STARKVILLE, Miss. — South Alabama opens play in the 2013 NCAA Starkville Regional at 2 p.m. Friday, when the second-seeded Jaguars face third-seeded Mercer at Dudy Noble Field on the campus of Mississippi State University.
The Starkville Regional appearance is South Alabama’s first NCAA Tournament trip since 2006 and the 25th in program history.
Pitching Matchup
Senior Anthony Izzio (3-0) will start for the Jaguars. Izzio has won each of his last three outings, one of them a start, and has allowed two runs over his last 19 2/3 innings with 12 strikeouts and two walks.
Mercer (43-16) will counter with Brandon Barker (7-1), who carries a 2.35 ERA. Barker has struck out 78 and walked 26 in 84 1/3 innings, and opponents are batting .251 against him.
Jaguars Enter Ranked
South Alabama enters the regional ranked No. 27 in this week’s Collegiate Baseball poll. The Jaguars are batting .301 as a team with a 4.21 ERA.
Jeff DeBlieux leads the nation with 10 triples. During his current 14-game hitting streak, DeBlieux is batting .407 with four doubles, five triples, two home runs and 11 RBI.
Scouting Mercer
Mercer won the Atlantic Sun Conference regular-season championship with a 20-7 league record. The Bears also bat .301 as a team and have a 4.06 ERA.
Chesny Young leads Mercer with a .394 batting average, 100 hits, three triples and a .453 on-base percentage.
Series History
South Alabama holds a 6-2 advantage over Mercer all-time. The teams last met to open the 2009 season at Eddie Stanky Field, a South Alabama win. Friday’s game will be their first meeting in the postseason.
The Jaguars are 34-48 all-time in NCAA regional play.
How to Follow
The game will be broadcast in the Mobile area on 105.5 FM WNSP and streamed online by the station. It will also be available on ESPN3.com.
