Head coach Mitch Gaspard said before Alabama’s 9-5 win over South Alabama on Tuesday that a lot of his team’s struggles (10-19, 1-8 Southeastern Conference) have come from an inability to build a winning streak and to take the momentum from a win into the next game.
The Crimson Tide will have a chance to retain momentum going forward this weekend in the Iron Bowl of baseball, as the Auburn Tigers travel to Tuscaloosa for a three-game series beginning Friday night.
Alabama had one of its best offensive performances of the season against the Jaguars. Alabama’s nine-run outburst was the highest run output since a 9-3 win over Arkansas-Pine Bluff on Feb. 26. Senior centerfielder Taylor Dugas and freshman catcher Ben Moore both had three hits against South Alabama, and the two combined for four RBIs and four runs scored.
Alabama also got two-hit performances from James Tullidge and Brett Booth against the Jaguars. The Tide showed an unusual consistency in scoring against the Jaguars, scoring in the third, sixth, seventh and eighth innings, as opposed to having only one offensive explosion, a big reason behind Alabama’s struggles this season.
Alabama will struggle to keep the offensive momentum against the Tigers, who kept the Tide offense subdued in an 8-3 win on March 6. The Tigers were able to keep four Alabama batters without a hit, including some of the Tide’s most consistent hitters, such as shortstop Jared Reaves and leftfielder Hunter Gregory. Alabama was unable to get anything more than a single against the Tigers in the last meeting.
The task will be increasingly difficult against a strong Tiger pitching staff, featuring true freshman Daniel Koger. Koger has started seven games for the Tigers this season, tied for a team-high, and leads the starting pitchers in ERA with a 1.85. Koger has held opponents to a .225 batting average so far this season.
Auburn will also bring Jon Luke Jacobs and Will Kendall to Tuscaloosa this weekend, both of whom have an ERA of under 2.15 and have a perfect 4-0 record this season. Jacobs has held opponents to a .192 batting average, and Kendall has walked only eight batters in 122 at-bats.
