Nov. 11, 2009

MEMPHIS, Tenn. - Due to inclement weather and an unusual number of position player injuries, the University of Memphis baseball program's annual Garibaldi's Series was postponed until 2010 preseason practice.

In its place, the Tiger's coaching staff created the "Tigers Series"--an 11-session small, late-inning scrimmages designed to put offenses and defenses in "late in the game" situations. The sessions were anywhere from two to five innings long. The series was a best-of-11 series in which the winning team got a letter for each win to spell out the word T-I-G-E-R-S.

The Blue Team jumped out of the gates to a 2-0 lead by winning the first two sessions, but the Gray club responded with wins in seven of the next nine games to win the series, 7-4.

Pitching innings were pre-determined to give the coaching staff an opportunity to evaluate the pitching staff in various settings and roles.

SESSION 11 • FedExPark
Gray 2, Blue 0
The Gray added to it Tigers Series victory with a 2-0 shutout of the Blue team in the 11th and final game. Sophomore Jonathan Jones earned his second-straight win, while senior Ryan Fraser picked up the series' only save. The shutout was the second of the series for the Gray.

Sophomore Drew Martinez led the way offensively, going 2-for-2, while freshman J.D. Wallace wrapped up a solid series with a RBI in the contest.

Michael Will was the losing pitcher for the Blue side.

SESSION 10 • FedExPark
Gray 2, Blue 1
For second-straight game, the Tiger pitching dominated the hitting. However, it was the Gray team that came through with the clutch offense as freshman J.D. Wallace's walk-off double gave the Gray lineup a 2-1 win and sealed the Tigers Series championship. Jonathan Jones picked up the series-clinching win.

With the score tied at 1-all, Marc Ashley led off the ninth with a double, setting up Wallace's game-winner off of Brandon Showmar.

Senior Tyler Huelsing led the Blue offense with a 1-for-2 day.

SESSION 9 • FedExPark
Blue 2, Gray 1
Ben Paullus best Marcus Barnes in a hard-fought pitcher's duel, and Adam McClain connected for a walk-off home run to send the Blue team past the Gray, 2-1, in Game Nine of the Tiger Series at FedExPark. The Blue team's win closed the series gap to 5-4 in favor of the Gray team.

Paullus won his second game of the series after fanning four and allowing just one hit.

SESSION 8 • FedExPark
Gray 3, Blue 0
Fueled by a strong pitching performance by Dane Sharp, the Gray club blanked the Blue, 3-0, to take a two-game lead in the Tiger Series at FedExPark.

Senior Trey Wiedman and freshman J.D. Wallace each had RBI hits, and Jacob Willson added a double for the Gray offense.

Senior Tyler Huelsing and junior Alan Mathis produced the Blue's only two hits of the game. Worth Tate, who won Game One for the Blue, was the losing pitcher.

SESSION 7 • FedExPark
Gray 9, Blue 3
Freshman J.D. Wallace went 2-for-3 with three RBI, and sophomore Jacob Wilson was 2-for-2 with a pair of RBI as the Gray squad took a 4-3 series lead with a 9-3 thumping of the Blue side in Session of the Tigers Series at FedExPark.

The Gray offense gave winning pitcher Marc Ashley plenty of run support, reaching the nine-run plateau for the second time in the series.

Junior Alan Mathis led the Blue team with a hit and an RBI. Chase Joiner was the losing pitcher.

SESSION 6 • FedExPark
Gray 4, Blue 3
For the second time in the series, Trey Wiedman and Jacob Wilson carried the Gray team to victory. This time the duo combined for three hits and two RBI as the Gray pulled even with a close 4-3 win over the Blue in Session Six.

Wiedman went 2-for-3, while Wilson was 1-for-3 with two RBI to aid Jonathan Jones in a winning effort.

Senior Tyler Huelsing continued to pound the Blue team's pitching staff. The Munford, Tenn., native drove in two runs with an eighth-inning double. Ryan Fraser was the losing pitcher.

SESSION 5 • FedExPark
Blue 3, Gray 1
The Blue Team regained the lead in the Tigers Series with a 3-1 triumph in Session Five at FedExPark.

Senior Tyler Huelsing, who had swung a hot bat in each of the first four games, gave the Blue lineup all the offense it needed as he connected for a three-run home run in the eighth inning.

Sophomore Ben Paullus held the Gray offense at bay, limiting the opponents to just one hit. Paullus struck out three in two innings of action.

Michael Wills was tagged with the loss for the Gray squad--his second loss of the series.

SESSION 4 • FedExPark
Gray 4, Blue 1
Phillip Chapman's RBI-double in the ninth tied the game, and senior Trey Wiedman ended it with a walk-off home run as the Gray side evened the Tigers Series at two games apiece with a 4-1 win in Game Four at FedExPark.

Freshman Dan Langfield was the winning pitcher and held the Blue club to on significant hit--an eighth-inning, RBI-single off the bat of Tyler Huelsing.

Wiedman's second homer of the series came off Blue lefty Marcus Barnes, who was touched with the loss.

SESSION 3 • FedExPark
Gray 9, Blue 5
The Gray team got on the board with its first win in the Tigers Series in a 9-5 decision at FedExPark. Sophomore Jacob Wilson led the way for the Gray offense with a 2-for-2 day, while senior Trey Wiedman drove in a pair. Dane Sharp was the winning hurler.

Tyler Huelsing went 2-for-3 with a three RBI and doubles to lead the Blue offense. Freshman Derrick Thomas collected one hit, but drove in two runs and scored twice in a losing effort. Brandon Showmar was tagged with the loss on the mound.

SESSION 2 • FedExPark
Blue 5, Gray 0
The Blue team took a 2-0 advantage in the series behind senior Brennon Martin's three shutout innings. The southpaw allowed just one hit--a single to Marc Ashley--en route to picking up the win. The Blue defense helped Martin's cause, turning a pair of double plays, while the offense got a two-run, bases-loaded double in the first inning from freshman John Jordan.

Jonathan Jones was the losing pitcher for the Gray.

SESSION 1 • FedExPark
Blue 10, Gray 9 (13)
Senior Tyler Huelsing's game-winning, RBI-base hit capped a five-run 13th inning as the Blue outlasted the Gray 10-9 in the opening game of the "Tigers Series" at FedExPark. Sophomore Worth Tate was the winning pitcher for the Blue side.

The game provided offensive fireworks late with senior Trey Wiedman highlighting the top half of the 13th with a run-run bomb.

Michael Wills was tagged with the loss for the Gray squad.

Memphis closed out fall drills with a pair of practices on November 10-11.