Trojans to Face South Alabama in Sun Belt Opener

Games 13-15: Little Rock vs. South Alabama
March 11-13
Mobile, Ala. • Stanky Field
Live Video | Live Stats | Game Notes

LITTLE ROCK – With Sun Belt Conference action set to begin tomorrow, Little Rock baseball (5-7) will make an unscheduled trip to Mobile, Ala., to face South Alabama (9-4) this weekend. The Trojans were supposed to host the Jaguars at Gary Hogan Field, but excessive rainfall forced the series to be moved to Stanky Field on the campus of South Alabama. Little Rock will be designated as the home team for the series despite playing on South Alabama's home field. The series opener will be played at 6:30 p.m., on Friday while the games for Saturday and Sunday will be played at 1 p.m.
 
FIRST PITCH

• Ryan Scott is coming off a hot 14 for 20 week.
• Scott leads the Sun Belt in multiple categories and is ranked high nationally.
• Little Rock is the third-best hitting team in the Sun Belt with a .300 batting average.
• The Trojans fielding percentage of .989 ranks third nationally.
• The Trojans' 24 doubles rank third in the Sun Belt.
• Little Rock's 40 hits rank third in the Sun Belt.
• Little Rock sports the best on-base percentage in the conference at .392.
• Nik Gifford has reached base in all 12 games this season.
• Scott and Dalton Thomas are currently on eight-game hitting streaks.
• Little Rock is 13-65 all-time against South Alabama.
• Cory Malcom, Will Hazen and a pitcher to be named will be making starts for the Trojans this weekend.
• South Alabama will throw ace Kevin Hill on Friday, Austin Bembnowski on Saturday and Harrison Spruiell on Sunday.
• Little Rock is two wins away from its 900th since 1975.

 
SCOUTING SOUTH ALABAMA
South Alabama comes into the weekend with two straight losses to Mississippi State and Middle Tennessee. The Jaguars took a 7-3 loss in Starkville on Tuesday and lost two of three to the Blue Raiders last weekend.
 
The Jags are led on offense by Drew LaBounty who is hitting .381 with 16 hits, 14 RBIs, three stolen bases and a .481 on-base percentage.
 
On the mound for South Alabama will be right-handers Kevin Hill (2-1), Austin Bembnowski (1-0) and Harrison Spruiell (1-0). Hill, the reigning Sun Belt Pitcher of the Year, leads the conference in strikeouts with 31 and has one complete game this season against Georgia as he threw 12 strikeouts and only gave up three hits and a run against the Bulldogs. Opposing hitters have had a tough time against the Jags' ace as they are only hitting .160 this season.
 
ON THE MOUND FOR LITTLE ROCK
Right-hander Cory Malcom (0-2) will make the start on Friday night against the Jaguars. Last year, Malcom earned the win against South Alabama after pitching 8.0 innings with four strikeouts.
 
Left-hander Will Hazen (1-1) will make his fourth start on Saturday. Hazen has pitched the most innings among the Trojan pitching staff this season with 17.0 innings.
 
Sunday's starter will be determined later.
 
SERIES AGAINST SOUTH ALABAMA
The Jaguars lead the all-time series 65-13. In the past two years, Little Rock has went 1-2 against South Alabama both years. The only time the Trojans won a season series against the Jaguars was in 2012 as Little Rock took two out of three games.
 
GREAT SCOTT!
Senior outfielder Ryan Scott had the best week of his four-year career at Little Rock as he went 14 for 20 in five games. Scott slugged 1.050 for the week and had an on-base percentage of .769, including 21 total bases. He ended up with nine runs, eight RBIs, five walks, two home runs and a double. Scott began his incredible week with a 5 for 5 performance with two home runs (one inside the park), five RBIs, five runs and a stolen base against Mississippi Valley State. Scott tied the school record for hits as he became the 14th player in program history to accomplish the feat. Scott carried that momentum into the weekend series at Oral Roberts as he went 3 for 4 with two runs and a walk in the first game of the series. Scott went 2 for 4 with a walk in the first game of Saturday's doubleheader and followed that up by going 2 for 3 with two RBIs, two runs, two walks and a double in the second game of the day. Scott wrapped up the weekend by going 2 for 4 with an RBI and a walk.
 
Scott now leads the Sun Belt in batting average (.511), slugging percentage (.851), and on-base percentage (.589). He is tied for the most hits (24) and home runs (4).
 
Scott is also ranked highly on a national scale. In Division I, he ranks fifth in batting average. ninth in hits, 14th in on-base percentage, 15th in total bases (40), 17th in slugging percentage, 27th in home runs and 29th in runs per game (1.33) and 30th in runs (16).
 
TOP-RANKED DEFENSE
Little Rock has made great strides when it comes to defense as the Trojans' fielding percentage of .989 ranks third in Division I. Little Rock has only committed five errors this season.
 
STREAKS IN PROGRESS
Junior Nik Gifford has reached base in all 12 games this season. Scott and Dalton Thomas have hits in eight straight games while Gifford is just one behind with seven.
 
GETTING ON BASE
Little Rock's on-base percentage of .392 is the best in the Sun Belt Conference. This is thanks in part to the Trojans' 124 hits and 61 walks, ranking third in the conference in both categories.
 
A WIN AGAINST SOUTH ALABAMA ON FRIDAY WOULD…
…be the second straight year that Little Rock has won the first conference game of the season.
 
TWO WINS AGAINST SOUTH ALABAMA WOULD…
…give Little Rock its second series win against the Jaguars since the two squads started playing each other in 1992.
A SWEEP OF SOUTH ALABAMA WOULD…
…be Little Rock's first-ever against the Jaguars. It would also be the Trojans' first conference sweep since taking all three games against Appalachian State last year.
 
UPCOMING CAREER MILESTONES

• Ty Gunter's next RBI will be his 10th of the season.
• Kyle Kirk is two RBIs away from his 30th in a Trojan uniform and his next at-bat will be his 200th.
• Hayden Martin's next hit will be his 50th with Little Rock, and the next time he walks will be his 30th.
• Hunter Owens next walk will be his 10th.
• Ryan Scott's next RBI will be his 50th.

 
ON DECK
Little Rock will return to non-conference action on Tuesday when the Trojans take on Central Arkansas in the first game of the Rock 'n' Roar Rivalry at Gary Hogan Field.