LITTLE ROCK - For the final time as Sun Belt foes, Little Rock and Arkansas State renew their rivalry, meeting at Gary Hogan Field for the first time since 2018. Due to the Easter weekend, this weekend's series gets underway Thursday, April 14 at 6 p.m, followed by game two Friday, April 15 at 4 p.m. and the series finale Saturday, April 16 at 1 p.m. Thursday and Saturday's games will stream live on ESPN+.
Sun Belt Sweep
Little Rock enters the weekend on a five-game Sun Belt winning streak, taking the final two games at Troy before sweeping UT Arlington last weekend at Gary Hogan Field. The Trojans won the final two games on a pair of walk-offs, batting .303 for the series against the Mavericks with a team ERA of 2.89, moving into seventh-place in the league standings.
Last Time Out
Little Rock saw its five-game winning streak snapped Tuesday afternoon in an 11-5 loss to Central Arkansas at Gary Hogan Field. After falling behind 5-1 in the third, Little Rock rallied to within one at 5-4 in the seventh behind home runs from
Tyler Williams and
Jack Stroth, but a six-run eighth for UCA put the game away for the Bears' third-straight win over the Trojans.
Leading the League
Little Rock enters this week ranked first in the Sun Belt in batting average and 27th nationally, hitting .303 as a team. The Trojans also lead the league in double plays (28), double plays per game (0.97) and doubles per game (2.24), ranking in the top-30 nationally in each of those statistical categories.
Arnold Record Watch
Fifth-year senior Hayden Arnold heads into the weekend series looking to continue to make his mark on the Trojan record books. The reigning Sun Belt Pitcher of the Year is 17th nationally in walks per nine innings (1.03) and 20th in WHIP (0.86), holding a 6.83 strikeout-to-walk ratio (41:6), ranking 30th nationally. Arnold currently sits tied for third in appearances (69), wins (18) and earned run average (3.32) and fourth in both strikeouts (270) and winning percentage (.600).
Turning Two
Little Rock remains one of the nation's top double play teams, turning six over the weekend including three in the series finale. The Trojans lead the Sun Belt in double plays this year with 28, and coupled with the league-best 43 in 2021, Little Rock has turned 71 over the past 80 games, averaging 0.9 per game.
Big Hitters
Little Rock has a number of hitters among the league's best with Canyon McWilliams (.375) fifth and Nate Lyons (.364) seventh in batting average. Three Trojans are among the league's top-10 in slugging percentage, including Jack Stroth (.614) eighth, Noah Dickerson (.611) ninth and McWilliams (.598) 10th.
Depend on Smallwood
Sawyer Smallwood has been solid out of the bullpen for Little Rock, leading the team with a 2.20 ERA in 15 appearances, ranking third on the team in innings pitched (28.2) and strikeouts (33). Smallwood made appearances in all three games of the weekend series against UT Arlington, earning the save in game one and the win in game two, allowing just two hits in 3.2 innings of work with six strikeouts.
Scouting the Red Wolves
Arkansas State enters this weekend's series at 5-24 on the year and in search of its first Sun Belt victory of the season, sitting at 0-12. The Red Wolves are batting .244 as a team with a .348 slugging percentage with 19 home runs, led by Jared Toler's team-best six homers and 21 RBI. On the mound, A-State has a team ERA of 6.59 with a combined 241 strikeouts, holding the opposition to a team batting average of .293.
Series History
Little Rock and Arkansas State have met 127 times during the Division I era, the most of any team in program history. The Red Wolves hold a 79-48 edge and have won the last three, sweeping last season's series in Jonesboro. Little Rock welcomes Arkansas State to Gary Hogan Field for the first time since 2018 as the Trojans are 22-32 against the Red Wolves in the capital city during the Division I era.
Projected Starters
The projected starters for this weekend's series are as follows:
• Game One (Thursday, Apr. 14) - RHP Hayden Arnold (LR) vs. LHP Justin Medlin (ASU)
• Game Two (Friday, Apr. 15) - RHP Erik McKnight (LR) vs. RHP Will Nash (ASU)
• Game Three (Saturday, Apr. 16) - TBA (LR) vs. RHP Carter Holt (ASU)
Five Things To Know
• Little Rock continues its "Last Trip Around the Sun," playing its 31st and final season as a member of the Sun Belt Conference. The Trojans are 295-502 since joining the league in the 1991 season.
• Little Rock continues its seven-game home stand at Gary Hogan Field, playing 23 of its 29 games of the year inside the state lines of Arkansas. The Trojans are looking to snap a nine-game skid against Natural State opponents, dating back to the 7-2 win against UAPB on March 31, 2021.
• The series sweep of UT Arlington was head coach Chris Curry's 43rd series victory during his Trojan career and his 29th in Sun Belt play.
• Little Rock has hit nine home runs in the last six games, upping its season total to 26. Four of those have come from Jack Stroth, who ranks eighth in the Sun Belt with a .614 slugging percentage.
• The Trojans boast three of the top-10 base stealers in the Sun Belt, including Tyler Williams (15) in second, Eldrige Figueroa (13) third and Miguel Soto (11) seventh.
#LittleRocksTeam
