Game 26-27 • at SIU-Edwardsville • Edwardsville, Ill.
at SIU Edwardsville (5-15, 0-0 OVC) - Tuesday, March 29, 6 p.m.
Jr. RHP Cory Kyle (2-2, 5.19 ERA) vs. Sr. RHP Spencer Patton (2-2, 1.17 ERA)
at SIU Edwardsville (5-15, 0-0 OVC) - Wednesday, March 30, 3 p.m.
Fr. RHP Cody Woodhouse (0-0, 3.60 ERA) vs. Sr. RHP Josh Malin (1-2, 4.64 ERA)
GAME TIME: ASU travels to SIU-Edwardsville for a two-game midweek series against the Cougars beginning on Tuesday with a 6 p.m. first pitch. The second game of the series will be on Wednesday with a 3 p.m. first pitch.
THE OPPONENT: SIU-Edwardsville stands at 5-15 and have not played an Ohio Valley Conference game yet this season. The Cougars own wins over Oral Roberts (6-2), Chicago State (14-0, 6-5, 7-3) and Valparasio (1-0). Four of their five wins have come at the SimmonsCooper Complex where the squad owns a 4-3 record. As a team, SIUE owns a .253 batting average and a 6.46 ERA.
Devin Caldwell leads the regular starters with a .320 batting average and leads the squad with 24 hits, 15 runs scored and ranks second on the squad with 12 RBI. Zach Hawkins is tied for the lead on the squad with 24 hits while leading the team with 17 RBI.
ASU will face RHP Spencer Patton on Tuesday who owns a 2-2 record in five starts and a 1.17 ERA. He also leads the team with 39 strikeouts and has pitched 30.2 innings, he has also held opponents to a .198 batting average including pitching one complete game and one shutout.
On Wednesday, ASU will face RHP Josh Malin who owns a 1-2 record with a 4.64 ERA and 23 strikeouts which ranks second on the team while leading the squad with 33.0 innings pitched.
THE SERIES: The Red Wolves are 6-5 against SIU Edwardsville in the two school's all-time series, which dates back to the 1978 season.
FAULKNER NAMED POW: Arkansas State sophomore Michael Falkner was named the Sun Belt Conference Baseball Player of the Week for the competition week of March 20-27 announced the league office Monday.
Faulkner went 11-17 from the plate to lead ASU with a .647 batting average and a.882 slugging percentage. He also scored six runs and drove in seven RBI while going 3-3 on stolen base attempts as he helped ASU to a 2-2 record on the week.
Faulkner was perfect at the plate in the first half of ASU's twin bill against Louisiana-Lafayette on Sunday going 4-4 from the plate with three RBI and three runs scored. The week also saw Faulkner's return to the ASU defense after a shoulder injury kept him in a strictly offensive role for the Red Wolves for the past few weeks.
ASU continues action on Tuesday when they travel to Edwardsville, Ill. for a two-game midweek series against SIU Edwardsville. First pitch on Tuesday against the Cougars is set for 6 p.m.
BAUMGARTNER STREAK: Senior outfielder Todd Baumgartner leads the Red Wolves with a 13-game hitting streak which dates back to the Creighton game on March 6. Baumgartner leads the Red Wolves with 36 hits, 51 total bases, 24 runs scored and nine doubles.
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. 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 .395 batting average and 19 RBI while ranking second on the team with 2 hits. Senior outfielder Todd Baumgartner leads the Red Wolves with 36 hits, 24 runs scored, 51 total bases, two home runs and nine doubles while ranking second with a .330 batting average. Senior first baseman Jordan Castaldo ranks third on the squad with a batting average of .316 while ranking third with 25 hits and second with 20 runs scored. Faulkner leads the team with eight stolen bases, while Baumgartner is second with six steals.
PITCHING LEADERS: Todd Baumgartner, Phillip Malatesta and Cody Powell have each maintained 0.00 ERA's for the Red Wolves through a combined 6.1innings pitched. Baumgartner has thrown 4.1 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 2.75 with six starts while Jew sits at 2.39 with two starts. Lee leads the team with 37 strikeouts followed by Ferguson who has 26, Allen has 25 and Jew has 24. Lee also leads the team with 39.1 innings pitched followed by Allen who has 34.0.
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.
