Alabama-Wake Forest Super Regional Preview

The Alabama Crimson Tide will travel to Winston-Salem NC to take on number one Wake Forest in Super Regional play on this Saturday, Sunday, and if needed Monday. The only game with a set starting time is game one on Saturday at 11 am CT and will be shown on ESPN. Play-by-play will be handles by Mike Ferrin with color commentary by former Marlin and Pirate Gaby Sanchez.

This best-of-three series will be quite a test for the resilient Tide. After being severely under seeded at 16, Bama is now tasked with taking on the most complete team in the country. Alabama won their Regional in three games, two in comeback nail-biting fashion followed by an 8-0 win in the championship game. Wake Forest breezed through their Regional in three games, outscoring their opponents 48-7.

A look at team numbers for Wake are actually quite scary, so here they are.

Wake Forest 50-10, 22-7 ACC, 3-0 ACC Tournament, 3-0 Regional

Offense:

• Runs: 2067
• Hits: 637
• Doubles: 125
• Triples: 7
• Home Runs; 117
• RBI: 508
• Total Bases: 1127
• Slugging %: .545
• Walks: 395
• Strikeouts: 445
• HBP: 81
• OBP%: .433
• Sac Bunts: 21
• Stolen Bases: 42-44 (95% success rate!)

Pitching and Defense:

• ERA: 2.78
• Shutouts: 10
• Saves: 18
• Innings Pitched: 527
• Hits Allowed: 385
• Walks: 163
• Strikeouts: 709
• Doubles Allowed: 60
• Triples Allowed: 2
• Home Runs Allowed: 55
• Wild Pitches: 31
• Hit Batters: 61
• Batting Average Against: .202
• Fielding Percentage: .979
• Errors: 44
• Double Plays Turned: 43

Individual Leaders:

Hitting:

• Nick Kurtz .384 average, 73 runs, 66 hits, 10 doubles, 23 home runs, 67 RBI, .843 slugging %, 59 walks, .552 OBP
• Pierce Bennett .357 average, 76 hits, 56 runs, 18 doubles, seven home runs, .540 slugging,.435 OBP
• Brock Wilken .353 average, 76 hits, 82 runs. 14 doubles, 1 triples, 27 home runs, 77 RBI, .805 slugging, .517 OBP
• Tommy Hawke .352 average, 86 hits, 69 runs. 18 doubles. .496 slugging, 13-14 stolen bases, .466 OBP
• Justin Johnson .340 average, 73 hits, 15 doubles, three triples, 15 home runs, 74 RBI, .647 slugging, .439 OBP

Pitching Leaders:

Photo by Nicholas Faulkner/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

• Rhett Lowder 14-0, 16 games, 16 starts, 1.77 ERA, 101.2 IP, 75 hits, 20 walks, 125 strikeouts, 16 doubles allowed, seven home runs allowed, .207 batting average against
• Seth Keened 7-1, 21 games, seven starts, 2.23 ERA, 64.2 IP, 37 hits, 16 walks, 86 strikeouts, three home runs allowed, .167 batting average against
• Josh Hartle 10-2, 16 games, 15 starts, 2.59 ERA, 90.1 IP, 80 hits, 19 walks, 120 strikeouts, eight home runs allowed, .236 batting average against
• Sean Sullivan 5-3, 14 games, 10 starts, 2.61 ERA, 62 IP, 37 hits, 18 walks, 101 strikeouts, seven home runs allowed, .168 batting average against
• Cole Roland 2-1, 2 saves, 1.88 ERA, 28.2 IP, 14 hits, 12 walks, 49 strikeouts, three home runs allowed, .141 batting average against
• Michael Massey 3-0, 24 games, 1 start, 2.65 ERA, 37.1 IP. 21 hits, 14 walks, 69 strikeouts, six home runs allowed, .165 batting average against
• Camden Minacci 0-1, 12 saves, 2.83 ERA, 28.2 IP, 24 hits, 10 walks, 44 strikeouts, three home runs allowed, .220 batting average against
• Reed Mascolo 7-1, 14 games, 11 starts, 3.96 ERA, 50 IP, 49 hits, 12 walks, 44 strikeouts, 10 home runs allowed, .255 batting average against

It is hard to find a weakness in the Demon Deacons team. They have the best pitching staff in the country, they hit for average up and down the lineup, have double digit home runs from five players, and although they don't run much, they are almost always successful.

Alabama 43-19, 16-14 SEC, 2-2 SEC Tournament, 3-0 Tuscaloosa Regional

Offense

• Batting Average .295
• Runs: 479
• Hits: 618
• Doubles: 99
• Triples: 12
• Home Runs; 105
• RBI: 446
• Total Bases: 1056
• Slugging %: .504
• Walks: 337
• Hit By Pitch: 77
• Strikeouts: 446
• OBP: 406
• Stolen Bases: 47-65
• Sac Bunts: 21
• Sac Flies: 33

Pitching and Defense:

• ERA 3.96
• Shut Outs: 7
• Saves: 15
• Innings Pitched: 538.2
• Hits Allowed: 454
• Walks: 227
• Hit Batters: 55
• Strikeouts: 573
• Doubles Allowed: 67
• Triples Allowed: 2
• Home Runs Allowed: 70
• Wild Pitches: 52
• Batting Average Against: .229
• Fielding Percentage: .978
• Errors: 47
• Double Plays Turned: 38

Individual Leaders:

Hitting:

• Tommy Seidl .358 average, 68 hits, 53 runs, 11 doubles, nine home runs, 44 RBI, .558 slugging, .462 OBP, 8-12 stolen bases
• Andrew Pinckney .347 average, 78 hits, 54 runs, 12 doubles, three triples, 17 home runs, 56 RBI, .653 slugging, 40 walks, .451 OBP, 8-9 stolen bases, six outfield assists
• Ed Johnson .325 average, 63 hits, eight doubles, six home runs, 42 RBI, .469 slugging, .434 OBP
• Drew Williamson .310 average, 71 hits, 15 home runs, 59 RBI, .533 slugging. 42 walks, .419 OBP
• Colby Shelton .291 average, 57 hits, 10 doubles, one triple, 22 home runs, 47 RBI, .689 slugging, .415 OBP
• Dominic Tamez .287 average, 10 doubles, one triple, five home runs, 35 RBI, .449 slugging, .374 OBP

Pitching Leaders:

• Luke Holman 7-3, 15 games, 14 starts, 3.46 ERA, 75.1 innings pitched, 48 hits, 31 walks, 79 strikeouts, 11 home runs allowed, .180 batting average against
• Jacob McNairy 7-2, 16 games, 16 starts, 3.68 ERA. 78.1 innings pitched, 79 hits, 21 walks, 83 strikeouts, six home runs allowed, .262 batting average against
• Garrett McMillian 4-2, 10 games, nine starts, 4.89 ERA, 42.1 innings pitched, 38 hits, 17 walks, 36 strikeouts, seven home runs allowed .242 batting average against
• Hunter Hoopes 2-1, eight games, 1.59 ERA, 11.1 innings pitched, eight hits, five walks, 10 strikeouts, .216 batting average against
• Hagan Banks 1-1, 16 games, two starts, 3.48 ERA, 33.2 innings pitched, 22 hits, seven walks, 37 strikeouts, seven home runs allowed, .180 batting average against
• Riley Quick 1-1, two saves, 15 games, 21.1 innings pitched, 29 hits, 20 walks, 26 strikeouts, one home run allowed, .241 average against
• Alton Davis II 1-2, eight saves, 24 games, 32.2 innings pitched, 30 hits, 11 walks, 32 strikeouts, four home runs allowed, .248 batting average against
• Kade Woods 4-1, 16 games, one start, 4.71 ERA, 28.2 innings pitched, 21 hits, 14 walks, 38 strikeouts, six home runs allowed, .208 batting average against
• Hunter Furtado 1-1, 16 games, two starts, 4.59 ERA, 33.1 innings pitched, 30 hits, 14 walks, 33 strikeouts, two home runs allowed, .250 batting average against
• Aidan Moza 3-1, 13 games, 3.43 ERA, 21 innings pitched, 17 hits, nine walks, 21 strikeouts, two home runs allowed, .227 batting average against

The Tide has a well-rounded team in all three aspects. Bama led the SEC in several pitching categories including ERA while the offense was third in the league in batting average, and the top half of the league power numbers. Alabama will have to play at an elite level through the series to earn their way to Omaha. But don't count the Tide out - they have proven time and time again they can play with the best teams in the country. By starting the series on Saturday, the teams’ beat up players, namely Tommy Seidl and Caden Rose, will have more time to get closer to 100%.

Photo by Andy Mead/YCJ/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

The ballpark, David F Couch Ballpark, known as “The Couch” is an unusual ball park with several unique qualities. The field is fully synthetic, with no grass or dirt in sight. The outfield wall has several nooks and crannies and juts out in places. One reason for the Deacons big power numbers can be found in the 310 feet down the left field line and just 300 feet to right field. These measurements make the numbers that Wake’s pitching staff have put up even more impressive. The park, built in 1956, has a capacity of 3,823.

This will be a tough test for the Tide, but they have just the mentality to pull it off!

Roll Tide

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