Alabama Preview

Belmont (21-11, 7-2 OVC) vs. No. 24 Alabama (21-12, 7-5 SEC)

Tuesday, April 12 | 3 p.m. CT

SEC Network+ | Bruin Sports Network | Live Stats | Game Notes

Sewell-Thomas Stadium | Tuscaloosa, Alabama

NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- Winners of their first three Ohio Valley Conference series, the Belmont University baseball team travels to Tuscaloosa, Ala., on Tuesday for a midweek matchup with No. 24 Alabama. 

At 21-11, Belmont is out to their best record through 32 games since 2013. 

Tuesday's game will be broadcast on SEC Network+, with Roger Hoover and Lance Cormier on the call. Dr. Rich Tiner will provide live audio play-by-play coverage on the Bruin Sports Network. 

First pitch at Sewell-Thomas Stadium is scheduled for 3 p.m. Tickets can be purchased here. 

What's Bruin 

• Belmont is coming off a series win over Tennessee Tech at home this past weekend 

• The Bruins defeated the Golden Eagles 8-7 on Friday behind a walk-off hit from Tommy Crider, and won Saturday's contest, 4-1. Belmont fell in Sunday's series finale, 8-1 

• Andy Bean was named OVC Co-Pitcher of the Week after tossing eight magnificent innings in Saturday's 4-1 win with seven strikeouts and just one run allowed 

• Belmont is currently tied for 2nd in the OVC with a 7-2 conference mark 

• The Bruins have won each of their first three conference series (2-1 over Austin Peay, 3-0 over Murray State, and 2-1 over Tennessee Tech) 

• Belmont is 0-1 against Top-25 opponents this season. The Bruins fell to No. 4 Vanderbilt at First Horizon Park on March 22, 13-4 

• Tuesday marks the first of nine straight road games for Belmont, their longest stretch of road games this season. 

• Sophomore outfielder Guy Lipscomb is currently 2nd in NCAA Division I for stolen bases (26), and is tied for 2nd in Belmont program history for stolen bases in a single season. Matt Reynolds stole 30 bags in 2005 

• Lipscomb has been the 12th hardest batter to strike out in the country. The Franklin, Tenn., native has struck out just six times in 112 at-bats, good for a ratio of 18.6 at-bats per strikeout 

• As a team, Belmont is 11th in the country in stolen bases (65) 

• Graduate closer Kyle Brennan is currently tied for 1st in NCAA Division I for saves (11) and became the all-time Belmont program record holder for career saves after notching his 27th save in a 6-4 win over Austin Peay on March 27. Brennan currently owns 28 career saves. 

• Freshman right-hander Jordan Zuger will take the ball on the bump for the Bruins on Tuesday. The native of Hendersonville, Tenn., is currently 1-0 with a 4.61 ERA in seven starts this season. 

• Sophomore first baseman Brodey Heaton and junior designated hitter Tommy Crider are currently tied for the team-lead with five home runs each 

• Crider has two two-homer games this year, and Heaton has one two-homer game 

• Belmont is currently 8th in NCAA Division I in fielding percentage (.983) 

• John Behrends is hitting .400 since conference play started and is on a 12-game hitting streak 

• Heaton carries an 18-game on-base streak into Tuesday's game, and Carson Shacklett takes a 17-game on-base streak into the contest 

• Head coach Dave Jarvis recorded his 1,000th career win with an 11-1 victory over Middle Tennessee on Feb. 23 

• Belmont last defeated a top-25 opponent on March 22, 2018, when they defeated No. 8 Vanderbilt, 8-4

About the Crimson Tide 

• Alabama entered the polls for the first time this season on Monday, checking in at No. 24 in D1Baseball's Top-25 rankings 

• The Crimson Tide are coming off a three-game sweep of No. 7 Ole Miss in Oxford this weekend 

• Alabama will send freshman right-hander Ben Hess (1-0, 4.61 ERA) to the mound on Tuesday 

• Alabama has benefitted from outstanding pitching this season, with 318 strikeouts to 98 walks and a 3.93 ERA 

• Their 3.01 walks per nine innings rate is the 13th lowest mark in the country 

• The Crimson Tide are 5-4 in midweek games this season, with losses to UT Martin, North Alabama, UAB, and Southern Miss 

• Alabama is 17-5 at home this year and 4-7 on the road 

Series History 

• Belmont and Alabama have met just once all-time. The Crimson Tide won 18-4 in Tuscaloosa in 2003.  

• Belmont has three SEC opponents on the schedule this season. They lost to No. 4 Vanderbilt on March 22, will face Alabama on Tuesday, and will travel to Tennessee on May 17  

• Belmont is 16-54 against SEC opponents since 1998 (when they joined NCAA Division I) 

• OVC teams are 1-10 against the SEC this year, with the lone win coming when UT Martin beat Alabama, 7-6, on March 1 

Follow Belmont baseball on social media - @BelmontBaseball on Twitter and @belmontbaseball on Instagram - for complete coverage of the Bruins. Stay up to date with all of Belmont's athletic programs via the official app of the Belmont Bruins, available both in the Apple App Store and on Google Play.                      

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