PITCHING PROBABLES
RHP
Tyler Jeans (1-1, 4.80 ERA, 15.0 IP, 15 K) vs RHP Carlisle Koestler (3-0, 3.21 ERA, 14.0 IP, 17 K)
LEADING OFF
- The 2021 campaign marks the program's 74th season with the Red Wolves amassing a 1,343-1,655-10 all-time record dating back to the inaugural 1948 season.
- The Red Wolves are entering the midweek contest after taking one in a three-game series at Louisiana over the weekend (3-10, 0-9, 16-11). A-State avoided the series sweep by defeating the Ragin' Cajuns in a slugfest on Sunday.
- Mississippi State leads the all-time series versus A-State 42-10. Tommy Raffo is making his first trip back to his alma mater as head coach of the Red Wolves since serving 15 years as an assistant at MSU. MORE ON PAGE 3.
- Tyler Jeans is slated to draw his first career start after making seven relief appearances to begin his A-State career.
- A-State enters the midweek contest ranked third in the Sun Belt Conference in home runs per game (1.00) (as of games played through 4/11), as well as in on-base percentage (.366) and runs per game (5.9). The Red Wolves rank seventh overall in the league with 25 round-trippers. A-State also ranks fourth in doubles per game in the conference (1.76).
RAFFO'S RETURN
- Arkansas State head coach Tommy Raffo is making his first trip back to Starkville as head coach of the Red Wolves since he was hired after the 2008 season. Tuesday will mark the first meeting versus his alma mater.
- Raffo served as an assistant for the Bulldogs under legendary head coach Ron Polk (1994-97, 2002-08) as well as Pat McMahon (1998-2001) after playing four seasons at first base for the Diamond Dawgs from 1987 to 1990. As a player, he was a two-time All-American and All-SEC honoree, also earning a pair of All-SEC Tournament laurels.
- He holds at least one spot in MSU's single-season top 10 in hits (4th-102 & 9th-97), home runs (6th-22), total bases (4th-185), RBI (7th-80) and games played (9th-70, 10th-68). In his storied career, Raffo ranks fourth on MSU's all-time list in career batting average (.366), RBI (207) and on-base percentage (.458), fifth in slugging (.628) and total bases (477), eighth in hits (278), doubles (52), home runs (45)
- A volunteer assistant from 1994-97, then an assistant for McMahon and Polk from 1998-2008, Raffo was part of three trips to the College World Series (1997, 1998, 2007), 11 NCAA Regionals (1996-01, 2003-07), three NCAA Super Regionals (2000, 2001, 2007), six 40-plus win seasons and two SEC Tournament championships (2001, 2005).
DUNCAN AT THE DISH
- Tyler Duncan has had a strong start to the season at the plate for Arkansas State. The senior ranks inside the top 10 in the Sun Belt Conference in seven categories and is among the top 100 in the NCAA in three of those. FULL BREAKDOWN ON PAGE 3.
- The Sooke, British Columbia, native is on pace to put up career-best numbers that surpass his first two seasons in Jonesboro. His 6 homers has surpassed his previous two years' total, while his 8 doubles is nearing the 12 he tallied in 2019 and 2020. Duncan is also slugging at a .612 clip, while his average is currently a career best.
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