Trojans back home to host Belmont in weekend series

The Little Rock Baseball team returns to Gary Hogan Field this weekend for a three-game series against the Belmont Bruins, with the set opening Friday afternoon and concluding with a Sunday finale. Friday's game is scheduled for a 3:05 pm first pitch and can be streamed live on ESPN+, with Max Coltrane on the play-by-play for all three contests. The series continues Saturday at 2:05 pm and Sunday's matinee begins at 1:05 pm.
 
MATCHUP HISTORY
The Trojans (5-7) and Bruins (2-11) meet for just the 12^th time Friday with Little Rock holding a 7-4 advantage in the all-time series. The Trojans are 4-2 at home against Belmont but have not hosted the Bruins since 2010. Little Rock took two of three games in a series last season in Nashville, Tenn. The first meeting between the two dates back to 1998, when the Trojans took two of three at home. Little Rock and Belmont have met in a total of four series, and there has yet to be a sweep.
 
SCOUTING THE BRUINS
Belmont comes to town after suffering a 16-3 home loss against Tennessee Tech on Wednesday. The Bruins trailed 6-3 after five innings but allowed two runs in the sixth, three in the seventh and five more in the eighth, putting an end to the contest after eight innings. Belmont has struggled this season both offensively and defensively, hitting just .220 as a team while scoring an average of 4.8 runs per game. The pitching staff has a total earned run average of 7.62.
 
TROJAN TRENDS
Little Rock has outscored opponents 12-3 in the fifth inning … The Trojans are 4-1 when holding opponents to five runs or less … Cooper Chaplain leads the Trojans in average (.317), runs scored (10), on base percentage (.472), and walks (8) … Jack Cline has pitched a team-high 16.1 innings this season while allowing opponents to hit just .172 … Little Rock ranks 41^st nationally in double plays turned (11) and 73^rd in strikeouts per nine innings (9.8) … Zach Henry ranks 20^th nationally in triples (2).
 
PITCHING MATCHUPS
Both teams are slated to start a trio of right-handers this weekend. Friday's opener pits Little Rock's Jackson Wells (0-0, 4.50) against Will Pryor (0-3, 11.68), Saturday's game will have junior Brody Bunting (1-2, 7.30) against Belmont's Joe Ruzicka (0-1, 4.50), and Sunday's finale includes Cline (1-1, 2.20) against Jake Timbes (0-0, 1.00).
 
LOOKING AHEAD
Next week Little Rock will meet Arkansas-Pine Bluff for a midweek home-and-home series. The Trojans travel to Pine Bluff on Tuesday (2 pm) before hosting the Golden Lions the following day at 3 pm. Little Rock will then hit the road for a weekend series March 14-16 at UT-Arlington.