Trojans Travel to Louisiana Tech for First Road Game

Game 4: Little Rock at Louisiana Tech
Tuesday, Feb. 23 • 6 p.m.
Ruston, La. • Pat Patterson Park
Live Video ($) | Live Stats | Game Notes

LITTLE ROCK – After a successful weekend at home, Little Rock baseball (2-1) turns its eyes to the first road trip of 2016 as the Trojans visit Louisiana Tech (2-1) on Tuesday at 6 p.m., in Ruston, La.
 
FIRST PITCH

• Little Rock's offense ranked fifth among Sun Belt schools in the opening weekend of competition.
• The Trojans were walked 15 times in three games, the most in the Sun Belt.
• Little Rock was one of 12 teams in Division I to go without an error on opening weekend.
• Hunter Owens tied the program record for hits in a single game with five against Indiana State.
• Owens, Dalton Thomas and Ryan Scott have top 15 hitting percentages in the Sun Belt.
• Little Rock was one of three Sun Belt teams to not allow a home run on opening weekend.
• Nik Gifford had the third-most putouts in the league with 31.
• Cole Townsend will be make his Trojan debut as the starter against Louisiana Tech
• Louisiana Tech leads the series against Little Rock 51-24.
• The Trojans last win against the Bulldogs happened at home in 2014.
• Little Rock and Louisiana Tech enter Tuesday night's game with a 2-1 record.
• The Trojans bring in 27 newcomers for the 2016 season with seven returnees.
• 16 of the newcomers previously played at junior colleges.
• The Bulldogs will throw right-hander Cameron Linck.
• A win would give Little Rock its first three-game winning streak since sweeping Appalachian State last year. 

SCOUTING LOUISIANA TECH
The Bulldogs earned two wins against Prairie View A&M and Southern and took a loss to New Orleans at the MLB Urban Youth Invitational in New Orleans.
 
Three Bulldogs finished the weekend hitting .500 in Sean Ulrich, Brent Diaz and Jonathan Washam. With four RBIs, Washam tied the team-high with brother Jordan Washam. Ulrich had the most hits and runs with five, led the team with three steals and had struck out the most times with three.
 
On the mound for Louisiana Tech will be right-hander Cameron Linck, a junior college transfer from Hill College. Linck saw one inning of work in the mercy-rule-shortened game against Southern as he earned one strikeout and gave up one hit and a walk on 23 pitches.
 
SERIES AGAINST THE BULLDOGS
Louisiana Tech leads the all-time series with Little Rock by a 51-24 margin. The Trojans were swept in two games in Ruston last season after sweeping the Bulldogs in a home-and-home series in 2014.
 
ON THE MOUND FOR LITTLE ROCK
Junior college transfer and left-hander Cole Townsend will make his Division I debut against Louisiana Tech on Tuesday. Townsend pitched just 6.1 innings and made seven appearances in 2015 with Cisco College.
 
OWENS' IMPRESSIVE DEBUT
Little Rock newcomer Hunter Owens made an impressive Division I debut as he ended the opening weekend tied for the second-best batting average in the league at .615 and had a league-tying eight hits and three doubles. Even more impressive was his 5 for 5 day against Indiana State in just his third Division I game as he earned two doubles, two runs, an RBI and a stolen base. Owens hit total tied a program record as he became just the 13th player in Little Rock history to record five hits in a single game. In his Trojan debut, Owens went 2 for 3 with a run and a double against Indiana State. He also had the second-most total bases with 11.
 
Owens' three doubles rank 15th in the nation and his average of one double per game ranks 11th nationally. His eight hits rank 13th in the country and his .615 average ranks 36th.
 
EARLY SUCCESS AT THE PLATE
Little Rock's offense was the fifth best in the Sun Belt in opening weekend action as the Trojans hit .269 at the plate. Hunter Owens, Dalton Thomas and Ryan Scott each ranked among the top 15 averages in the Sun Belt with .615, .444 and .400, respectively.
 
Little Rock had the fourth-best on-base percentage (.387), fifth-best slugging percentage (.355) and fifth-most doubles (5) in the Sun Belt.
 
DISCIPLINE AT THE PLATE
Little Rock walked 15 times in its first three games of 2016. That's 10 percent of all the walks the Trojans had last year (151) in just the opening weekend.
 
PERFECT FIELDING
The Trojans were just one of 12 teams in the nation to go without an error in the opening weekend of action.
 
Junior Nik Gifford had the third-most putouts in the Sun Belt for the weekend with 31 on 32 chances.
 
NO LONG BALL FOR YOU
Little Rock was one of three Sun Belt schools (Georgia State and Louisiana) to not allow a home run on opening weekend.
 
TURNING DOUBLE PLAYS
The Trojans turned three double plays in their first three games, ranking fourth in the Sun Belt. At 1.00 double play per game, Little Rock is tied for 53rd nationally.
 
WHIP IT
Newcomer Dylan Slayton was dominant in his first dose of action out of the Trojans' bullpen on Sunday against Indiana State. In four innings on the hill, Slayton allowed just one hit and no walks. His WHIP of 0.25 is tied for eighth in the nation.
 
A WIN AGAINST LOUISIANA TECH WOULD…
…give Little Rock its first three-game win streak since sweeping Appalachian State at home last season and would improve the Trojans to 3-1. The Trojans' three-game streak was the longest of the 2015 season.
 
ON DECK
After Tuesday's contest, Little Rock returns to Gary Hogan Field for a four-game series against IPFW beginning on Friday at 3 p.m.