opponents 37-3 in the first inning, 64-10 in the first two frames and 88-21 in the first three innings. Texas A&M's pitching staff has not allowed a run in the first inning in the last 14 games.
Mitchell Kilkenny is one of three players in the nation with a 7-0 record through eight weekends.
Michael Helman ranks eighth the nation in hits (48) and 36th in batting average (.393) and Zach DeLoach ranks third in triples (5).
Nolan Hoffman has not allowed a ninth-inning run in 2018, throwing 8.2 scoreless innings, scattering four hits and one walk while striking out 10. For the season, Hoffman is 3-1 with a 0.68 ERA and five saves.
The Aggies are in the final week of a stretch in which they are the first SEC team to play four consecutive Thursday-Friday-Saturday series.
#19 TEXAS A&M AGGIES (24-8, 5-7 SEC) VS. ALABAMA CRIMSON TIDE (21-13, 5-7 SEC)
Olsen Field at Blue Bell Park (6,100) • College Station, Texas
PROBABLE PITCHING MATCHUPS
• THURSDAY: #14 John Doxakis (So., LHP, 5-1, 2.06 ERA) vs. #10 Sam Finnerty (Jr., RHP, 4-1, 3.02 ERA)
• FRIDAY: #34 Mitchell Kilkenny (Jr., RHP, 7-0, 1.49 ERA) vs. #16 Jake Walters (Sr., RHP, 2-3, 4.23 ERA)
• SATURDAY: TBA vs. #21 Garret Rukes (R-Fr., LHP, 1-1, 1.17 ERA)
The first game of the series will air nationally on ESPNU with Steve Lenox (play-by-play) and Ben McDonald (color analyst) on the call. Every game of the series is available for viewing on WatchESPN or SEC Network +. SEC Network + provides digital-only events to SEC Network subscribers through WatchESPN and the ESPN app on smartphones, computers, tablets and connected devices (Amazon Fire TV and Fire TV Stick, Apple TV, Chromecast, Roku, Xbox 360 and Xbox One). All three games will air on SportsRadio 1150/102.7 The Zone with Dave South on the call.
The Aggies are ranked in the top 25 in the nation in triples (3rd – 14), WHIP (8th – 1.17), ERA (10th – 2.85), walks allowed per nine innings (15th – 3.00), double plays (15th – 32), hits allowed per nine innings (23rd – 7.49) and hits (24th – 331).
Texas A&M is pouncing early in 2018, scoring first in 24 of the 33 games on the season, including scoring in the first inning in 17 games. The Aggies are outscoring opponents 37-3 in the first inning, 64-10 in the first two frames and 88-21 in the first three innings. Texas A&M's pitching staff has not allowed a run in the first inning in the last 14 games.
Mitchell Kilkenny is one of three players in the nation with a 7-0 record through eight weekends.
Michael Helman ranks eighth the nation in hits (48) and 36th in batting average (.393) and Zach DeLoach ranks third in triples (5).
Nolan Hoffman has not allowed a ninth-inning run in 2018, throwing 8.2 scoreless innings, scattering four hits and one walk while striking out 10. For the season, Hoffman is 3-1 with a 0.68 ERA and five saves.
The Aggies are in the final week of a stretch in which they are the first SEC team to play four consecutive Thursday-Friday-Saturday series.
#19 TEXAS A&M AGGIES (24-8, 5-7 SEC) VS. ALABAMA CRIMSON TIDE (21-13, 5-7 SEC)
Olsen Field at Blue Bell Park (6,100) • College Station, Texas
PROBABLE PITCHING MATCHUPS
• THURSDAY: #14 John Doxakis (So., LHP, 5-1, 2.06 ERA) vs. #10 Sam Finnerty (Jr., RHP, 4-1, 3.02 ERA)
• FRIDAY: #34 Mitchell Kilkenny (Jr., RHP, 7-0, 1.49 ERA) vs. #16 Jake Walters (Sr., RHP, 2-3, 4.23 ERA)
• SATURDAY: TBA vs. #21 Garret Rukes (R-Fr., LHP, 1-1, 1.17 ERA)
| SCHEDULE | Thursday, 8:02 p.m. • Saturday, 6:32 p.m. • Saturday, 1:02 p.m. |
| TELEVISION | ESPNU (Thursday) • Steven Lenox (play-by-play), Ben McDonald (color analyst) |
| RADIO | SportsRadio 1150/102.7 The Zone • Dave South (play-by-play) |
| LIVE VIDEO | SEC Network + (WatchESPN credentials required through cable provider) |
| LIVE AUDIO | RadioAggieland.com |
| LIVE STATS | tamu.statbroadcast.com (PCs); tamustats.com (mobile devices) |
| RANKINGS | Texas A&M – 19th (NCBWA, USAT), 22nd (BA, D1B); Alabama – unranked For the sake of consistency, Texas A&M uses the USA Today Coaches Poll in releases. |
| SERIES HISTORY | Texas A&M leads series, 12-6 |
Players Mentioned
OF
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LHP
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INF
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RHP
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RHP
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