 The University of Alabama baseball team will host the 2004 Alabama Fall Classic this weekend with a three-game, round-robin tournament against three of the top junior college programs in the country.
The three-game exhibition tournament begins Friday, Oct. 22 at 3 p.m. as the Crimson Tide plays host to the Seminole (Okla.) State Trojans, followed by San Jacinto College and Chipola Junior College at 7 p.m.
The three exhibition games will give head coach Jim Wells and his staff an opportunity to evaluate the Crimson Tide one last time before the end of team workouts and being able to make those evaluations against outside competition is a bonus.
"I am looking forward to playing these games against outside competition," Wells said. "We are going to try and get as many players in the game as we can and evaluate them against others teams. Certainly, we want to win all three games, but we also need to look at some players and make some evaluations to see what they can and can not do."
The Alabama lineup for Friday's opener is expected to include senior Zac Welch (1B), senior Allen Rice (2B), freshman Cale Iorg (SS) and junior Evan Bush (3B) in the infield. The outfield is expected to be senior Gabe Scott (LF), sophomore Emeel Salem (CF) and sophomore Michael McCallister (RF). Junior Kody Valverde, a transfer from the University of New Orleans, will be the catcher. The designated hitter will be junior Charlie Lyons or freshman Josh Copeland.
In addition, Wells also expects to use redshirt freshman Matt Bentley (1B), sophomore Greg Paiml (SS), junior Scott Mitchell (OF) and senior Rocky Scelfo (utility) in the three games as well as senior David Ferazza (C) and true freshman Chris Kirkland (C) behind the plate.
On the mound, Alabama is expected to use senior Brent Carter (LHP) in the opener against Seminole. Sophomore Wade LeBlanc (LHP) will get the start against San Jacinto, while junior T.J. Large (RHP) will start on Sunday against Chipola.
Wells said the biggest problem this weekend is trying to get work for the entire pitching staff.
"The problem we face is getting 15 pitchers in the games with not very many innings to work with," Wells said. "I hope I can get everyone the work they need and not just one inning here and there."
In addition to the starters, freshman Casey Kebodeaux (RHP) and junior Trey Shields (RHP) will likely join Carter on Friday. Junior Kenneth Brown (LHP), Copeland (RHP), junior Jordan Davis (RHP), redshirt freshman Doug Denson (RHP), junior Matt Downs (RHP), freshman Austin Hyatt (RHP), sophomore David Laminack (RHP), sophomore Tyler Meigs (RHP), true freshman David Robertson (RHP) will likely see action over the weekend.
Senior Matt Grooms (OF), junior Allen Ponder (RHP) and Brandon Belcher (LHP, OF) are not available this weekend due to injury.
Seminole (Okla.) State College is one of the top junior college programs in the country. SCC posted a 36-27 (.571) record last season and captured the South Central District championship and advanced to the NJCAA World Series. SCC finished third in the national tournament, losing to eventual champion Dixie State College in the semi finals. Seminole lost its first round game of the eight-team double-elimination tournament to San Jacinto, who finished runner up in the NJCAA World Series. SCC is coached by former Trojans pitcher Eric Myers, who holds the school record with 25 career wins on the mound. In three seasons as head coach, Myers has guided the Trojans to a 118-50 (.702) overall mark.
The program was put on the map by Lloyd "Zero" Simmons, who won more than 1,600 games in his 27-year career en route to becoming the winningest coach in junior college baseball history. He coached 41 NJCAA All-Americans and more than 130 of his former players signed professional baseball contracts. Simmons was inducted into the NJCAA Hall of Fame in 1997. SCC currently has eight Major League players, including Los Angeles Dodgers relief ace and Cy Young Award winner, Eric Gagne. Other big leaguers include Ryan Franklin, Shane Halter, Kelly Stinnett, Robert Person, Eric Cyr, Adam LaRoche and Lew Ford. San Jacinto College is the winningest junior college program in the nation. The Gators have won an NJCAA record five national titles (1985, 1986, 1987, 1989 and 1990) and added four runner up finishes and three more semi-final appearances. San Jacinto posted a 41-22 (.650) record last season and lost to Dixie State College in the national championship game of the NJCAA World Series. San Jacinto opened the eight-team double elimination tournament with a win over Seminole State College in first-round action. San Jacinto head coach Tom Arrington begins his fourth season with the Gators. He has compiled an impressive 188-58 (.764) overall record and has led San Jancinto to two NJCAA World Series berths, including a 52-13 record in 2003.
The two most famous San Jacinto baseball alumni are five-time Cy Young Award winner, American League MVP and 300-game winner Roger Clemens and Houston Astros lefty Andy Pettitte. Clemens was 9-2 (.818) as a freshman in 1981 before transferring to the University of Texas. He led the Longhorns to the 1983 National Championship with a pair of wins over Alabama at the College World Series. Pettitte, a native of Baton Rouge, La., was 8-2 (.800) as a freshman in 1991 before signing with the New York Yankees.
Chipola Junior College, located in Marianna, Fla., has a long-standing baseball tradition. Head coach Jeff Johnson begins his seventh season with Chipola and has compiled a 236-96 (.711) record and advanced to the Region VIII state tournament four of the previous six years, with a runner up finish in 2001 and 2002 and a third-place finish in 1998. He led Chipola to the 2001 Panhandle Conference title in 2001. In addition, he has sent 56 former players to four-year schools or professional baseball after their days at Chipola. Johnson has also coached at Marianna (Fla.) High School and Bristol High School and compiled a 152-55 (.734) in eight years at the prep level.
Alabama has benefitted over the years from many former Chipola standouts, including Mike Sander (RHP, 1986), Pete Brown (RHP, 1987-88), Greg Hammond (C, 1989-90), Juan DeBrand (SS, 1991-92), Bernie Bellard (RHP, 1993-94), Anthony DuBose (OF, 1994-95), Tim Young (LHP, 1995-96) and two current players Matt Grooms (OF, 2004-05) and and Rocky Scelfo (INF, 2004-05).
The Alabama Fall Classic will wrap up the Crimson Tide's fall practice session. In addition to this weekend's exhibition tournament, Alabama has held nine intrasquad games over the course of the last three weeks.
The Crimson Tide will resume individual workouts next week and continue through the first week of December.
Following the Christmas break, Alabama is tentatively set to resume individual workouts the first week in January. The first day of team practice is tentatively set for Monday, Jan. 17.
Alabama will open the 2005 season on Thursday, Feb. 10 at the University of Hawai'i. This four-game series in Honolulu will mark this first time the Alabama baseball team has ever played in the state of Hawai'i and the first games for the baseball team off the mainland since playing a Japanese Exhibition tour in 1957.
2004 ALABAMA FALL CLASSIC SCHEDULE Friday, October, 22, 2004
3 PM ALABAMA vs. Seminole
7 PM San Jacinto vs. Chipola
Saturday, October, 23, 2004
1 PM ALABAMA vs. San Jacinto
5 PM Seminole vs. Chipola
Sunday, October, 24, 2004
10 AM San Jacinto vs. Seminole
2 PM ALABAMA vs. Chipola |
