BLUE MOUNTAIN, Miss. - After beginning the 2023 season unranked in the NAIA, the University of Mobile Baseball team has grabbed the attention of voters and made the biggest jump in the division, climbing into the top 10 in the first regular season poll of the year. Now ranked No. 8 in the country, Mobile traveled north for a big three-game conference series against Blue Mountain Christian University (Miss.) over the weekend, starting on Friday evening, Mar. 10 with one game, and ending the series with a doubleheader on Saturday, Mar. 11.
With Blue Mountain trying begin the series with a win over Mobile on Friday, the Rams managed to take the lead in the final inning and steal the series opener with an 8-7 victory. The following day, the Rams took game one of the Saturday doubleheader with ease, claiming a 10-4 win in seven innings. In the series finale later that afternoon, Mobile once again used a ninth-inning comeback to claim a 13-11 win and sweep the Toppers in all three games on the weekend to improve to 20-2 overall on the season. In conference play, the Rams remain undefeated with a 6-0 SSAC record.
Game One Highlights - (8) Mobile 8, Blue Mountain 7
- The Rams tallied one run in each of the first three innings, while Blue Mountain led 5-3 after the first three frames. Blue Mountain eventually added a run in the fourth.
- Mobile later scored three runs across the fifth and sixth innings, tying the game at six runs a piece.
- In the bottom of the seventh, Blue Mountain scored a go-ahead run and carried the one-run lead to the final inning.
- Down to their final three outs, the Mobile offense rallied and pushed across two runs off Blue Mountain mistakes to take the lead in the ninth.
- Tucker Musgrove, Mobile's starting center fielder, then shut down the Blue Mountain offense in the bottom half of the ninth to close out the game and give Mobile the win.
- Musgrove's save is his team-leading fourth of the year, while reliever and starting right fielder Trevor Andrews earned the win on the mound to improve to 3-0.
- Offensively, Jackson Breal led Mobile with three hits, while Musgrove, Trevor Wells, and Sam Bowman tallied two hits in the win.
- Five Rams recorded one RBI each in the series opener, with Mobile out-hitting the Toppers, 13-9.
- Blue Mountain committed five errors in the losing effort.
Game Two Highlights - (8) Mobile 10, Blue Mountain 4 (7 Innings)
- In game two, the Rams scored in all but two of the seven innings played.
- After a 2-2 tie through the first three innings, the Rams took the lead with a two-run fourth, later scoring three in the sixth and two in the seventh.
- Blue Mountain's offense only mustered four runs in the game, with one run being scored from innings two through six.
- Mobile starting pitcher Stephen Poche' pitched into the sixth inning, finishing with a line of 5.2 IP, 8 H, 3 ER, K, BB.
- Starting left fielder Trevor Wells relieved Poche' in the sixth, finishing the game with 1 1/3 hitless innings of work and earning the save.
- Sam Bowman led Mobile with a 3-for-4 line at the plate, while Thomas James collected two hits and two RBIs. Mobile tallied 12 hits in the win.
Game Three Highlights - (8) Mobile 13, Blue Mountain 11
- Looking for a series sweep over Blue Mountain, Trevor Wells blasted his seventh home run of the year to open the game in the top of the first and put Mobile up, 2-0. However, Blue Mountain answered with a five-run first in the bottom half.
- The two teams traded runs in the fourth, with the Toppers later adding three runs in the fifth.
- Later in the top of the seventh, the Rams scored three runs of their own to cut the Blue Mountain led to just one run at 10-9.
- Trailing by one run in the final inning, Mobile's bats caught fire with a four-run ninth inning to take the lead. Blue Mountain managed to get a run back in the bottom half of the ninth, but fell short as the Rams earned another comeback win for the series sweep.
- Trevor Andrews picked up his second win on the mound in the series, while Tucker Musgrove grabbed his fifth save of the year. Both players combined for 3 2/3 innings of work after starting the game in the outfield.
- Five Rams collected two RBIs each in the high-scoring game, with Trevor Wells leading Mobile with three hits. Tucker Musgrove, Sam Bowman, and Sean Mason all notched two hits.
- Mobile outhit Blue Mountain, 14-13.
Series Summary
In the three-game road series for Mobile, the Rams pushed across 31 runs off 39 hits in 25 total innings against Blue Mountain. Mobile's offense continues to play lights out with the bats this year, with the team hitting .362 as a unit in 22 games. 214 runs have come in to score through Mobile's 22 games, collecting 24 team home runs.
On the mound, Mobile allowed 22 Blue Mountain runs and has seen the team ERA surpass five after the weekend. However, Mobile's bats picked up the pitching for the sweep. The three-game sweep over Blue Mountain improves Mobile's win streak to 10 games on the season.
Massive Non-Conference Weekend Next Week
No. 8 Mobile is scheduled to play arguably the toughest competition of the season next weekend, traveling to Lawrenceville, Ga. for three total games against two top-five teams in the NAIA. Mobile will face No. 2 Tennessee Wesleyan for two games across Mar. 17-18, while facing No. 5 Georgia Gwinnett College for one game on Mar. 17.
Mobile kicks off action with next weekend with a 1:00 p.m. CT game against Tennessee Wesleyan on Friday. Across all three competing programs next weekend, the teams have combined for just five losses during the 2023 season.
About the University of Mobile
The University of Mobile is a Christ-centered liberal arts and sciences institution with a vision of higher education for a higher purpose, founded to honor God by equipping students for their future professions through rigorous academic preparation and spiritual transformation. Core values are: Christ-Centered, Academically-Focused, Student-Devoted and Distinctively-Driven. The university offers on-campus and online bachelor's, master's and doctoral degrees in over 75 academic programs. Founded in 1961, the University of Mobile is affiliated with the Alabama Baptist State Convention and is located 10 miles north of Mobile, Alabama on a campus of over 880 acres.
For information about the University of Mobile, areas of study, admissions and more, visit umobile.edu, connect with UM on social media @univofmobile, or call Enrollment Services at 1.800.WIN.RAMS or 251.442.2222.
