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Arkansas State University

@AStateBaseball Prepares for #10 Ole Miss

Baseball ArkansasState

@AStateBaseball Prepares for #10 Ole Miss

"PRESEASON PITCHES"
Arkansas State Senior first baseman Kyle MacDonald was named the 2019 Sun Belt Preseason Player of the year, after leading the Red Wolves in a number of offensive categories including runs (50), hits (66), homers (15) RBI (50), total bases (127). MacDonald posted a team-high .464 on-base percentage which was the best in the league. His .665 slugging percentage was ranked first in the Sun Belt, 22nd in the nation and seventh best in school history. The Red Wolves were picked fifth in the West Division of the leagues' Coach- es Poll. Coastal Carolina received 12 first place votes to win the East with 72 points. South Alabama was chosen to finish runner-up in the division with 52 points, followed by Troy in third with 48 points. Georgia Southern trailed in 7 fourth (24 points), Georgia State in fifth (24 points) and Appalachian State in sixth (13 points). Louisiana was the favorite to win the West with 11 first-place voted and 71 points, while Texas State followed in second with 55 points. Little Rock was picked third with one first place vote and 48 points. UT Arlington was picked fourth (36 points), Arkansas State fifth (24 points) and ULM sixth (18 points).

"THE MAC"

Arkansas State Senior first baseman Kyle MacDonald was named the 2019 Sun Belt Preseason Player of the year, after leading the Red Wolves in a number of offensive categories including runs (50), hits (66), homers (15) RBI (50), total bases (127). He posted a team-high .464 on-base percentage which was best in the league. His .665 slugging percentage was first in the Sun Belt, 22nd in the nation and seventh best in school history. The Mississauga, Ontario, native played and started in 51 of the teams 52 games, earning Sun Belt Newcomer of the Year honors and second team all-conference honors. He also picked up All-Central Region First Team honors from the American Baseball Coaches Association (ABCA) to become the 12th player at A-State to earn the award. MacDonald was named to 2019 Bobby Bragan Collegiate Slugger Watch List. In 2018, he led the team in multiple-hit games with 20 and multiple-RBI games with 12 ... ended the season with an 11-game on-base streak ... posted season-high four hits in two games at Missouri (March 21) and at ULM (March 24) ... hit two home runs in back-to-back games versus Ole Miss (May 15) and at Little Rock (May 17) ... hit two doubles against Coastal Carolina March 17... recorded eight total bases three times in games at ULM (March 24), versus Ole Miss (May 15), and at Little Rock (May 17) ... knocked in four runs versus Coastal Carolina March 17 and at Georgia State April 7 ... scored a season-best three runs four times and also walked three times in four different games ... was intentionally walked seven times.

"MID WEEK MADNESS"

Arkansas State won the first meeting between the two schools by a score of 7-3 in 1951 with Ole Miss taking the second game by a count of 11-4. The Reb- els went on to win 12 straight until A-State claimed a 9-8 victory in the second of four games during the 1961 season. The Red Wolves swept two meetings during the 1968 season by scores of 2-1 and 7-6 and didn't sweep the Rebels again until 1978 when A-State won two games by the scores of 6-1 and 7-5 with both games being hosted in Blytheville, Ark. Arkansas State swept Ole Miss during the 1988 season by scores of 6-5 and 13-11 and won the only meeting in 1994 9-4 in 10 innings. A-State won both meetings in 2003 (3-2 and 8-5) and won two-of-three games in 2004 with an 11-7 win over the 10th-ranked Rebels in Oxford before a 9-8 loss at No. 7 Ole Miss. A-State took the rubber game 7-6 over No. 6 Ole Miss later in the year. A-State defeated No. 2 Ole Miss in Oxford early in the 2008 season by a score of 7-5. Along with a win over No. 2 Louisiana- Lafayette in 2014, that is the highest ranked opponent A-State has ever defeated. Head coach Tommy Raffo is 3-18 against Ole Miss during his tenure but has defeated the Rebels in each of the last two seasons in Jonesboro. Additionally, five of those losses have come by one run, while another was by two runs.

"TAKE ME BACK"

The Red Wolves are coming off their first series (2-1) victory over Stephen F. Austin for the 2019 campaign. In Saturday's game A-State belted four homeruns in an 11-2 victory over SFA. Tyler Duncan, Kyle MacDonald and Justin Felix had two hits apiece as the team earned 11 hits. Nine different Red Wolves drove in runs on the day in route to win. Sunday, Arkansas State rallied from being down four to defeat the Lumberjacks 7-6. An RBI single by Sky-Lar Culver and a Tyler Duncan RBI fielder's choice brought the Red Wolves within 6-4 at the top of the sixth an a big seventh inning effort helped the Red Wolves take the lead. Junior Zach Jackson was fantastic in his first start for the Red Wolves. Jackson allowed just one unearned run in 5.2 innings, giving up just two hits with 10 strikeouts against one walk. Through three games Zach Johnson leads the Sun Belt in strikeouts.

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