University of Southern Mississippi Athletics
C-USA Play Continues for Baseball At UAB
5/3/2018 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
Stats: Southern Miss -- UAB
TV: None Live Stats: None
Webstream: Friday| Saturday| Sunday
Radio Network: Hattiesburg (WXHB-FM, 96.5; 97.7 and 104.5 HD2), Jackson (WJDX-AM 620), Columbia (WFFF-FM, 96.7), Pascagoula (WPMO-AM 1580), Southern Miss Gameday App (free), Tune In (free)
Pitching Probables (Southern Miss vs. UAB)
Friday: RHP Nick Sandlin, Jr. (6-0, 1.00 ERA) vs. RHP Tanner Graham, Jr. (3-5, 2.70 ERA)
Saturday: LHP Stevie Powers, Jr. (4-1, 3.32 ERA) vs. Ryan Ruggles, Sr. (1-2, 4.57)
Sunday: RHP Walker Powell, (5-2, 3.52 ERA) vs. TBA
HATTIESBURG, Miss. â€" The Southern Miss baseball team goes after its 12th-straight Conference USA series dating back to season when they travel to Birmingham, Ala., this weekend to face UAB at Young Memorial Field.
The Golden Eagles enter the weekend series against the Blazers with a 32-12 overall record and 16-4 league record. Currently a top of the C-USA standings, Southern Miss has outscored its league opponents 159-56. The team also leads the league in batting average (.300), runs (359), hits (462) and RBI (327) in all games this season.
After a two home run game on Tuesday, Luke Reynolds leads both the league and Southern Miss with his .389 batting average. Reynolds has now scored 51 runs off 61 hits while hitting 10 home runs, one behind Matt Wallner who's currently tied for first with the most home runs in conference. The pair lead the way with on base percentage sitting at No. 1 and No. 2 in conference with Reynolds posting a .534 and Wallner .485 on base percentage.
Nick Sandlin will toss the opening game of the series in Friday's 6:30 p.m. contest. Sandlin's impressive 1.00 ERA is the fourth-best ERA in the nation and despite missing one start in the rotation, Sandlin leads the conference in strikeouts with 97.
Stevie Powers will make his 12th start of the season on Saturday's 2 p.m., contest. Powers holds a 4-1 record heading into the weekend and has fanned 65 batters in 62 and 1/3 innings pitched. Sunday's 1 p.m., contest will feature Walker Powell on the mound who after 53 and 2/3 innings pitched has struck out 41 batters and allowed only 22 hits.
UAB had a two-game win streak snapped on Tuesday night after a 7-5 loss to Samford. The Blazers post an 11-10 C-USA record before hosting the Golden Eagles. RS Junior Brett Blackwood leads the Blazers with a .345 batting average and has hit a team-leading six home runs. UAB is set to throw RHP Tanner Graham against Sandlin and LHP Ryan Ruggles against Powers.
UAB is TBA for Sunday's game at this juncture. Under coach Scott Berry, the Golden Eagles are 18-8 against the Blazers. Southern Miss swept UAB last season at home and outscored the Blazers 22-6.
