Alcorn State baseball opens 2011 season against Alabama

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – The Alabama baseball team (0-0, 0-0 SEC) opens the 2011 season with the Tide playing host to the Alcorn State Braves (0-0, 0-0 SWAC) in a three-game weekend series. The two teams will break in a new year at The Joe on Friday at 6:05 p.m. Game two is slated to begin at 2:05 p.m. on Saturday with Sunday's first pitch scheduled for 1:05 p.m.

SATURDAY IS DOUBLE DAY AT ALABAMA
On Saturday, Alabama fans can enjoy two Crimson Tide games for the price of one. The baseball team will host Alcorn State at 2 p.m., followed by a 6 p.m. game between Alabama and Arkansas in men's basketball. Fans can use their men's basketball ticket to gain admittance into both the baseball and basketball games.

SCOUTING THE COMPETITION
Alcorn State is coming off a season that saw the Braves post a 27-28 overall record and finish fifth in the Southwest Athletic Conference (SWAC) with a 15-8 record. ASU returns 20 letter winners, including 14 position players (six starters) and six pitchers (two starters). Alcorn State's season came to an end when they lost 15-2 to Grambling in the championship game of the SWAC Tournament.

Rodney Warren returns for his senior season after leading the Braves with a .392 average a year ago. As a junior, Warren had 69 hits in 176 at-bats, with 15 doubles, six home runs and 47 runs batted in. The Braves return the heart of their lineup, as Eduardo Gonzalez and Kilby Perdomo also return. Gonzalez led the 2010 team with 78 hits and tied Perdomo for the team lead with 54 RBI. Gonzalez posted a .353 average, 16 doubles, a team-best four triples and six dingers. Perdomo was the team's leader in home runs with 10 and runs scored with 61 and finished third on the team with a .348 average.

Other returners, Cole Vicars and Kenneth Rowan hit .317 and .313, respectively, last season. The top returning pitcher for ASU is Steve Easter. The junior posted a 7-4 overall record as a sophomore, which included six complete game performances. He led the team with 81 strikeouts, while his 99.2 innings pitched ranked second most and his 4.96 ERA was third best on the team. Cederic Pomerlee made 15 appearances with 13 starts as a junior and finished the season with a 5-7 record and a 5.45 ERA. Pomerlee had 79 strikeouts in 76.0 innings pitched.

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Preview: Florida A&M vs. Alabama (Men); FAMU vs. Arkansas (Women)

Florida A&M, under the guidance of fourth-year head coach (and former UA assistant coach) Eugene Harris, recorded a 9-22 mark last year and returns eight players from 2009-10, while welcoming a group of newcomers that features five experienced junior college transfers.


When: 7:30 p.m. today
Where: Coleman Coliseum, Tuscaloosa
2009-10 records: FAMU (9-22), UA (17-15)
On the air: TV -- none; Radio -- WXFX-FM 95.1, WACQ-AM 1130, WHBB-AM 1490, WDXX-FM 100.1 (according to Alabama)

Probable FAMU starters: G Rasheem Jenkins (6-1, 185) 7.2 ppg.; G Chris Walker (6-6, 195) 8.1 ppg.; F Larry Jackson (6-6, 215) 8.9 ppg., 6.1 rpg.; F Yannick Crowder (6-8, 215) 8.0 ppg.; F Amin Stevens (6-6, 215) 5.7 ppg.

Probable Alabama starters: G Trevor Releford (6-1, 180) true freshman; G Senario Hillman (6-2, 195) 7.9 ppg.; F Tony Mitchell (6-6, 210) 9.2 ppg.; F Chris Hines (6-8, 227) 3.7 ppg.; F JaMychal Green (6-8, 228) 14.1 ppg., 7.2 rpg.

FAMU's outside chances rest on Alabama's perimeter

TUSCALOOSA -- If Florida A&M is to have an outside shot to upset Alabama in the season opener at Coleman Coliseum tonight at 7:30, the Rattlers probably need to make some outside shots. Crimson Tide coach Anthony Grant wasn't happy with his team's perimeter defense or offense in two exhibition victories.

College and Alabama-Huntsville. That should improve when sharp-shooting senior guard Charvez Davis returns soon from hernia surgery. The Crimson Tide's two opponents combined to sink 13 of 55 shots (.236) from 3-point range. "We got exposed in some areas," Grant said after the double-overtime victory over UAH.

Tide ready for change in fortunes

TUSCALOOSA It is officially the start of a new men’s basketball season for the University of Alabama, and its star player, forward JaMychal Green, says he wants this year to be different. “I want a change,” Green said after Monday night’s exhibition win over UAH. “I want us to win more and go to the NCAA Tournament.

“I think we were very close last year,” Green said. “It came down to us not getting key stops, or making a turnover, or not making a big shot.” Starting with tonight’s game against Florida A&M, the Crimson Tide can begin making that change happen.

Lady Rattlers - Razorbacks open season Today

FAYETTEVILLE - The University of Arkansas women's basketball team opens the 2010-11 season Friday hosting Florida A&M in an 11:30 a.m. contest in Bud Walton Arena. The opener is the first of five consecutive home games for head coach Tom Collen and the Razorbacks.

"Well, we're excited to play," Collen said. "We had an exhibition game last week and saw some things we wanted to work on in practice. We've done that and now it's time to test that and see how far we've come. We are anticipating a great crowd and they are going to see a team that is really hungry and just wants to play."

The unusual start time of 11:30 a.m. accommodates a promotional event in which area elementary students have been invited to the game as a field trip. The event is paired with educational activities relating to health, nutrition and physical fitness.

"This is a really great event," Collen said. "I'm excited to have more than 2,500 screaming fans in the building, many of whom have not seen a basketball game on this level before."

GAME Time: 11/12/2010, 11:25 AM (Central Time)
MEDIA: Pay-for-View, RazorVision - Watch Live!

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NCAA's: Alabama Softball Beats Alcorn State, 9-0

Alabama Softball Beats Alcorn State, 9-0

Tuscaloosa, Ala. - - The Alabama softball team (49-9) opened NCAA postseason play with a convincing 9-0 victory over Alcorn State (24-25) Friday evening in game two of the Tuscaloosa Regional at the Alabama Softball Complex. With the win the Crimson Tide has run off 25 straight victories, tying the third longest winning streak in school history. “We talked about whoever we play, you play your best and respect the opponent by coming out and playing a great game,” UA head coach Pat Murphy said. “I think we did just that. Lauren Sewell did a really good job and Amanda Locke was awesome in the three batters she faced. We scored in every inning and that’s what we do.”

Tide slugs its way past Alcorn State

TUSCALOOSA | Alcorn State coach Kevin Montgomery figured his team's only chance against the University of Alabama softball team would be if the Crimson Tide took his Lady Braves lightly in the first round of the NCAA Tuscaloosa Regional. Fat chance. Alabama (49-9) needed less than an hour-and-a-quarter Friday to send Alcorn State (24-25) to the loser's bracket with a 9-0 victory, shortened to five innings by the mercy rule. The Crimson Tide, the No. 1 overall seed in the tournament, won for the 25th time in a row, extending the nation's longest winning streak.

“We talk about whoever we play — no matter the opponent, the situation, the site — you play your best and you respect the opponent by coming out and playing a great game,” Alabama coach Patrick Murphy said. “I think we did just that. “We scored in every inning. That's kind of like our … what we do. That's how we roll.” Alabama got rolling early against the Lady Braves, scoring two runs in the first inning and adding three in the second and three more in the third.

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Alcorn State will face the University of Alabama-Birmingham in an elimination game Saturday at 4 p.m.

Florida A&M 61, Alabama 52

FAMU scores big comeback win, 61-52

Alabama was on a run that produced a five-point lead over FAMU with eight minutes left in the game, when Qiana Donald summoned the rest of the Rattlers into a huddle. "Once they started taking the lead, I had to call everybody together and let them know this is our game," Donald said. "We couldn't let them walk out with the win." The Crimson Tide didn't, as the Rattlers regained the lead with 6:01 left and completed a stunning comeback for a 61-52 victory Tuesday night at the Lawson Center. It was FAMU's second third victory over a major women's basketball program and its second over a SEC team. This one seemingly was headed the way of a blowout loss to Kentucky just four days ago as the Rattlers (6-3) spotted Alabama (6-5) a 13-point lead early in the first half. During the Alabama run, not even routine plays worked for the Rattlers.

Photo Gallery: FAMU vs Alabama Basketball

Women's Basketball Drops 61-52 Decision at Florida A&M

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. - The women's basketball team fell 61-52 to Florida A&M on Monday at the Al Lawson Center. With the loss, the Crimson Tide drops to 6-5 overall, while the Lady Rattlers up their season standing to 6-3. "You can't go on the road and shoot the way we did tonight," said head coach Wendell Hudson. "We have to step up and make those shots. We did all the things we were supposed to do from a defensive standpoint and all that added up, you would have thought we won the game. Like I've said before though it's hard to win basketball games on the road, and even harder if we can't make shots."

Final Stats

NEXT GAME: Dec. 30, FAMU at Alabama State, 8 p.m.

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