JONESBORO, Ark. (5/7/12) — After holding South Alabama to just one run in each game of last weekend's Sun Belt Conference series sweep, the Arkansas State pitching staff has been named InsidePitching.com's National Pitching Staff of the Week. 

Arkansas State used just six pitchers over the weekend, giving up a total of just three runs in the Red Wolves' first-ever series sweep of South Alabama.  The Jaguars went into the weekend with the league's best batting average at .326 in conference games, but ASU pitchers Jacob Lee, Daniel Wright, Cory Kyle, Brandon Farley, John Koch and Bradley Wallace held the Jags to a .149 average, allowing just 13 hits while striking out 14 batters.  The ASU pitching staff is directed by second-year coach Tighe Dickinson and holds a team ERA of 4.23. 

Lee went seven innings to get the win in Friday's 8-1 victory, allowing just four hits and one run while striking out three and walking four.  Farley came on in the eighth and Koch in the ninth, and neither allowed a baserunner in the final two frames.

In the Saturday contest, Wright gave up one run on five hits, struck out four, walked just two and retired 13 of the final 15 batters he faced to pick up the win in the 6-1 ASU victory, giving the Red Wolves their first series victory over the Jaguars since the 2009 season.  His seven innings of work in the game tied his career high.  Farley and Koch again worked the final two innings and combined to give up no runs on one hit and one walk, with one strikeout.

Kyle put the Red Wolves in position to get the 2-1 win in Sunday's finale, giving up the one South Alabama run on just one hit in seven innings of work, the longest outing of his career.  Kyle struck out five batters and walked three, setting the stage for Wallace to work the final two innings to pick up the win.  Wallace struck out one and did not issue a walk over the final two frames, giving up two hits to improve to 3-1 on the season.

Arkansas State is now 26-19 overall and 15-7 in Sun Belt Conference play, trailing league-leader Florida Atlantic by just one game with six games remaining.  Florida Atlantic was defeated 6-1 by Western Kentucky Sunday afternoon to slip to 16-6 in SBC action.  The Red Wolves travel to Little Rock Tuesday for a 3:30 p.m. game against Arkansas Pine-Bluff at Dickey-Stephens Park, then host Florida International this weekend in the final home SBC series of the 2012 season.