PRINCESS ANNE, Md. - After a summer and over half a school year waiting, the University of Maryland Eastern Shore baseball team will open its 2015 season against the University of Alabama Crimson Tide this weekend. The games will be televised nationally on the SEC Network Plus, ESPN 3 and Watch ESPN for available subscribers.

State of the Hawks

UMES will be seeking to improve on a 13-35 record from last season, and a big step in that goal is the return of 18 letter winners from the previous year. This includes several starting pitchers, such as sophomore Jesse Stinnett (Madison Heights, Va.), who led the team in wins (4), innings pitched (80.1) and strikeouts (49).

On the offensive end, look for returning starters in sophomore Justin Dattilo (Pittsburgh, Pa.) and senior Greg Turlik (Gaithersburg, Md.) to factor both this weekend and throughout the season. Dattilo will be the team's starting catcher coming off his freshman season in which he batted .264 to go along with 25 RBIs, third most on the team. Turlik has power potential with two homeruns registered late in the 2014 season, and is expected to be a middle-of-the-order hitter with 26 RBIs, the most among returning Hawks.

To complement the 18 players returning will be 11 newcomers, a large chunk of whom will assist on the pitching staff. JUCO transfer and junior Tanner Whiteman (Cazenovia, N.Y.) will factor as a starter, while freshmen Scott Bean (Harveys Lake, Pa.), Toby Hoskins (North East, Md.) and Chris Melrath (Rising Sun, Md.) will also fill spots both in the rotation and bullpen.

A second JUCO transfer in sophomore Jordan Martin (Atlanta, Ga.) should be a steady force in the infield for the Hawks, and freshmen Grayson Trower and Jamison Trower (Chesterfield, Va.) will also see playing time as starters.

Freshman Travis Carden (Largo, Fla.) will provide both pitching and outfield help, and fellow freshman Isaiah Chambers (Forestville, Md.) will provide depth in the infield. Sophomore newcomer Dallas Culotta (Princess Anne, Md.) will also be available out of the bullpen.

Hurdles that the Hawks will have to overcome to be successful include adjusting to a first-year head coach in John O'Neil, who takes over after being an assistant for three seasons, and the loss of four players to graduation. Among those four players leaving UMES are Byron Campbell and Stephen Bull, who finished first and second in batting average for the Hawks last year.

Rolling with the Tide

Alabama is coming off a trip to the NCAA regionals last season with an overall record of 37-24, including a 15-14 mark in the SEC. The Crimson Tide is coached by Mitch Gaspard, who is in his sixth season. Currently, D1Baseball.com ranks the team 20th in the nation, while several other polls have them just outside the Top 25.

One of the challenges for the Tide this spring will be the loss of four starting position players and two starting pitchers from a year ago. Their two pitchers, Spencer Turnbull and Justin Kamplain, were both drafted by MLB clubs last June. Turnbull was selected by the Detroit Tigers while Kamplain was picked by the New York Yankees.

Of the players returning for Alabama, junior Mikey White had the highest average from a year ago, with an even .300 clip. White also bashed seven homeruns during the campaign. Fellow junior Georgie Salem is also expected to make a splash as demonstrated by his .282 average last season.

Filling the void on the pitching staff will be senior Taylor Guilbeau, who will start on opening night. Geoffrey Bramblett will also see time in the rotation, going off a 5-2 season with a 3.45 ERA over 47.2 innings pitched. UMES will also see Will Carter in the series, pitching his first season with the Crimson Tide after transferring from junior college.

Series Preview

Game one is set for Friday night at 7:30 p.m. EST, followed by day games on Saturday and Sunday afternoon. The three game set will be played at Hoover Metropolitan Stadium, the temporary home of the Crimson Tide will their on-campus stadium undergoes renovations. Outside of Birmingham, the "Hoover Met" was home to the AA Birmingham Barons for almost twenty years, and was the home diamond of Michael Jordan when he tried his hand at baseball in 1994.

Probable Starters:

Friday: Jesse Stinnett (4-5, 4.26 ERA in 2014) vs. Taylor Guilbeau (1-1, 3.65 ERA in 2014)

Saturday: Jordan Bone (2-1, 6.38 ERA in 2014) vs. Will Carter (1-0, 4.41 ERA in 2014 at JUCO)

Sunday: Tanner Whiteman (4-0, 1.15 ERA in 2014 at JUCO) vs. Geoffrey Bramblett (5-2, 3.40 ERA in 2014)

Fans can follow this weekend's games via the following links:

Alabama Live Stats