Arkansas State (22-19, 8-10 SBC) vs Middle Tennessee (23-20, 7-11 SBC)
GAMES 42-44
Date: April 26-28, 2013
First Pitch: Friday, 6:00 p.m.
Saturday, 6:00 p.m.
Sunday, 1:00 p.m.
Location: Jonesboro, Ark.
Stadium: Tomlinson Stadium (1,200)
Radio: East Arkansas Broadcasters
95.3 FM The Ticket
970 AM KNEA
Radio Talent: Matt Stolz
SERIES
ASU vs MT: 24-12 (ASU Trails)
Raffo Record vs MT: 6-6
Last Meeting: May 23, 2012 (12-7 ASU)
Current Streak: ASU 1 Win
MULTIMEDIA
Online Audio: AStateRedWolves.com
Live Stats: AStateRedWolves.com
TapStats
LEADING OFF: Arkansas State will host Middle Tennessee for a three-game Sun Belt Conference series against the Blue Raiders. A-State dropped a midweek contest to No. 16 Ole Miss at Tomlinson Stadium, but has won two out of their last three SBC games. A-State played before a crowd of 1,009 against Ole Miss, the second largest crowd to see a game at Kell Field since 2003. The Red Wolves are currently seventh in the conference standings, but are just four games out of first place with 12 SBC matchups left to play this season. ASU took three of four games from the Blue Raiders in 2012, including a 12-1 victory in the SBC Tournament. Middle Tennessee enters the game coming off a midweek victory over the University of Tennessee, but has dropped four out of their last five conference games. The Blue Raiders are tied for first in the conference with 12 triples on the year, but have struck out 308 times which is the fourth most in the league this season.
THE STARTERS: A-State will start senior right-hander Daniel Wright on Friday, junior righty Bradley Wallace Saturday. Wright and Wallace have combined to strikeout 138 batters on the year with the team having struck the second most batters in the SBC at 372. The staff also has an ERA of 4.34. Middle Tennessee will counter with left-handers Jonathan Frebis Friday, righty Hunter Adkins Saturday and lefty Zac Curtis on Sunday.
ASU/MIDDLE TENNESSEE SERIES HISTORY
• This will be the 37th, 38th and 39th meetings all-time between the Red Wolves and Blue
Raiders.
• ASU trails in the all-time series 24-12 but has won three out of the last four matchups.
• The series began in 2001 with both teams meeting in an SBC game in the first meeting
ever.
• A-State defeated Middle Tennessee 12-1 in the first game of the SBC Tournament last
season.
SCOUTING THE BLUE RAIDERS
• Middle Tennessee is 29-12 on the year and 7-11 in SBC play.
• The Blue Raiders are coming off an 11-5 victory over Tennessee at Reese Smith Jr.
Field on Tuesday night.
• The Blue Raiders are tied for the league lead in triples with 12.
• The pitching staff has picked off 11 runners this season, the second most in the league.
• Middle Tennessee registered a league-high 26 hits against Xavier on March 10.
• Three Middle Tennessee batters (Michael Adkins, Trent Miller and Ryan Stephens) have
grounded into at least five double plays on the year.
HIGH ATTENDANCE MARKS
• ASU played before a crowd of 1,006 people on Tuesday, April 23 against Ole Miss at
Tomlinson Stadium.
• It was the second largest crowd at Kell Field since 2003. The Red Wolves played before
a crowd of 1,019 in 2008 against Memphis.
• It was only the second time since 2003 that ASU had a home crowd of 1,000 people.
BAKER AND UXA TIE SCHOOL WALKS RECORD
• Freshman Austin Baker tied the school record for walks in a game with four on April 19
at ULM.
• It came just two days after senior Logan Uxa was walked four times on April 16 at
SEMO.
• The feat has been accomplished 12 other times, with Murray Watts drawing the last four-
walk game against Western Kentucky in 2009.
UXA GOES YARD
• Logan Uxa hit his third home run of the season and the 18th of his career with a two-run blast
at ULM on April 20.
• It was Uxa's first home run since March 30 at FIU and his first in over 30 at bats.
THREE RUNS ON NO HITS
• A-State scored three runs in the top of the 7th inning against ULM on April 19, but did so
with collecting a hit in the inning.
• Tanner Ring drove in a run after being hit by a pitch with the bases loaded.
• Kaleb Brown drove in a run on a sacrifice fly.
• Dustin Jones scored on a wild pitch.
DRIVING IN RUNS THE HARD WAY
• Three Arkansas State players drove in runs by being hit by a pitch in the April 19 contest
at ULM.
• Tanner Ring, Alex Potts and Dustin Jones were all hit with the bases loaded to drive in
runs on the night.
HIGH SCHOOL TEAMMATES TIE CAREER HIGHS
• High School teammates Dustin Jones and Kaleb Brown each tied career highs in hits at
ULM.
• Brown tied a career-high with three hits against ULM on April 19.
• Jones also tied a career-high with three hits the following day on April 20.
RING GETS A WIN AND A HOMER
• Tanner Ring had one of the best games of his young career on April 16 at SEMO.
• The true freshman belted his first collegiate home run in the top of the first inning and
then pitched the final three innings of the extra-innings affair to earn the win.
• Ring also had a season team-high seven at bats against SEMO.
LEVY GOES DEEP...TWICE
• Sophomore catcher Stuart Levy belted two home runs against South Alabama on April
13.
• It was just the third and fourth home runs of his career.
WRIGHT EARNS PITCHER OF THE WEEK HONORS
• Senior Daniel Wright earned Sun Belt Conference Pitcher of the Week honors on April 8 for his
performance from the previous week.
• Wright was also named as the College Sports Madness SBC Pitcher of the Week..
• The senior right-hander enjoyed one of the best pitching weeks of his career by earning his first
save since 2011 and a his first complete-game shutout victory.
• In the shutout victory, Wright struck out a career-high 11 batters and yielded just five hits. He
also did not allow runner past second base after the first inning and retired 12 straight at one
point.
• He picked up his first save since 2011 on April 2 when he pitched a perfect ninth inning against
SEMO.
