Ole Miss third baseman Judd Utermark, left, celebrates a pair of runs scored with Will Furniss during Wednesday's game against North Alabama. | Dylan Cohron, HottyToddy.com

How to Watch No. 15 Ole Miss at No. 18 Alabama in Pivotal Series Opener

7 hours ago

Whatever happens over the next three days, we will look back on them as some of the most impactful games on the postseason outlook.

Two evenly matched teams with dreams of hosting NCAA Regionals and trying to get a first-round bye in the SEC Tournament next week in Hoover, Ala. That’s a recipe for a delicious weekend of baseball.

No. 15 Ole Miss needs the wins more than No. 18 Alabama, though, to reach its postseason goals and stay at home for the first part of the NCAA Tournament.

But the Crimson Tide present a formidable opponent. Here’s everything to know about Thursday night’s series-opening game.

The Opponent: Alabama

The Crimson Tide have stacked three straight 30‑win seasons under Rob Vaughn, including a 41‑18 finish and an NCAA Tournament trip last spring.

This year’s group has been steady again. Alabama enters the final weekend of the regular season at 35‑17 and sits fourth in the SEC with a 16‑11 league record. The formula has been pretty simple: pitch it well and defend at a high level. The Tide have turned 40 double plays, second‑most in the SEC, and their 4.08 ERA ranks inside the top 20 nationally.

The projected rotation is Tyler Fay, Zane Adams and Myles Upchurch, and all three carry ERAs under 4.50. Upchurch has been the most consistent with a 3.43 mark. Fay, the Thursday starter, leads the team with an 8‑3 record and 88 strikeouts, and he threw a complete‑game shutout against Florida in March.

Offensively, Alabama doesn’t lean on one star as much as a lineup full of steady hitters. Brady Neal leads the team with a .341 average. Justin Lebron has a team‑best 13 home runs after earning second‑team All‑America honors last season. Bryce Fowler is the other .300‑plus bat at .310, and he leads the Tide with 15 doubles.

Starting Pitchers

LHP Hunter Elliot vs. RHP Tyler Fay

Elliott: 5-2, 5.12 ERA, 1.45 WHIP, 65 IP, 62 H, 39 R, 37 ER, 32 BB, 88 SO, .252 Opp. BA
Fay: 8-3, 4.48 ERA, 1.06 WHIP, 78.1 IP, 64 H, 40 R, 39 ER, 19 BB, 88 SO, .221 Opp. BA

Weather Forecast

Weather conditions will near ideal for baseball Thursday night in Tuscaloosa. The National Weather Service forecast in the afternoon is “Sunny, with a high near 78. North wind around 5 mph.” Temperatures will drop into the evening into the low 50s and the same north wind and speed.