Grueling Road Stretch Continues at UConn

Friday, April 7

Storrs, CT

2:00 PM

University of Memphis

UConn

Photo by: Joe Murphy

Apr 06, 2017 | Baseball

Games Notes vs. UConn

Tigers to face first-place Huskies in three-game league series

MEMPHIS, Tenn. – Memphis continues a stretch of eight games in 10 days with a trip to Storrs, Conn. to face UConn for a three-game weekend series. The Tigers (20-9, 2-1 AAC), who will be playing seven of the last eight on the road, face a Huskies squad that swept the preseason favorites East Carolina to open American Athletic Conference play.

The Tigers are tied for second in the conference after winning a series at Cincinnati, while UConn sits alone in first place.

Memphis dropped a series to the Huskies last season at FedExPark but the last time at J.O. Christian Field the Tigers won the series with a dramatic extra-innings win in the finale.

GAME INFORMATION:
Memphis (20-9) at UConn (16-10)
Date: April 7-9, 2017
Location: Storss, Conn.
Venue: J.O. Christian Field
Twitter Updates: @MemphisBaseball

Friday, April 7 | 2 p.m. CT
Audio: WUMR 91.7 FM
Video: HuskyVision
Live Stats: GameTracker
MEM: So. RHP Alex Hicks (4-1, 3.83 ERA)
UCONN: So. LHP Tim Cate (2-1, 2.35 ERA)

Saturday, April 8 | 1 p.m. CT
Audio: WUMR 91.7 FM
Video: HuskyVision
Live Stats: GameTracker
MEM: Jr. LHP Drew Crosby (4-0, 2.84 ERA)
UCONN: Jr. RHP Wills Montgomerie (4-1, 2.80 ERA)

Sunday, April 9 | 10 a.m. CT
Audio: WUMR 91.7 FM
Video: HuskyVision
Live Stats: GameTracker
MEM: Jr. RHP Connor Alexander (5-1, 3.32 ERA)
UCONN: Fr. LHP Mason Feole (4-0, 2.80 ERA)

Leading Off
• Memphis hits the road for the second-consecutive weekend to start American Athletic Conference play. The Tigers will wrap up a stretch of playing eight games in 10 days, with seven of those on the road.
• Memphis enters the weekend having won six-straight weekend series – over Illinois State, Georgia Southern, Southern Illinois, Missouri State, Southern University and Cincinnati. The Tigers won just three weekend series all of last season.
• The Tigers and Huskies played six times last season, with three coming at FedExPark and the other three in the American Athletic Conference Tournament. UConn won four of the six games, including ending Memphis' season in the tournament semifinals.
• The series win at Cincinnati was the first for Memphis since 2004 and the first for head coach Daron Schoenrock. The Bearcats won the series over Schoenrock's Tigers in 2005 before joining the Big East Conference. The teams reunited in the American Athletic Conference in 2014. The Tigers and Bearcats played two series in 2015 and 2016.
• The Tigers finished off the season sweep of nationally-ranked Ole Miss with a 2-1 walk-off win at AutoZone Park March 21. The sweep of the Rebels is the first since 2013.
• With the loss to Mississippi State March 28, Memphis is 17-17 against teams from the nation's toughest conference, the SEC, over the last five seasons. The Tigers are 3-3 so far this season with two games against Arkansas in April still scheduled.
• As part the Tigers Feb. 24-26 sweep of Illinois State, Memphis rallied from an 11-0 deficit to win 12-11 in extra innings during the second game of the series. The comeback win is the largest in the Daron Schoenrock era of Memphis baseball.
• Senior outfielder Chris Carrier is the reigning American Athletic Conference Hitter of the Week after slugging two doubles and three homers last week. He continued his hot-streak with one double at Belmont and another against Alcorn.
• Memphis had a junior pitcher named to the American Athletic Conference Weekly Honor Roll after the first four weeks of the season. RHP Connor Alexander twice received the recognition after starts against Illinois State and Southern Illinois. RHP Colton Hathcock was honored after recording three saves in a four game stretch and LHP Drew Crosby was recognized after his opening weekend start against Tennessee. Jonathan Bowlan and Andy Bowman were then both named the American Athletic Conference Weekly Honor Roll March 27.
• After the first three weeks of the season, Memphis starting pitching had compiled a 7.16 ERA through 12 starts and 44 innings pitched. The weekend rotation of Alex Hicks, Drew Crosby and Connor Alexander has bounced back though, with six quality starts over the last three weekends.
• Memphis had a record-setting opening weekend against Tennessee at FedExPark. The two teams squared off Sunday Feb. 19 in front of the largest crowd in FedExPark history of 2,188. The three-game series set another facility record, attracting 4,793 fans throughout the weekend.
• Memphis started the season with 15 of its first 16 games at home and the Tigers played five-of-six weekends at home in non-conference play. In all Memphis will play 35 home games, including the two at AutoZone Park.
• More than 70-percent of the Tigers' innings pitched last season were by freshmen and sophomores and all 10 of those players return this season. This year's pitching staff is rounded out by the addition of four incoming freshmen pitchers and two junior college transfers.