PITCHING PROBABLES
FRIDAY: RHP
Brandon Hudson (4-1, 4.30 ERA, 44.0 IP, 28 K) vs RHP Garrett Gainous (7-4, 4.22 ERA, 70.1 IP, 67 K)
SATURDAY: RHP
Will Nash (3-4, 4.08, 46.1 IP, 32 K) vs RHP Orlando Ortiz (5-4, 4.89, 57.0 IP, 74 K)
SUNDAY: RHP
Carter Holt (3-3, 4.83, 54.0 IP, 34 K) vs RHP Bay Witcher (5-2, 4.06, 57.2 IP, 39 K)
LEADING OFF
- The 2021 campaign marks the program's 74th season with the Red Wolves amassing a 1,350-1,664-10 all-time record dating back to the 1948 season.
- The Red Wolves are entering the penultimate weekend series having won six of their last nine after taking two from (RV) Georgia Southern over the weekend before dropping a hard-fought midweek contest at No. 1 Arkansas.
- Troy leads the overall series 34-14, but the Red Wolves have claimed the last three meetings. MORE ON PAGE 3.
- Ben Klutts and Will Nash swept this week's Sun Belt Player and Pitcher of the Week honors.
- Liam Hicks was added to the Buster Posey Award Watch List, which awards the top catcher in college baseball. Hicks has reached base in 48 of his 49 career games at Arkansas State, and leads the Sun Belt (16th NCAA) in on-base percentage (.513). He enters the weekend inside the top five in the Sun Belt in six offensive categories. MORE ON PAGE 3.
- A-State pitching has tossed seven quality starts in its last nine weekend games, including three apiece by Carter Holt and Will Nash.
- A-State enters the week in runs per game (6.2), while being second in on-base percentage (.367) and third in homers (44) and total runs scored (254). MORE ON PAGE 7.
- Drew Tipton is rising up the Arkansas State career charts in multiple categories. Tipton also ranks inside the top 50 among the NCAA's active career leaders in six statistics. MORE ON PAGE 7.
- Tyler Duncan currently ranks inside the top 10 in the conference in seven offensive categories - top 40 nationally in two. MORE ON PAGE 3.
LAST TIME OUT
- Arkansas State had the bases loaded with the tying run at the plate in the eighth inning against top-ranked Arkansas, but ultimately fell 8-4 in the first-ever meeting between the in-state foes on Tuesday night in Fayetteville.
- Tyler Jeans posted an admirable start, holding the Hogs hitless through the first four innings before the Razorbacks exploded for five runs in the fifth. A-State got in the board in the seventh, but three more runs in the bottom half of the inning put Arkansas ahead 8-1.
- A-State managed to claw back with a three-run eighth, but the rally was not quite enough to overcome the top-ranked Razorbacks.
LIAM *STICKS*
- Liam Hicks owns a Sun Belt-best on-base percentage of .534, reaching base in 47 of 48 games to start his A-State career - 31 straight before not reaching on 4/10 at Louisiana. His batting average of .390 also ranks second in the league, while he has reached base in 17 straight games.
- The Toronto native ranks near the top in several offensive categories in the Sun Belt and is inside the top 30 nationally in on-base percentage (16th) and hitting (30th).
- Since April 1 (22 games), Hicks is hitting .381 and slugging .607 with seven doubles and four home runs.
- On April 14, Hicks was named No. 23 on D1 Baseball's Top 100 Draft-Eligible Hitters using analytics - the highest-ranked of four Sun Belt hitters. The list evaluated on a scale of 50-100 hitters' plate discipline (Hicks: 90.01), hit ability (ability to hit/get on base: 88.80) and game power (XBH; power in-game: 77.26).
"THE ELDER STATESMAN"
- Drew Tipton is the longest-serving active A-State player on the 2021 roster, having been on the team since the 2016 season. He is also rising up the career charts in several categories: games played (6th - 208), games started (6th* - 201), at-bats (7th - 736), runs scored (2nd - 162), walks (5th - 111), hit-by-pitch (T4th - 40), stolen bases (5th - 58). FULL LIST OF TIPTON'S CAREER RANKS ON PAGE 7.
- Tipton is among the top 50 among the NCAA Division active career leaders in six categories entering Friday - runs scored (13th - 162), stolen bases (22nd - 58), hit-by-pitch (24th - 40), walks (25th - 111), games played (46th - 208) and at-bats (46th-736).
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