LEADING OFF: The Arkansas State baseball team will wrap up a four-game road swing Tuesday, April 15 with a midweek contest at Memphis at 6:30 p.m. at FedExPark. A-State is coming off a weekend series at South Alabama in which it took two of three games from the Jaguars and is now in second place in the Sun Belt Conference standings by two games. A-State won the series in dramatic fashion including a thrilling 14-inning game Saturday night and then game-winning double by Zach Maggio Sunday afternoon to clinch the series.
A-State will start sophomore Adam Grantham, who will be making his third start of the season and his first since March 26. Memphis will counter with Dylan Toscanso.
The game can be heard on 95.3FM The Ticket/970AM KNEA and in the StateZone at AStateRedWolves.com.
A-STATE/MEMPHIS SERIES HISTORY
• This will be the 147th meeting all-time with Memphis leads the all-time series 90-55-1.
• A-State defeated the Tigers 10-7 in Jonesboro.
• A-State and Memphis split the series last season, with each team winning a game on the road.
• The Red Wolves recorded the second most strikeouts in a game with 18 against the Tigers in 1995.
• A-State had seven doubles agains the Tigers in a game in 1991, which is tied for the most in a game in school history.
• Arkansas State drove in 26 runs against the Tigers during a game in 1992, the most ever in a single-game in program history.
IT IS QUALITY NOT QUANITY
• A-State senior pitcher Bradley Wallace has tossed three straight quality starts dating back to March 30.
• Wallace tossed back to back seven inning outings March 30 and April 6 against Texas State and Western Kentucky and then tossed six innings at South Alabama April 13.
• In his last three starts, Wallace has given up just three runs, only two of which have been earned.
• Wallace also struck out a season-high seven against the Jaguars on April 13.
IT'S A SQUEEZE!
• A-State executed a squeeze play in the fifth inning of its game at South Alabama April 12 when Dustin Jones squeezed home a run.
• Ironically, the Jaguars also executed a squeeze bunt play later in the game.
A FIRST TIME FOR EVERYTHING
• Arkansas State capped off an impressive weekend in the city of Mobile by winning its first ever series against South Alabama in the state of Alabama.
• It was just the fifth series win for the Red Wolves out of the 25 series that the two teams have been played.
GAINES SHINES IN EXTRA INNINGS
• Tanner Gaines tossed 6.1 innings of scoreless baseball in A-State's 7-6 victory in extra-innings April 12 at South Alabama.
• Gaines entered the game with two outs in the seventh inning and proceeded to hold the Jaguars to just two hits and no ones to earn the win.
CRAFTY CROFT
• A-State closer Morgan Croft recorded three saves April 9-13 including a 5-pitch save against Central Arkansas on April 9.
• He finished out the week with back-to-back saves against USA April 12-13.
AYERS FINDING GROOVE
• True freshman Bryan Ayers turned in the best start of his career Wednesday, April 9 against UCA.
• The Vilonia, Ark., native tossed six innings of shutout baseball and struck out a career-high eight to earn the first win of his career.
EXTRA, EXTRA!
• Since being inserted into the starting lineup on March 29th against Texas State, freshman Eric Wilcoxson has had 11 hits, six of which have gone for extra bases.
• He has hit a home run and three doubles during the span.
