The UAB Blazers will travel to Auburn for a midweek showdown against the No. 6-ranked Auburn Tigers, who enter the contest riding a six-game winning streak under head coach Butch Thompson. Auburn has been dominant on the mound this season, featuring one of the top pitching staffs in the SEC. The Tigers currently rank third in the conference with a 2.61 ERA, are tied for third in fewest runs allowed (46), and have surrendered just eight home runs all season.
At the plate, Brandon McCraine has been Auburn’s standout hitter, leading the team with a .477 batting average and a 1.147 OPS. Bristol Carter follows closely behind in both categories and tops the roster with 13 stolen bases. Right-hander Andreas Alvarez is expected to start for Auburn, marking his 13th career start and his second appearance against UAB.
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UAB’s John Paul Head earned American Conference Player of the Week honors for Week 4 after an incredible stretch at the plate. Head went 10-for-17 across four games, blasting six home runs while adding three doubles, 10 runs scored, 10 RBIs, two walks, and a stolen base for 31 total bases. He finished the week with an eye-popping 1.824 slugging percentage and a 2.474 OPS. During UAB’s series sweep of Middle Tennessee, Head recorded three hits in each game and made school history by becoming just the fourth player in program history to hit three home runs in a single game — a feat he achieved twice during the weekend. His three-homer performance also ties the American Conference single-game record.
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Head’s power surge makes him the eighth player this season to hit three home runs in a game, and he currently leads the American Conference with 10 homers on the year.
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Alex Dupuy also delivered a huge week for the Blazers. The junior infielder from Natchitoches, Louisiana, collected 10 hits in four games, finishing 10-for-18 with seven runs scored, six RBIs, three home runs, and three doubles. He posted a strong 1.822 OPS during that stretch.
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Freshman catcher Austin Pierzynski impressed in his two starts last week, going 5-for-8 with a triple and scoring two runs.
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Brady Waugh provided one of the weekend’s biggest moments when he crushed a walk-off grand slam in the final game of the Middle Tennessee series, giving UAB a dramatic 16-14 victory. Waugh also hit .353 for the week.
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UAB’s offense erupted during the three-game sweep of Middle Tennessee, belting 13 home runs in the series. The Blazers now lead the American Conference and rank fifth nationally with 34 total home runs this season.
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Sophomore right-hander Brendan Conner is expected to start for UAB, making his second start of the season and the fifth of his collegiate career.
Fans can stay up to date with UAB Baseball by following @UAB_Baseball on X (formerly Twitter) and Instagram for news, highlights, and updates throughout the season.
In today’s evolving college athletics environment, the Competitive Excellence Fund plays a key role in supporting UAB’s mission to build championship programs, graduate student-athletes with distinction, and positively impact the community. Contributions help coaches recruit and develop talented athletes while providing the resources needed for success both on and off the field. Fans and supporters can learn more about supporting the program by connecting with Blazer Boosters and contributing to the fund.
