Arkansas State (16-9) at Ole Miss (21-4
Dates: March 27, 2013
First Pitch: Wednesday, 6:30 p.m.
Location: Oxford, Miss.
Stadium: Swayze Field (10,323)
Radio: East Arkansas Broadcasters
95.3 FM The Ticket
970 AM KNEA
Radio Talent: Matt Stolz
SERIES
ASU vs Ole Miss.: 23-76 (ASU Trails)
Raffo Record vs Ole Miss: 1-7
Last Meeting: May 15, 2012 (10-5 ASU)
Current Streak: ASU 1 Win
MULTIMEDIA
Online Audio: AStateRedWolves.com
Live Stats: AStateRedWolves.com
LEADING OFF: Arkansas State will travel to Oxford, Miss., for a midweek series with the Ole Miss Rebels at Swayze Field. The Red Wolves enter the game having won seven out of their last 10 games but recently dropped two of three games against SBC opponent Florida Atlantic. Cody Woodhouse will make his third consecutive start during the midweek for ASU. He has not factored in a decision this year, but has a 1.23 ERA and struck out a career-high seven in his last outing. The Rebels will start right-hander Josh Laxer on Wednesday. The sophomore is 2-0 on th year with a 2.14 ERA. Arkansas State ranks among the nation's leaders in several statistical categories. The Red Wolves lead the nation in strikeouts per nine innings, averaging 9.8 per game. The squad also ranks third in sacrifice bunts with a total of 35 already this season. The Red Wolve also rank sixth in walks, having accumulated 137 base on ball already this season.
THE TEAMS: A-State won in dramatic fashion on Saturday when Alex Potts recorded his fourth career walk-off with a solo home run in the bottom of the 10th inning to lift ASU to a 3-2 victory. ASU is now 16-9 overall on the year and 4-2 in Sun Belt Conference play.
Ole Miss enters with a record of 21-4, but have lost two in a row after dropping a pair of games to Texas A&M in SEC play. Rebels pitcher Bobby Wahl was named as a Collegiate Baseball and Perfect Game Preseason All-American.
ASU/OLE MISS SERIES HISTORY
• This will be the 100th meeting all-time between ASU and Ole Miss.
• The Red Wolves are 23-76 all-time against the Rebels.
• ASU split a pair of games with the Rebels last season, losing 8-1 in Oxford but then defeated Ole Miss 10-5 on May 15 when then team was ranked No. 22.
• The series dates back to 1951.
SCOUTING THE REBELS
• Ole Miss is 21-4 on the season, but three of its four losses have come at home this season.
• The Rebels have lost just one midweek game this season, a 4-3 loss against Memphis on Feb. 26.
• Ole Miss has scored an average of 6.36 runs per game, while allowing opponents to score just .24 runs per contest.
• The Rebels are fourth in the SEC with a team batting average of .297.
• Austin Anderson is the nation's toughest strikeout in the nation. The junior infielder averages 47.5 at-bats per strikeout.
• Junior pitcher Bobby Wahl is tied for first in the nation in win's with six.
• Ole Miss ranks 25th in the nation with 251 hits on the year.
SEC ROAD WIN
• A-State's 10-3 victory at Missouri on Match 19 was its first road victory versus and SEC school since 2008.
• The last road victory was a 7-5 victory over then No. 2 Ole Miss.
MR. CLUTCH
• Alex Potts delivered the fourth walk-off hit of his career with a solo home run on March 23 that gave A-State a 3-2 victory over FAU.
• It was his second walk-off hit this season after he had a single in the bottom of the 11th inning on March 8 to give ASU a 2-1 victory over UAB.
• It was the third walk-off single of Pott's career. He recorded two walk-off singles during his junior season.
• The first was a walk-off single in the bottom of the 10th inning against UALR on March 17, 2012 to give ASU a 3-2 win.
• The second was a walk-off single in the bottom of the ninth against South Alabama to give ASU 1-0 on May 6, 2011.
WRIGHT TIES CARRER HIGH
• Senior right-hander Daniel Wright tied a career-high with nine strikeouts against FAU on March 23.
• He also tossed a season-high 130 pitches in the game.
ROCKIN' ROBERTS
• Senior catcher Ryan Roberts enjoyed one of the best weeks of his career this past week. He went 10-for-20 with five RBIs, three doubles and a .500 batting percentage.
• Roberts had a career-high four hits and two doubles against FAU on March 24. He also had a career best six total bases in the game.
SPLITTING DOUBLEHEADERS
• ASU has played in four doubleheaders this season and has earned a split in each one.
• Only one of the twinbills has been scheduled, with the other three coming because of weather.
POTTS MAKING HISTORY
• Second basemen Alex Potts is now the all-time record in sacrifices in a single season in
ASU history with 14.
• Potts passed Dean Roberts on March 19 against Missouri with his 13th sacrifice of the season.
• Potts had alread passed Jordan Kimball for most sacrifice bunts in a season. Kimball had 11 in 2009.
UXA SETS NEW SINGLE SEASON HIGH IN DOUBLES
• Senior first basemen Logan Uxa has already set a career-high for doubles in a season.
• Uxa's previous career high was seven doubles, which he did in 2011 and 2012. He had his eighth and ninth doubles against Missouri on March 19.
WOODHOUSE SETS NEW HIGH IN STRIKEOUTS
• Junior Cody Woodhouse set a new career-high with seven strikeouts against Missouri on March 19.
THREE TIMES AS NICE
• Sophomore center fielder Collin Massanelli tied the school record for most home runs in a game by hitting three against UALR on March 16.
• Massanelli is just the third player in school history to hit three home runs in a game. Kevin Kull Jr. hit three at UALR in 2005 and Randy Sugg accomplished the feat against Austin Peay in 1998.
• Massanelli hit a solo home run in the first inning and then had a 2-run blast in the eighth inning that hit off a light pole in right-center field. His third home run came in the top of the ninth and tied the game at 7-7 after ASU rallied from six runs down over the final two innings.
• He also tied the school record for most total bases in a game with 13 on March 16.
TURNING THE TRIPLE PLAY
• ASU turned a 1-5-4-3 triple play in its 6-3 victory over UALR on March 15.
• The triple play occurred when Bryson Thionnet tried to lay down a sacrifice bunt, but instead popped the attempt up in front of Seth McWilliams. The senior right-hander let the bunt attempt fall in front of him and quickly threw over to third base to get the force out. A-State third basemen Claude Johnson then threw to second base to get the force at that base after Blake Johnson did not run on the play. ASU second basemen Alex Potts then threw to first base for the final out after Thionnet never touched first because it was occupied by a UALR player.
• It was the first triple play turned by ASU under the Tommy Raffo era.
DOMINATING THE TROJANS
• ASU extended its winning streak to 12 straight over UALR with a three game sweep over the Trojans on the opening weekend of SBC play.
• ASU has swept UALR in four straight series and has not lost to the school since 2011.
UXA DOES IT ALL
• Logan Uxa enjoyed one of his best two-game stretches on the base paths against Missouri State March 12-13.
• Uxa tied a career high with two stolen bases on March 12 and the notched just the third triple of his career on March 13.
A MIDWEEK OF FIRSTS
• Freshman Derek Birginske made his first career state on March 12 against Missouri State. He gave up just one run on five hits and struck out six, but did not factor into the decision.
• Freshman Adam Grantham earned his first career save on March 13 against Missouri State when he pitched the final two innings in relief in a 7-5 victory.
UNEARNED RUNS
• Arkansas State and Missouri State combined to score eight unearned runs in ASU's 7-5 victory over the Bears on March 13.
POTTS STREAK COMES TO AN END
• Alex Potts saw his 15 game on-base streak come to an end on March 12. He had reached base in A-State's first games before the streak came to an end.
HAWKINS SHINES IN FIRST START
• Sophomore Chandler Hawkins shined in his first start of the season on March 9 against UAB.
• He pitched a career-high seven innings, faced a career-high 28 batters and allowed just one run on seven and tied a career-high with three strikeouts.
BAKER'S HITS EQUAL RUNS
• Freshman outfielder Austin Baker drove in four runs on three hits on Saturday March 9 against UAB in a doubleheader.
• Baker drove in a run on every hit he had across both games on the day.
HAWKINS KEEPING EM' DOWN
• Sophomore Chandler Hawins has a league leading 0.57 ERA on the season.
• He has has six apperances on the season, five of which have been in relief.
• He has allowed just one run on nine hits, with 12 strikeouts and just six walks in 15.2 innings.
FITZPATRICK FIRST START
• Freshman Kevin Fitzpatrick made his first career start on March 3.
• The true freshman made a start in left field and batted in the leadoff position. He went 1-for-4 with two runs scored.
• He recorded his first career RBI on Tuesday, March 5 against UT-Martin.
ASU IN EXTRA INNINGS
• ASU is 2-1 on the year in extra inning games.
• Alex Potts helped ASU to a 2-1 victory over UAB on March 8 when he drove in the winning run in the bottom of the 11th inning.
• The Red Wolves were down to their last out, but rallied from a 2-0 deficit to defeat Memphis 3-2 on Feb. 19.
• Collin Massanelli drove in two runs in the top of the ninth inning to tie the game at 2-2.
• Ryan Emery followed with a game winning RBI single in the top of the 10th inning and Tanner Ring closed out the game in the bottom of the 10th to give A-State the win.
GETTING THE SHUTOUT
• Arkansas State recorded its first shutout of the season on Tuesday, March 5 against UT-Martin. The Red Wolves picked up a 9-0 victory over the Skyhawks and faced just one batter of the mininum.
•The last time ASU shutout an opponent was April 13 of last year when A-State picked up a 5-0 win over Western Kentucky.
• The last time ASU recorded a shutout against a non-conference opponent was against Portland in 2010 in a 7-0 victory.
• It was the first shutout for ASU during a midweek game since 2006 when the team defeated Murray State 11-0 on a Wednesday (The team also defeated Freed-Hardeman 8-0 on Sun, April 16 of that year. ASU played Freed-Hardeman in a Sunday-Monday two game series.)
