Red Wolves Baseball Notes (vs FAU)

Courtesy Arkansas State University Athletics Department

Arkansas State (15-7) vs FAU (13-8)

 

GAMES 23-25

Dates: March 22-24

First Pitch: Friday, 6:00 p.m.

Saturday, 4:00 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 FAU.: 5-10-1 (ASU Trails)

Raffo Record vs FAU: 3-7

Last Meeting: April 22, 2012 (6-2 FAU)

Current Streak: ASU 1 Loss

MULTIMEDIA

Online Audio: AStateRedWolves.com

Live Stats: AStateRedWolves.com

TapStats

 

LEADING OFF: Arkansas State will host Florida Atlantic for a three-game weekend series beginning Friday, March 22 at Tomlinson Stadium. ASU has won five out of its last six games entering the series, including a midweek split with SEC opponent Missouri this past week. The victory was ASU’s first road victory over an SEC opponent since 2002. FAU enters the series with a 13-8 record and 2-1 mark in league play after taking two of three games from FIU in its opening series of conference play. ASU will start senior right-hander Daniel Wright on Friday night. Wright enters the game ranked fourth in the SBC with 30 strikeouts. Sophomore lefty Chandler Hawkins will get the call on Saturday while junior righty Bradley Wallace will take the hill on Sunday. FAU will counter Austin Gomber on Friday, followed by Jake Meiers and Jeremy Strawn for the final two games.

 

THE TEAMS: Arkansas State is coming off a split during its midweek series with Missouri. The Red Wolves played a doubleheader with the Tigers on Tuesday, March 19 and dropped the first game, but bounced back to win the second 10-3. It was ASU’s first win over an SEC opponent this season in just its third try.

FAU was picked as the Preseason favorties to win the conference by the SBC coaches. The Owls received five first place votes and had two players on the All-SBC Preseason team. Friday night start Austin Gomber and 1B Mark Nelson were selected to the squad.

 

ASU/FAU SERIES HISTORY

• This will be the 17th, 18th and 19th meetings all-time between ASU and FAU.

• The series has a short history, dating back to only 2007.

• The Red Wolves have just won just one series against FAU, taking two-of-three games from the Owls in 2011 in Jonesboro.

• ASU last victory against FAU was 7-3 victory in 2011.

• Last season, two of the three scheduled games was rained in Boca Raton. The team’s managed to play one game on the finale day of the series with the Owls winning 6-2.

• ASU is 3-3 all-time against FAU in Jonesboro and 2-7-1 in Boca Raton against the Owls.

 

SCOUTING THE OWLS

• FAU is 13-8 this season, but have just road victories. One victory came at a neutral site against West Virginia in a tournent hosted by Coast Carolina.

• Entering the series, FAU has gone on the road just two times. The Owls played the Coastal Carolina Tournament March 1-3 and then went to Florida A&M on March 5 for a doubleheader. The remainder of the Owl’s games have been in Boca Raton.

• FAU have scored 5.2 runs per game this season, while holding opponents to just 4.4 runs a game.

• The Owls have the best ERA of any team in the SBC. The Owls have a staff ERA of 3.18 have struck out 167 batters on the year.

• The Owls’ pitching staff has issued just 54 walks on the season and ranks 17th in the nation strikeout-to-walk ration (3.09)

 

SEC ROAD WIN

• A-State’s 10-3 victory at Missouri on Match 19 was its first road victory versus and SEC school since 2008.

• The last road victory was a 7-5 victory over then No. 2 Ole Miss on 2008.

 

POTTS MAKING HISTORY

• Second basemen Alex Potts is now the all-time record in sacrifices in a single season in

 

ASU history with 13.

• Potts passed Dean Roberts on March 19 against Missouri with his 13th sacrifice of the season.

• Potts had alread passed Jordan Kimball for most sacrifice bunts in a season. Kimball had 11 in 2009.

 

UXA SETS NEW SINGLE SEASON HIGH IN DOUBLES

• Senior first basemen Logan Uxa has already set a career-high for doubles in a season.

• Uxa’s previous career high was seven doubles, which he did in 2011 and 2012. He had his eighth and ninth doubles against Missouri on March 19.

 

WOODHOUSE SETS NEW HIGH IN STRIKEOUTS

• Junior Cody Woodhouse set a new career-high with seven strikeouts against Missouri on March 19.

 

THREE TIMES AS NICE

• Sophomore center fielder Collin Massanelli tied the school record for most home runs in a game by hitting three against UALR on March 16.

• Massanelli is just the third player in school history to hit three home runs in a game. Kevin Kull Jr. hit three at UALR in 2005 and Randy Sugg accomplished the feat against Austin Peay in 1998.

• Massanelli hit a solo home run in the first inning and then had a 2-run blast in the eighth inning that hit off a light pole in right-center field. His third home run came in the top of the ninth and tied the game at 7-7 after ASU rallied from six runs down over the final two innings.

• He also tied the school record for most total bases in a game with 13 on March 16.

 

TURNING THE TRIPLE PLAY

• ASU turned a 1-5-4-3 triple play in its 6-3 victory over UALR on March 15.

• The triple play occurred when Bryson Thionnet tried to lay down a sacrifice bunt, but instead popped the attempt up in front of Seth McWilliams. The senior right-hander let the bunt attempt fall in front of him and quickly threw over to third base to get the force out. A-State third basemen Claude Johnson then threw to second base to get the force at that base after Blake Johnson did not run on the play. ASU second basemen Alex Potts then threw to first base for the final out after Thionnet never touched first because it was occupied by a UALR player.

• It was the first triple play turned by ASU under the Tommy Raffo era.

 

DOMINATING THE TROJANS

• ASU extended its winning streak to 12 straight over UALR with a three game sweep over the Trojans on the opening weekend of SBC play.

• ASU has swept UALR in four straight series and has not lost to the school since 2011.

 

UXA DOES IT ALL

• Logan Uxa enjoyed one of his best two-game stretches on the base paths against Missouri State March 12-13.

• Uxa tied a career high with two stolen bases on March 12 and the notched just the third triple of his career on March 13.

 

A MIDWEEK OF FIRSTS

• Freshman Derek Birginske made his first career state on March 12 against Missouri State. He gave up just one run on five hits and struck out six, but did not factor into the decision.

• Freshman Adam Grantham earned his first career save on March 13 against Missouri State when he pitched the final two innings in relief in a 7-5 victory

 

UNEARNED RUNS

• Arkansas State and Missouri State combined to score eight unearned runs in ASU’s 7-5 victory over the Bears on March 13.

 

POTTS STREAK COMES TO AN END

• Alex Potts saw his 15 game on-base streak come to an end on March 12. He had reached base in A-State’s first games before the streak came to an end.

 

JUST ANOTHER WALK-OFF SINGLE

• Alex Potts lifted A-State to a walk-off single in the bottom of the 11th inning on March 8 to give ASU a 2-1 victory over UAB.

• It was the third walk-off single of Pott’s career. He recorded two walk-off singles during his junior season.

• The first was a walk-off single in the bottom of the 10th inning against UALR on March 17, 2012 to give ASU a 3-2 win.

• The second was a walk-off single in the bottom of the ninth against South Alabama to give ASU 1-0 on May 6, 2011.

 

HAWKINS SHINES IN FIRST START

• Sophomore Chandler Hawkins shined in his first start of the season on March 9 against UAB.

• He pitched a career-high seven innings, faced a career-high 28 batters and allowed just one run on seven and tied a career-high with three strikeouts.

 

BAKER’S HITS EQUAL RUNS

• Freshman outfielder Austin Baker drove in four runs on three hits on Saturday March 9 against UAB in a doubleheader.

• Baker drove in a run on every hit he had across both games on the day.

 

HAWKINS KEEPING EM’ DOWN

• Sophomore Chandler Hawins has a league leading 0.57 ERA on the season.

 

• He has has six apperances on the season, five of which have been in relief.

• He has allowed just one run on nine hits, with 12 strikeouts and just six walks in 15.2 innings.

 

FITZPATRICK FIRST START

• Freshman Kevin Fitzpatrick made his first career start on March 3.

• The true freshman made a start in left field and batted in the leadoff position. He went 1-for-4 with two runs scored.

• He recorded his first career RBI on Tuesday, March 5 against UT-Martin.

 

ASU IN EXTRA INNINGS

• ASU is 2-1 on the year in extra inning games.

• Alex Potts helped ASU to a 2-1 victory over UAB on March 8 when he drove in the winning run in the bottom of the 11th inning.

• The Red Wolves were down to their last out, but rallied from a 2-0 deficit to defeat Memphis 3-2 on Feb. 19.

• Collin Massanelli drove in two runs in the top of the ninth inning to tie the game at 2-2.

• Ryan Emery followed with a game winning RBI single in the top of the 10th inning and Tanner Ring closed out the game in the bottom of the 10th to give A-State the win.

 

GETTING THE SHUTOUT

• Arkansas State recorded its first shutout of the season on Tuesday, March 5 against UT-Martin. The Red Wolves picked up a 9-0 victory over the Skyhawks and faced just one batter of the mininum.

•The last time ASU shutout an opponent was April 13 of last year when A-State picked up a 5-0 win over Western Kentucky.

• The last time ASU recorded a shutout against a non-conference opponent was against Portland in 2010 in a 7-0 victory.

• It was the first shutout for ASU during a midweek game since 2006 when the team defeated Murray State 11-0 on a Wednesday (The team also defeated Freed-Hardeman 8-0 on Sun, April 16 of that year. ASU played Freed-Hardeman in a Sunday-Monday two game series.)

 

IN THE POLLS

• Arkansas State received votes in the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association Top 30 poll earlier this season.

• Records indicate that the last time an A-State baseball team was ranked was during the the 1970 season when Arkansas State finished the season ranked 24th in the nation in the final Collegiate Baseball poll.

 

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