| GAMES 26-28 | UT ARLINGTON |
| Dates/Times |
Friday, Apr. 8 - 4 p.m.
Saturday, Apr. 9 - 4 p.m.
Sunday, Apr. 10 -Â 1 p.m. |
| Location |
Little Rock, Ark. |
| Field |
Gary Hogan Field |
| Records |
Little Rock (13-12, 3-6Â SBC)
UT Arlington (11-18, 4-5 SBC) |
| Watch |
ESPN+
Friday |Â Saturday | Sunday |
| Live Stats |
StatBroadcast
Friday | Saturday | Sunday |
| Twitter |
@LittleRockBSB |
| Series |
UT Arlington leads, 19-9 |
| Game Notes |
Little Rock | UT Arlington |
LITTLE ROCK - Little Rock opens up a seven-game home stand with a weekend Sun Belt series against UT Arlington at Gary Hogan Field. Game one against the Mavericks has been pushed to 4 p.m. Friday, April 8, to avoid the expected storms and cold front later that evening. Game two will be at 4 p.m. Saturday, April 9 with the series finale at 1 p.m. Sunday, April 10. All three games will stream live on ESPN+.
Weekend Road Series Win
Little Rock secured its first road series victory by taking two of three against Troy at Riddle-Pace Field, bouncing back from a heartbreaking walk-off in game one to take the final two games of the series. It was Little Rock's first road series victory since taking two of three from North Alabama March 5-7, 2021, and the first in Sun Belt play since sweeping the series at Arkansas State May 16-18, 2019.
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Leading the League
Little Rock enters this week ranked first in the Sun Belt in batting average and 24th nationally, hitting .304 as a team. The Trojans also lead the league in doubles per game (2.36) and sit 21st nationally while ranking second in the Sun Belt in doubles (59), slugging percentage (.465) and stolen bases per game (1.76).
Break Out the Bats
Little Rock's offense had one of its best hitting weekends of the season at Troy as 12 of its 29 hits went for extra bases, posting a .482 slugging percentage against the Alabama Trojans. Little Rock had five doubles and a pair of triples with five home runs in the three-game series, its most in a series this season.
Arnold Record Watch
Fifth-year senior Hayden Arnold heads into the weekend series with UT Arlington looking to continue to make his mark on the Trojan record books. The reigning Sun Belt Pitcher of the Year ranks among the top-nine in eight Trojan statistical categories, including fourth in appearances (69), wins (17), strikeouts (265) and winning percentage (.605).
Big Week for Canyon
Canyon McWilliams had a strong week for Little Rock, batting a team-best .444 in the four games on the week. The graduate student went 8-for-18 with a double, a triple and a pair of home runs, driving in five for a .944 slugging percentage. McWilliams is second on the team in batting on the year at .375, ranking sixth in the Sun Belt.
Starting Out Strong
Little Rock has made a habit of racing out to early leads, outscoring the opposition 69-32 in the first three innings of games this season. The Trojans have scored 35 runs in the first inning this year, its most in any inning this season, as the Trojans have held a lead in eight of their nine Sun Belt games this season.
Power at the Top
Little Rock has a number of players ranking among the Sun Belt leaders, including Nate Lyons (.378) and Canyon McWilliams (.375) ranking fifth and sixth in batting average. Noah Dickerson (.642) and Jack Stroth (.630) rank sixth and seventh in slugging percentage while Jake Wright has thrown out 11 stolen base attempts, ranking second in the league.
Scouting the Mavericks
UT Arlington enters the weekend with an overall record of 11-18 and a 4-5 mark in Sun Belt play, tied for seventh in the league standings and one game ahead of the Trojans. The Mavericks are batting .258 as a team with a .344 slugging percentage, hitting 47 doubles with 10 home runs on the year. On the mound, UT Arlington has a team ERA of 6.14 with 238 strikeouts as the opposition is batting .286.
Series History
Little Rock and UT Arlington have met 28 times previously with the Mavericks holding 19-9 edge in the all-time series, winning the last four meetings between the two teams. UTA took all three in Arlington in 2021, including a 1-0 11-inning no-hitter in game one, but the two teams have split the 10 meetings in Little Rock, including a 2-1 series win by the Trojans in 2018. Head coach Chris Curry is 6-12 all-time against the Mavericks.
Projected Starters
The projected pitching rotation for this weekend's series is as follows:
• Game One (Friday, April 8) - RHP Hayden Arnold (LR) vs. RHP Tanner King (UTA)
• Game Two (Saturday, April 9) - RHP Erik McKnight (LR) vs. RHP Michael Wong (UTA)
• Game Three (Sunday, April 10) - TBA (LR) vs. RHP Cade Winquest (UTA)
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 292-502 all-time in league play, winning the 2011 conference tournament title.
• Heading into the weekend series, Little Rock has played 19 of its 25 games this season within the Arkansas state lines. The Trojans are about to begin a seven-game home stand at Gary Hogan Field, where Little Rock is 98-77 under coach Curry.
• Little Rock has been aggressive on the base path this season, stealing 44 bases on the year with a 77% success rate. Tyler Williams (13), Eldrige Figueroa (12) and Miguel Soto (11) rank second, third and fourth, respectively, in the Sun Belt.
• The Trojans remain efficient with two outs in an inning, batting .321 as a team, scoring 70 of their 157 runs with seven home runs with two gone in an inning.
• Sawyer Smallwood has now appeared in 12 games this season and boasts a team-best 2.52 ERA, holding the opposition to a 1.76 batting average with 27 strikeouts.
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