Game 23-25 • Louisiana-Lafayette • Jonesboro, Ark.
vs. Louisiana-Lafayette (10-10, 1-2 SBC) - Friday, March 26, 6 p.m.
Sr. RHP Andy Ferguson (3-1, 3.91 ERA) vs. Sr. LHP Taylor Hubbell (3-2, 2.41 ERA)
vs. Louisiana-Lafayette (10-10, 1-2 SBC) - Saturday, March 27, 3:06 p.m.
Jr. RHP Jacob Lee (1-2, 1.89 ERA) vs. Jr. RHP Jordan Nicholson (1-1, 2.45 ERA)
vs. Louisiana-Lafayette (10-10, 1-2 SBC) - Sunday, March 28, 1 p.m.
Sr. RHP Brad Allen (2-1, 3.48 ERA) vs. Sr. LHP T.J. Geith (1-2, 4.66 ERA)
GAME TIME: ASU will host its first Sun Belt Conference series at Tomlinson Stadium and Kell Field this weekend when the host the Ragin' Cajuns of Louisiana-Lafayette for a three-game set. The series begins on Friday with a 6 p.m. matchup followed by a televised game on Saturday at 3:06 with the getaway game scheduled for Sunday at 1 p.m.
THE OPPONENT: The Ragin' Cajuns are off to a 10-10 start and battled Louisiana-Monroe last weekend to begin conference play at 1-2. ULL just knocked off 11th ranked LSU, 11-5 in midweek action.
Senior shortstop Greg Fontenot leads the team with a .377 batting average while also leading the team in hits with 26 while ranking second with 14 RBI. Junior outfielder Alex Fuselier ranks second with a .302 batting average with 16 hits and leading the team with 17 runs scored. Fuselier leads the team with Jordan Poirrier with two home runs each. Poirrier leads the team with nine doubles and 20 RBI.
The Red Wolves will face two LHP and a RHP in the rotation against the Cajuns. Friday night will feature senior LHP Taylor Hubbell who owns a 3-2 record and a 2.41 ERA. Hubbell leads the team with 30 strikeouts and 37.1 innings pitched and has given up a .245 average to opposing batters. Saturday's starter will be junior RHP Jordan Nicholson who has worked to a 1-1 record and 2.45 ERA. Nicholson has worked 22.0 innings allowing six earned runs while striking out 14 batters and allowing opponents to hit .226 against him. Senior LHP T.J. Geith will start on Sunday for ULL owning a 1-2 record with a 4.66 ERA. Geith has struck out nine and is allowing opposing batters to hit .240 off of him. He has made four appearances, all-starts and pitched one complete game.
Tony Robichaux is in his 17th season as the skipper for ULL owning a 587-392-1 record with the Ragin' Cajuns.
WORLD BASEBALL OUTREACH DAY (SATURDAY): As part of the World Baseball Outreach Day fans that bring old baseball or softball equipment, uniforms, cleats, gloves, etc. to donate to the World Baseball Outreach will receive $3.50 admission at the window per ticket and receive a free t-shirt, while supplies last on Saturday.
THE SERIES: The Ragin' Cajuns lead the all-time series against the Red Wolves 65-32, but the Red Wolves have won nine out of the last 11 meetings between the two squads. The Red Wolves captured the regular season series last season 2-1 with scores of (L-5-13, W-6-2, W-13-9) in Lafayette and picked up a win in the opening round of the SBC tournament 8-6. Tommy Raffo is 5-2 agains the Cajuns all-time.
CONFERENCE HOME OPENER: This will mark the first home Sun Belt Conference series for the Red Wolves. Tommy Raffo is 3-3 in Sun Belt home opening series over his previous two seasons (2-1 over Louisiana-Lafayette, 1-2 versus MTSU).
FAULKNER'S TRIPLE DOUBLES: Sophomore outfielder/DH Michael Faulkner picked up his first three doubles of the season legging out a trio of extra-base hits against Lyon College in midweek action against Lyon College. During that game Faulkner also recorded two RBI and two runs scored while also stealing a base.
BAUMGARTNER INSIDE THE PARK: Senior outfielder Todd Baumgartner recorded a rare feat legging out an inside the park home run against Lyon College. It was Baumgartner's second home run of the season. During that contest Baumgartner went 2-4 from the plate with four RBI and two runs scored.
CONFERENCE OPENER: ASU picked up an 11-5 win in its Sun Belt Conference opener against UALR. The Trojans picked up a pair of wins on Saturday and Sunday both wins coming on walk-off singles in the ninth inning to take the series, 1-2.
CASTALDO STREAK: Senior first baseman Jordan Castaldo's hitting streak came to an end against Austin Peay but not before he extended it to 24-games which puts him alone in second-place on the all-time leader board behind Kevin Tate who had the longest hitting streak in school history with a 28-game streak in 1991.
BAUMGARTNER GOES 5-5: Senior outfielder Todd Baumgartner went 5-5 against Austin Peay in Friday night's action including picking up two doubles, four runs scored and an RBI.
SEASON SWEEP: With its 5-1 win over Murray State a couple of weeks ago, the Red Wolves completed a season-sweep of the Thoroughbreds. Earlier this season ASU picked up an 8-4 win at Tomlinson Stadium over Murray earlier this season.
BATTING LEADERS: Sophomore outfielder Ryan Emery leads the team with a .403 batting average and 14 RBI while ranking second on the team with 27 hits. Senior outfielder Todd Baumgartner leads the Red Wolves with 31 hits, 22 runs scored, 42 total bases and two home runs while also is tied for the lead with seven doubles and is third with a .326 batting average. Senior first baseman Jordan Castaldo ranks second on the squad with a batting average of .333 while ranking third with 22 hits and second with 19 runs scored and third with 22 hits. Castaldo is tied with Baumgartner for the lead with seven doubles on the squad and ranks third with 32 total bases. Baumgartner and Faulkner lead the squad with six stolen bases each.
PITCHING LEADERS: Todd Baumgartner, Phillip Malatesta and Cody Powell have each maintained 0.00 ERA's for the Red Wolves through a combined 5.2 innings pitched. Baumgartner has thrown 3.2 innings while allowing only four hits and no earned runs. Jacob Lee and Sam Jew have the lowest ERAs of regular starters Lee sits at 1.89 with five starts while Jew sits at 1.93 with two starts. Lee leads the team with 31 strikeouts followed by Ferguson who has 23 and Jew and Kyle who have 22 each. Lee also leads the team in innings pitched with 33.1 followed by Brad Allen who has pitched 31.0.
LEE PRESEASON SBC PITCHER OF THE YEAR: Arkansas State junior starting pitcher Jacob Lee was named the Sun Belt Conference Preseason Pitcher of the Year announced the league last week. Lee also earned a Preseason All-Conference nod.
Lee is the top returning pitcher for the Red Wolves from last season whose pitching staff ranked third in the Sun Belt Conference. Lee had a team-best 3.80 ERA and worked to a 8-3 record including 92.1 innings pitched. Lee struck out a team-best 83 batters and held opponents to a .246 batting average. He owned a 6-2 record in league play and helped the Red Wolves to a 12-2 victory against Troy in the 2010 Sun Belt Conference tournament for which he earned all-tournament honors.
BAUMGARTNER EARNS ALL-CONFERENCE NOD: Senior outfielder Todd Baumgartner was named to the Sun Belt Conference preseason all-conference team. Baumgartner has one of the top returning bats for the Red Wolves and was a 2010 All-Sun Belt Conference selection. Last season, Baumgartner ranked second on the team with 42 RBI and had a .336 batting average. He also had 74 hits, 49 runs scored and 10 stolen bases. In the field, he was nearly perfect committing just one error in 112 chances for a .991 fielding percentage.
BASEBALL AMERICA ALL-SBC PRESEASON: Sophomore outfielder and junior RHP Jacob Lee earned preseason all-SBC honors by Baseball America. The Red Wolves were tabbed to finish sixth in the standings while Faulkner was called the best leadoff hitter in the league by Baseball America and Lee was tabbed as the second best pro prospect in the conference.
TOP RETURNERS: Although the Red Wolves lost its top bat from last year to the Kansas City Royals organization, ASU returns three of its top four batters from last year. Senior infielder Jordan Castaldo has ASU's top returning bat with a .363 batting average from last season. Castaldo had 74 hits with 30 runs scored and 39 RBI. Castaldo led ASU with 20 doubles and two home runs.
Todd Baumgartner was named preseason all-conference and ranks second among ASU returners with a .336 batting average with 84 hits, 49 runs scored and 10 stolen bases. He also was nearly perfect in the field with a .991 fielding percentage.
Michael Faulkner earned all-tournament honors last season after posting a .336 batting average which ranks second among returners and was third last year as a true freshman in 2010. Faulkner has 23 stolen bases last year and 55 runs scored on 81 hits. He also had 25 RBI.
On the hill, ASU gets a pair of hot starters back in senior Andy Ferguson and junior Jacob Lee, who was named SBC Preseason Pitcher of the Year. Ferguson started in 15 games for the Red Wolves and made 16 appearances overall as the Red Wolves usual Friday night starter, he led the Red Wolves starters with 101.1 innings pitched surrendering just 118 hits and 53 earned runs for a 4.71 ERA and is one of the Red Wolves top returning pitchers from last year. He pitched one complete game and shared a shutout. Walked just 30 batters on the year and held opposing batters to just .291 batting average while recording 74 strikeouts
DICKINSON NAMED ASSISTANT COACH: Dickinson brings 10 years of coaching experience to the Red Wolves including four years at the Division I level working as a pitching coach at the University of Washington. During his career, Dickinson has worked with numerous Major League Baseball prospects including 2010 MLB All-Stars Tim Lincecum, John Lester and Evan Meek.
Overall, Dickinson coached 13 drafted pitchers including a first and second round pick while at Washington. Dickinson served as an assistant coach at Montesano High School in 2009-10 where he led the squad to a 21-4 first-place league finish and an appearance in the state playoffs.
Prior to his appointment at Washington, Dickinson served as head coach at Edmonds Community College where he led the squad to a third-place finish in the NWAACC Tournament and a 75-16 record as head coach, including a 40-8 conference mark.
Dickinson also served as head coach at Skyline High School in Issaquah in 2003, guiding the team to a 14-7 overall mark and a 13-5 conference record. He also served as pitching coach at Edmonds CC in 2000 and 2001.
Aside from his work at Edmonds and Skyline, Dickinson has also served as pitching coach at Taylor Baseball, a top youth summer program, since 2001. Taylor took third place in the national AAU tournament in 2001 and in 2002, finished second at the USA Baseball Federation national tournament. During the 2005 summer season, Taylor finished second at the USABF World Series and completed the season with a 59-7-1 record.
A native of Aberdeen, Wash., Dickinson graduated from Montesano High in 1994. After one year at Green River CC, he played three seasons of college baseball as a pitcher at Alabama-Birmingham, lettering in 1996, 1997 and 1998. In 1999, he earned a bachelor's degree in secondary education from UAB.
