Arkansas State (16-10, 4-2) at FIU (12-12, 2-4)

 

GAMES 27-29

Dates: March 29-31, 2013

First Pitch: Friday, 5 p.m.

Saturday, 3 p.m.

Sunday, 10 a.m.

Location: Miami, Fla.

Stadium: FIU Stadium (2,000)

Radio: East Arkansas Broadcasters

            95.3 FM The Ticket 

            970 AM KNEA

Radio Talent: Matt Stolz

 

SERIES

ASU vs FIU: 20-28-1 (ASU Trails)

Raffo Record vs FIU: 4-8-1

Last Meeting: May 13, 2013 (5-16, L)

Current Streak: ASU 2 Losses

 

MULTIMEDIA

Online Audio: AStateRedWolves.com

Live Stats: AStateRedWolves.co

 

LEADING OFF: Arkansas State will travel to Miami, Fla., for a three-game Sun Belt Conference series with Florida-International this weekend. The Red Wolves has dropped three in a row after losing to Ole Miss on Wednesday during midweek action. A-State led the No. 11 team in the nation 4-1 after 5 1/2 innings, but the Rebels eventually rallied to hand ASU its second loss to a ranked opponent this season. ASU will be playing a team from the state of Florida for the second straight weekend, after hosting Florida-Atlantic in its Sun Belt Conference home opening series March 22-24. Sophomore left-hander will take the mound for ASU on Saturday. Hawkins is 2-0 on the year with a 2.73 ERA and 24 strikeouts. Bradley Wallace will get the call for the Red Wolves on Sunday. He will bring a 3-0 record into the game and his 38 strikeouts rank second on the team. FIU will counter with a pair of left-handed pitchers on Friday and Saturday. Tyler Alexander will be on the bump on Friday, while Ty Sullivan will bring a 2-1 record to the hill on Saturday. Mike Franco will take the mound on Sunday for the Panthers.

 

THE TEAMS: The Red Wolves are leading the nation in strikeouts per nine innings, averaging nearly 9.8 per game. ASU also ranks third in the nation in sacrifice bunts and sixth in walks. 

FIU enters the game with a 12-12 record and is 2-4 in league play. The Panthers did not play during the midweek after losing two of three games against WKU over the weekend.

 

 

ASU/FIU SERIES HISTORY

• This will be the 50th, 51st and 52nd games in the series between ASU and FIU.

• FIU leads the all-time series 28-20-1.

• ASU lost two out of three games to FIU last season. 

• In 2011 ASU recorded just its second tie in its history when the two teams played to an 8-8 tie. The game began with a 90-minute rain delay and league rules state that no inning could began past 4 p.m. 

• It was also the first tie for either team in Sun Belt Conference play in either school's history.

• The series dates back to the 1999 season.

 

SCOUTING THE PANTHERS

• FIU is 12-12 on the season, with all but one its victories coming at home this season.

• FIU is 2-4 in Sun Belt Conference play this season, with its two victories coming over Western Kentucky and Florida Atlantic. 

• The Panthers have scored an average of 6.0 runs per game this season, while giving up 5.6 runs per matchup this year.

• FIU is fourth in the Sun Belt with a .297 team batting average, but have the highest ERA at 4.78 among league teams.

• FIU ranks fifth in the nation with 22 home runs hit this season. 

• Edwin Rios ranks third in the nation in doubles with 12 already this season, while Josh Anderson ranks 22nd with 10.

 

FITZPATRICK FIRST START IN CENTER

• Freshman Kevin Fitzpatrick made his first career start in center field against Ole Miss on March 27.

 

ROCKIN' ROBERTS

• Ryan Roberts has seen his batting average rise .115 points over the last six games. 

• Roberts entered the March 19 series against Missouri batting .212, but has since raised his average to to .327 after the March 27 against Ole Miss. 

• 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.

 

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.  

 

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.