Feb. 12, 2008

Each Tuesday and Thursday leading up to UAB's first game of the season with Ball State on Feb. 22, UABsports.com will preview the 2008 Blazers. Today we take a look at the Blazer outfielders and on Thursday, the UAB pitching staff will be the focus of discussion.

The Blazers return a pair of talented and veteran outfielders at the corner positions this season in senior Phil Bell and junior Brint Hardy. Expected to start in center is junior Cody McMurry.

Bell is the team's leading returning hitter having batted .336 with 37 RBI and 17 stolen bases in 2007. Bell also led the team in sacrifice bunts with 10 before going on to play with the Hyannis Mets in the Cape Cod Summer Baseball League, a league that produced 222 selections in the 2007 MLB Draft.

Hardy hit .265 in 2007 and led the team in stolen bases with 18. In two seasons at the collegiate level, Hardy has stole 38 bases and been caught stealing just four times.

McMurry transferred to UAB from Shelton State Community College last season, but was ruled ineligible after the fall semester. McMurry was an Alabama Community College Conference (ACCC) All-Region First Team selection at Shelton State.

Junior Austin Taylor, a transfer from Holmes (Miss.) Community College, is also expected to be in the lineup either as an outfielder or designated hitter. Taylor hit .346 with a combined 50 RBI in his two seasons at Holmes.

"We have four outfielders who we believe are ready going into the season," said UAB head coach Brian Shoop. "Hopefully Phil will be healthy and Cody is a guy that we will look to to replace J.R. (Bond) and hit in the middle of our lineup. Austin is a new guy who had a tremendous offensive fall. He's a good combination guy who doubles and can run, but he still has to learn to defend better."

Others looking to earn time in the outfield will be a pair of freshmen in Bradley Hicks and Danny Volk. Hicks played for Lloyd Skoda at Faith Academy High School in Mobile, Ala., while Volk was an all-conference performer at Tonganoxie High School in Tonganoxie, Kan.

"Bradley and Danny are both great workers and we look forward to watching them continue to develop."