The Alabama State baseball team will open its home Southwestern Athletic Conference schedule this weekend against archrival Alabama A&M.
The Hornets (9-5 overall, 1-2 SWAC) and Bulldogs (2-12, 0-3) will play a doubleheader Saturday beginning at 1 p.m. and a single game Sunday at 1 p.m. at the Wheeler-Watkins Baseball Complex. Saturday's twin bill will be video streamed free of charge at bamastatesports.com/showcase along with live stats. This and every home game Sunday, all kids in attendance will get to run the bases at the conclusion of Sunday's games.
In its last outing, Alabama State again got great pitching but stranded a season-high 14 runners in a 1-0 loss to Jacksonville State Wednesday night.
The Hornets (9-5) stranded at least two runners in the first, second, fourth, fifth, and seventh innings, leaving the bases loaded in the fifth, and runners on base in every inning except the fourth.
“It happens to the best of them; it's part of the game,” head coach
Mervyl Melendez said of the inability to take advance of run-scoring opportunities. “Unfortunately, you will have some games where you will be in position, but not get that timely hit. We just have to move on. It happens in the big leagues, it happens in little league, it happens at every level. We just have to do a better job in those situations. Those hits are going to come.”
The mound combination of
Anthony Ricciardi and
Edgardo Rivera turned in another strong performance for the pitching staff, which will again be key against the Bulldogs.
“You win ball games with pitching and defense; that's the old cliché in baseball,” Melendez said. “But, you also have to score runs, as we saw the other night. It is important for the starting pitching to give us five or six innings, and then get into the bullpen. We're looking for our guys to continue to work hard on the mound, continue to throw strikes, and control the game.”
It's another renewal in the rivalry between the two universities less than 200 miles apart. The Bulldogs have played better than their record indicates and Melendez knows the importance of the series, as the Hornets are currently two games behind division leader Jackson State.
“It is even more important now because of our performance last week,” Melendez said after Alabama State dropped two of three games at Alcorn State last weekend. “We've got to take it one game at a time, and make sure we continue to work extremely hard. It's a case of needing to concentrate and play well each weekend. We have to play well, have good defense, pitch well and swing the bats. I'm looking forward to our guys performing and doing a very good job.”
This weekend is the first of five consecutive weekend series at home for the Hornets, four of those in conference play, along with one non-conference series. Currently in the midst of an eight-game homestand, Alabama State will play 17 of its next 21 games at home, 12 of them conference games.
“Regardless of if whether its conference or non-conference games, we have to play well at home,” Melendez said. “We have to defend our home turf, but especially in conference play. You want to win as many games as you can at home. It is your home field, you're sleeping in your own bed, and you're comfortable. You're not getting on the bus for a long bus rides. You're supposed to play well at home. Playing all those teams at home, and doing well would mean a lot for our confidence and in the standings. The most important game for us is the 1 p.m. game Saturday, and then we'll worry about the other games when the time gets here.”
