Red Wolves Baseball Team Takes on Vols

Courtesy Arkansas State University Red Wolves

Notes for tonight’s Arkansas State Red Wolves baseball game agains the Tennessee Volunteers

First Pitch: Wednesday 5 p.m.

Location: Knoxville, Tenn.

Stadium: Lindsey Nelson Stadium (4,283)

Radio: East Arkansas Broadcasters

95.3 FM The Ticket

970 AM KNEA

SERIES

ASU vs Tennessee: 2-1 (ASU Leads)

Raffo Record vs Tennessee: 0-0

Last Meeting: 1969

Current Streak: ASU 1 Win

MULTIMEDIA

Online Audio: AStateRedWolves.com

Live Stats: AStateRedWolves.com

LEADING OFF: Arkansas State will play its final midweek contest of the year on Wednesday, May 8 against the University of Tennessee. It will be the first matchup between the two schools since the 1969 season when A-State went 2-1 against the Volunteers in a round robin tournament. ASU enters the game with an overall record of 24-24 after dropping three games to Louisiana-Lafayette on over the weekend. The Red Wolves will be looking to end their five-game losing streak on Wednesday, their second longest losing skid of the year. A-State  enjoyed a solid weekend on the base paths, led by Kevin Fitzpatrick who went 3-for-4 in stolen bases and now has the team lead in swipped bags with four on the year. Alex Potts increased his national lead in sacrifice bunts by laying down his 21st of the year and the Red Wolves pitching staff continues to impress by ranking second in the nation in strikeouts per 9 innings.

Tennessee is coming off a weekend in which it played just one against Georgia, losing the other two games to rain and inclement weather. The Volunteers are 18-26 on the year but lead the SEC in steals with 75 on the season. Tennessee also has into the fewest double plays in the SEC at 13 on the year and has a player (Jeff Mobert) ranked among the top 15 in sac bunts.

THE STARTERS: ASU’s starter has yet to be announnced while, Tennessee will start freshman Matt Esparza.

ASU/TENNESSEE SERIES HISTORY

•ASU and Tennessee have met just three times in the history of the two schools.

• All three meetings took place during the 1969 season with ASU winning two of the three
games against the Volunteers.

• ASU won the first meeting 4-0, before dropping the next game 1-3. They won the final
game 7-5.

• The games took place in a round robin event that featured both Tennessee and Alabama.

SCOUTING THE VOLUNTEERS

• Tennessee has an overall record of 18-26 entering Wednesday’s game.

• The Volunteers are coming off a weekend in which they play just one game against
Georgia due to rain and inclement weather.

• The Vols rank second in the SEC with 75 stolen bases on the year.

• Tennessee has hit into just 13 double plays on the year, the least of any SEC team.

• Will Maddox ranks seventh in the SEC in hits and is 10th in batting average.

• Jeff Moberg ranks 28th in the nation with 12 sac bunts on the year.

FITZPATRICK STEALS THE WEEKEND

• ASU freshman Kevin Fitzpatrick went 3-for-4 on steal attempts at Louisiana-Lafayette
May 3-5.

• He stole one base on Saturday and then added two more on Sunday, one of which led to
an errant that allowed him to score from third.

UXA’S CONSECUTIVE STARTS STREAK

• ASU senior Logan Uxa has started in 105 straight games dating back to his junior
season.

• He has started every game since the start of his junior season, with his last none start
coming in the final game of his sophomore campaign.

FRESHMAN PITCHERS HOLD TIGERS SCORELESS

• Freshman pitchers Adam Grantham and David Owen combined to hold Memphis
scoreless for five straight innings of relief on April 30.

• The pair combined to strikeout six and give up just four hits over the game’s final five innings.

WRIGHT EYEING SINGLE SEASON STRIKEOUT

• Senior pitcher Daniel Wright has struck out 83 batters on the year and is closing in on
the single season mark for strikeouts at ASU.

• Aubrey Gatewood holds the single season record for strikeouts at 117, which was set in 1959.

MASSANELLI GOES FOR FIVE

• Sophomore outfielder Collin Massanelli went 5-for-6 against Middle Tennessee on April
28 in game one of a doubleheader.

• He was just one hit away from tying the school record for hits in a game with six.

• He had a hit in his first five at bats of the game.