...in their weekend preview...
http://www.baseballamerica.com/college/w...ril-18-20/
Chasing Wayne
Conference USA looks a whole lot different this year, with seven new members replacing three mainstays who left for the American Athletic Conference. But in one way, the landscape remains the same: everybody is chasing Rice. The Owls (13-5) own a 1.5-game lead over three teams tied for second place: Texas-San Antonio, Southern Miss and Alabama-Birmingham (10-5). This weekend, the Blazers travel to Houston in a big C-USA showdown.
UAB coach Brian Shoop said there is no question that Rice has been the “gold standard” in Conference USA since it joined the league in 2006, but he pointed out that the Blazers have been very competitive with Rice in the last five years, going 8-10 against the Owls during that period. UAB might have its best team of the Shoop era this year; the Blazers (24-13) have already eclipsed last season’s win total (23) and have recorded double-digit conference wins for the first time since 2010. And they have five C-USA series left.
“It was a team that was predicted by most to finish at the bottom of the league,” Shoop said. “We lost three kids in the draft, our best remaining signee broke his ankle. Two of our top four pitchers haven’t thrown a pitch all year, and we’ve still been very competitive. So I’m grateful and proud of them.”
The Blazers have the pitching to be competitive in any series, but last weekend against Southern Miss, the UAB bullpen uncharacteristically coughed up a pair of ninth-inning leads, including a four-run lead in Sunday’s rubber game. Shoop said the Blazers remain confident in their bullpen group, which is led by righthanders Cory Eller (a lower-slot guy) and Adam Lau (a more traditional fastball-slider pitcher), and lefties Turner Lee and Thomas Lowery.
The team’s biggest strength is its weekend rotation. Righthander Chase Mallard (6-0, 0.95) has developed into a true ace as a senior, following three seasons spent mostly in the bullpen. In past years, he was effective against righthanded hitters but struggled against lefties, but this year he has learned how to contain lefties as well thanks to the improvement of his changeup. He works in the 88-92 range, and when his slider is on, it’s very hard to pick up.
“He’s just so mature on the mound; really nothing fazes him,” Shoop said. “How many guys in the country have had a quality start every outing? He’s one of them. He’s been very special.”
Sinkerballer Alex Luna (5-0, 1.56) attacks the bottom of the strike zone and induces loads of ground balls. Heading into last Saturday, he had issued just three walks all season in 46 innings, but he walked five against Southern Miss, and the Blazers need him to be sharper against the Owls. Sunday starter Johnny Lieske (3-1, 2.08) has superb movement on his fastball as well, but his control has been more erratic, as evidenced by his 26 walks in 52 innings. But Shoop said he’s improved as the season has progressed.
Shoop said the Blazers are just “average” offensively, but their three starters give them a chance against anybody—even Rice. Heading into the home stretch, UAB is a legitimate contender for the C-USA crown, though it will need to boost its RPI (No. 81) to have a shot at an at-large bid. Regardless of how it plays out, this season has given the program a shot in the arm.
“I do believe we have taken a significant step,” Shoop said. “Who knows what the next five weeks have in store? But I think we’ll remain competitive and have a good team next year. I feel like we’ve taken a step that’s very hard to take. You just sense that when you watch the kids go about their business. It’s a positive approach, as opposed to a hopeful approach. That’s a hard mountain to climb.”
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No UAB Preview, but BA Provides a UAB Scouting Report
