The Arkansas State Red Wolves enter their first conference series of the season against in-state rival UALR with a record of 8-8, while the Trojans have compiled a 9-5 record so far this season. A-State was able to win the final game of a non-conference series against Creighton by a score of 6-2 after the game was moved from Millington, Tenn., back to Jonesboro. The Red Wolves dropped the first two games of series against the Bluejays 7-3 and 5-4. A-State concluded playing four games in four days when the Red Wolves traveled to Murray, Ky., and defeated the Thoroughbreds 27-7. UALR defeated UAPB in a midweek contest 9-3 Wednesday.
The games can be heard on 95.3FM The Ticket/970AM KNEA and live audio will be on AStateRedWolves.com. Live streaming will be offered in the State Zone.
A-STATE/UALR SERIES HISTORY
• Friday night's game will be the 108th meeting between the two schools, which makes UALR the second most played opponent in A-State's history.
• The first meeting occurred during the 1975 season when Arkansas State swept two games in a midweek series by scores of 4-3 and 6-1.
• The Red Wolves and Trojans met six times last season with A-State sweeping the opening SBC series in Little Rock by scores of 6-3, 9-7, and 7-5. The Trojans came to Jonesboro for the last SBC series of the season. A-State took the first game 3-2 to increase its winning streak against UALR to 13 games, but the Trojans bounced back to take the final two games 5-4 and 8-1.
REWRITING THE RECORD BOOKS
• Sophomore outfielder Austin Baker set two records and tied another one with his performance against Murray State Tuesday. He finished the day 5-for-6 with seven runs scored, five RBI's, three home runs in three consecutive at-bats, and 14 total bases.
• Baker set the record for runs scored with seven, breaking the previous high of five that had been done three other times in school history, with the last being Isaac Dillon in 2005 vs. UNO.The 14 total bases also set a new record, breaking the previous high of 13, which had beenaccomplished two other times in school history. Junior Collin Massanelli had 13 total bases last season on March 16, 2013 against UALR.
• Baker's three home runs also tied a school record for home runs with three, tying three other players including teammate Massanelli that had three against UALR on March 16, 2013.
• Junior infielder Lucas Feddersen tied the record for most at-bats in a game with eight, tying Bill Smith's record set in 1960 against St. Louis. Freshman catcher Tyler Hardie also tied a record with four walks against the Thoroughbreds, tying 16 other players in school history.
• A-State's 27 runs was the second-highest total in school history. Arkansas State's record is 28 runs scored against Memphis in 1992.
COOL RUNNINGS
• A-State is tied for second in the Sun Belt Conference with 25 stolen bases thus far.
• The Red Wolves had just 28 stolen bases in all of 2013.
• Austin Baker leads A-State with seven stolen bases, breaking the team-high for any A-State player in 2013. His total also ranks third in SBC play and is the only player among the conference's top five leaders to have not been caught stealing.
SECOND OR BETTER
• The Red Wolves rank first in the Sun Belt Conference in on base pct. at .404 and walks with 79.
• Arkansas State is second in the SBC in runs scored with 114, batting average at .293, hit-by pitches with 27, and sacrifice flies with 10.
• A-State ranks second in the Sun Belt Conference in doubles with 38, only trailing Georgia State's 45. The Red Wolves are tied with WKU for second with five triples. ULL leads with seven.
• A-State's pitchers rank second in batters struck out looking with 48.
RED WOLVES AMONG SBC LEADERS
• Matt Burgess is second in the Sun Belt Conference with 19 RBIs after the first four weeks of the season. He also ranks 10th in the league with a .345 batting average.
• Lucas Feddersen ranks 8th in the league with a .346 batting average and also leads the team.
• In addition to Austin Baker's ranks among steal leaders, he is first in the conference with three triples, second with 18 runs, fourth in slugging pct. at .613, fourth in total bases with 38, tied for sixth in hits with 21, and tied for seventh in RBIs with 14.
• Catcher Stuart Levy is second in the conference with seven doubles and is tied for second in the SBC with seven runners caught stealing.
GRAND SALAMI ON RYE
• Sophomore Matt Burgess has continued his assault on opposing pitcher through the season's first two week's.
• He hit the Red Wolves first Grand Slam since 2011 on Feb. 23 against Illinois State with a bases loaded shot over the fence in right-centerfield in the bottom of the third inning.
• He was the first A-State player to hit a grand slam since Jordan Castaldo did it on May 25, 2011 against FIU.
OWEN HONORED BY COLLEGESPORTSMADNESS.COM
• Sophomore pitcher David Owen was named the CollegeSportsMadness.com Sun Belt
Conference Player of the Week after his performance at UAB on March 2.
• Owen struck out a career-high 10 against the Blazers to lead A-State to a 5-3 victory.
• He became the first Red Wolves pitcher to strikeout 10 in a game since Bradley Wallace and Daniel Wright each did it in 2013.
BAKER STEALS THE WEEKEND
• Austin Baker went 4-for-4 in stolen bases in A-State's opening weekend series against Miami (OH), including two in the opening game.
• This is the second straight season in which Baker has had an impressive start to the season. As a freshman in 2013 he hit a home run in his first collegiate at-bat.
• Baker finished the weekend 5-for-9 with five RBIs and seven total bases, inlcuding a triple.
STREAKS TO WATCH
Player Games Type
Zach George 18 On Base
Zach George 13 Hits
Stuart Levy 14 On Base
Lucas Feddersen 12 On Base
Lucas Feddersen 10 Hits
STRINGING TOGETHER EXTRA BASE HITS
• Arkansas State had seven straight extra base hits in its 13-3 victory over Miami (OH) Sunday Feb. 16.
• For the weekend the Red Wolves had 14 extra base hits, including 13 doubles.
OPENING SERIES SWEEP TWICE AS NICE
• The Arkansas State baseball team opened the 2014 season with a three-game sweep of Miami (Ohio), marking the second year in a row the squad has opened the season with a three-game series sweep.
• Prior to 2013 sweep, the only other it had happened was during the 1971 season.
PRESEASON SBC ALL-CONFERENCE HONORS
• Redshirt junior infielder Zach George was named to the 2014 Preseason All-Sun Belt
Conference team, the first such honor of his career.
• George hit .333 a season ago but played just nine games before suffering a season-ending knee injury at Sam Houston State before the start of conference play. Despite the injury, George managed to hit one home run and drive in five runs and stole one base.
• In 2012, the Paragould, Ark., native finished the year with a .270 batting average and started in 52 of the Red Wolves' 57 games. He added six home runs and was second on the team with 41 RBIs. His 86 total bases and, .430 slugging percentage each ranked as the third best on the team.
WALLACE RECOGNIZED AS TOP SENIOR
• A-State senior pitcher Bradley Wallace was named as the top 100 seniors in the class of 2014 by Perfect Game USA.
• Wallace was selected as the 28th best senior baseball player in the class of 2014 and the 16th best right-handed pitcher in the class. He was one of just two players from the Sun Belt Conference on the list with Louisiana-Lafayette first basemen Chase Compton ranking 61st.
COLLEGESPORTSMADDNESS.COM HONORS WALLACE
• Arkansas State senior pitcher Bradley Wallace was as a Preseason Second Team All-Conference selection by CollegeSportsMaddness.com
• Wallace finished the 2013 season with a 5-2 record and a 4.33 ERA and was the Red Wolves' No. 2 starter on a pitching staff that set the school record for most strikeouts in season. He had 78 punch outs in 70.2 innings of work and had the second most wins of any pitcher on the team.
GOING TO THE SHOW
• Senior right-hander Daniel Wright became A-State's second highest draft pick in the modern draft era after he was selected in the 10th round by the Cincinnati Reds last season.
• Fellow senior Logan Uxa was also selected by the Cincinnati Reds in the 32nd round.
