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HUNTSVILLE, Ala. – The University of Alabama in Huntsville baseball team (26-19, 13-8 GSC) wraps up its home and regular season schedule with three games against rival No. 9 North Alabama (35-12, 14-7 GSC) this weekend. The series begins with a doubleheader on Saturday, April 28, with first pitch of game one scheduled for 2 p.m. CT at Charger Park. The series and regular season finale is slated for a 1 p.m. start on Sunday, April 29.
Prior to the start of Sunday's game against North Alabama, the University of Alabama in Huntsville and it's baseball program will honor eight seniors that are playing their final home regular season series wearing the Blue and White. Those eight players include: pitchers Ryan Griffin and David Kendrick, infielders Jon McKinney, Grant DeBruin and Eric Deese, outfielders Ty Chancelor and Mike Love, and catcher Eddie Villalta.
UAH remains just one game back of first place in the GSC standings, but will need some help this weekend as Delta State and North Alabama hold the upper hand entering the weekend, tied atop the standings. Valdosta State, West Alabama and West Florida are also in the mix for the top seed in next week's GSC Tournament. The Chargers hold the tiebreaker over Valdosta State.
The Chargers' enter the weekend having won four of its last five games, including a 2-1 GSC series victory on the road over then-No. 28 Valdosta State. UAH has since defeated non-conference opponents Alabama A&M and Miles by a combined score of 27-2.
After hitting 9-of-20 with two home runs, a double and six RBI in the last five games, Chancelor has been carrying one of the many hot bats in the UAH lineup. DeBruin also hit a home run last week and leads the Chargers' with a .391 batting average on the year. Also hitting over .300 on the year is Justin Riddle, Chancelor, Justin Pearson and Deese.
On the mound, David Kendrick and Drew Eiland lead the Chargers with records of 5-2 and 5-3, respectively. Kendrick has worked 71.0 innings to post an ERA of 3.55, while striking out 36 batters and walking just 11. Eiland carries an ERA of 3.02 into the weekend, working a league-high 83.1 innings and striking out 42. Also notable, the Chargers' pitching staff leads the nation with just 2.16 walks per nine innings.
North Alabama enters the weekend having claimed seven of its last eight games since dropping back-to-back GSC series to Valdosta State and Delta State. The Lions have a team batting average of .298, while averaging 6.4 runs and 8.9 hits per game. The UNA pitching staff carries a 3.60 ERA while allowing opponents to hit just .248. UNA is allowing 4.1 runs and 7.5 hits per game.
Michael Schmidt leads UNA with a .371 batting average, while starting all 47 games this season. Schmidt is the team leader with seven home runs, three triples, 17 doubles and 49 runs scored while posting the second-most RBI (34) on the team. North Alabama is carried on the hill by Chad Boughner (9-2) who carries a 2.71 ERA in 83.0 innings of work, striking out 93 and walking 22 on the year.
UAH and UNA have met 45 times all-time on the diamond, dating back to Chargers' inaugural 1996 season. UAH carries a slim advantage in the series by a margin of 24-21. North Alabama posted a 2-1 series win last season, winning game one 6-4. Game two went to the Chargers, 6-4, and the Lions won the rubber game 8-6 in Florence, Ala. When the teams last met in Huntsville, UAH won the series, 2-1, in 2009. The teams have split the 18 contests in Huntsville, with each team winning nine games.
UAH will next compete in the 2012 GSC Baseball Tournament being held at State Mutual Park in Rome, Ga., home of the Rome Braves. The tournament, which runs from Friday, May 4-Tuesday May 8, begins on Friday morning at 9 a.m. CT, with the championship series scheduled for Tuesday.
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