LITTLE ROCK - Little Rock begins a challenging road week with a midweek showdown against Louisiana Tech, facing the Bulldogs on Tuesday, April 19 at 6 p.m. in Ruston, Louisiana. The game will stream live on CUSATV.com.
Leading the League
Little Rock enters this week ranked first in the Sun Belt in batting average and 24th nationally, hitting .303 as a team. The Trojans also lead the league in double plays per game (0.94), doubles per game (2.26) and double plays (29) ranking in the top-30 nationally in each of those statistical categories.
Turning Two
Little Rock remains one of the nation's top double play teams, leading the Sun Belt in double plays this year with 29, and is 16th nationally in double plays per game at 0.94. Coupled with the league-best 43 in 2021, Little Rock has turned 72 over the past 82 games, averaging 0.9 per game.
Big Hitters
Little Rock has a number of hitters among the league's best with
Canyon McWilliams (.380) fourth and
Noah Dickerson (.368) sixth in batting average. Three Trojans are among the league's top-10 in slugging percentage, including Dickerson (.626) in sixth, McWilliams (.603) in eighth and
Jack Stroth (.577) in 10th.
Swipe Right
Little Rock remains among the league leaders in stolen bases, ranking 46th nationally with 54 and 33rd in the nation in stolen bases per game (1.74). Three Trojans are among the league leaders in stolen bases, including
Tyler Williams (16) second,
Eldrige Figueroa (13) fourth and
Miguel Soto (11) seventh as the three are a combined 40-for-46 on the season.
Strong Out of the Pen
Jacob Weatherley was asked to change his role and come out of the bullpen, and the move has paid off for both he and the Trojans. In his last three outings, Weatherley has pitched 12.0 innings in relief and allowed just one run on nine hits with 10 strikeouts on 168 total pitches.
Finding Their Power
Little Rock's bats have come alive in the month of April with the Trojans hitting 11 home runs over the span of nine games. Four of those have come from
Jack Stroth, upping his season total to five home runs as six Trojans have hit at least three round trippers this season -
Noah Dickerson (6),
Canyon McWilliams (5),
Jack Stroth (5),
Jake Wright (5),
Miguel Soto (4) and
Tyler Williams (3).
Scouting The Bulldogs
Louisiana Tech enters the week with a 25-11 overall record and an 11-4 mark in Conference USA as the Bulldogs are coming off a series win at Marshall. Louisiana Tech is 16-4 at home, batting .272 as a team with 50 home runs and a .465 slugging percentage, led by Taylor Young's .356 average with Steele Netterville leading the team with 10 home runs. On the mound, Louisiana Tech has a 4.09 ERA with a combined 369 strikeouts and the opposition batting .241.
Series History
Little Rock and Louisiana Tech have met 76 times previously with the Bulldogs holding a 59-25 edge in the all-time series, including a 33-10 record in Ruston. LaTech has won the last two, taking both games of the home-and-home doubleheader in 2019, with head coach
Chris Curry 2-7 all-time against the Bulldogs.
Last Time Out
Little Rock fell behind by five runs early in both games against Arkansas State before rallying back in the late innings. But the comeback came up short as the Trojans lost pair of one-run game to the rival Red Wolves, falling 6-5 in game one and 7-6 in game two at Gary Hogan Field. The final game of the three-game series was canceled due to weather, bringing the conference rivalry to an end after 31 years.
Five Things To Know
• Little Rock is seeking its first midweek victory of the season, sitting at 0-4 on the year. Tuesday's game at Louisiana Tech is the Trojans' first midweek game outside the state of Arkansas and just the seventh game outside the borders of the Natural State this season.
• Eldrige Figueroa continues to move up the Trojan record book as the fifth year senior has now played in 155 games in a Little Rock uniform, ranking eighth all-time in program history, starting 143 of those games.
• Canyon McWilliams enters Tuesday's game having reached base safely in 16-straight games, tied for the team lead this season with Tyler Williams' 16-game streak to open the season. Noah Dickerson enters with a seven-game hitting streak, five shy of McWilliams' season-high 12-game streak.
• Hoss Brewer is expected to get the start Tuesday night, which would be his fifth start of the season. Brewer ranks fifth on the team with a 4.24 ERA and a 2-0 record, sitting third in innings pitched 34.0 and second in strikeouts with 37 while holding the opposition to a .261 batting average.
• Head coaches Chris Curry and Lane Burroughs are quite familiar with each other as the duo coached together at Northwestern State from 2013-14 with Burroughs serving as head coach and Curry as his assistant. The duo both played at Meridian Community College in Mississippi with Burroughs playing from 1992-93 and Curry suiting up from 1997-98.
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