RUSSELLVILLE, Ark. – Arkansas Tech baseball returns to conference action this weekend, as the Wonder Boys travel to Bethany, Okla. for a three-game series with Southern Nazarene. Play begins with a nine-inning game scheduled for 2 p.m. on Friday, March 17, followed by a doubleheader at noon on Saturday.
 
FOLLOW THE ACTION
Live statistics and video for all three games are available at www.arkansastechsports.com.
 
ALL-TIME SERIES
Arkansas Tech leads the all-time series against Southern Nazarene, 8-1. The Wonder Boys took two of three games over the Crimson Storm last season.
 
SCOUTING THE WONDER BOYS
After the starting the conference season 9-0 for the first time in program history, Arkansas Tech (14-9, 10-2) dropped two of three games last weekend against Henderson State. The series was highlighted by a 1-0 victory in 11 innings on a walk-off single by Jackson Hollinshead. Tech currently ranks second in the Great American Conference standings, one game behind Southern Arkansas.
 
The Wonder Boys rank fourth in the conference with a .267 team batting average. Dylan McDearmon paces Tech with a .361 batting average, while his 12 doubles lead the GAC. Marcus Wilson is batting .293 with a team-high 21 runs scored this season. McDearmon has reached base in 22 consecutive games, while Wilson has reached base in 19 consecutive games. Zach Klockowski is hitting .341, and he leads Tech with six home runs, 26 runs batted in and a .671 slugging percentage.
 
Tech has posted the fourth-lowest ERA in the GAC this season. All three primary starters for the Wonder Boys have maintained sub-3.00 earned-run averages, led Trent Armstrong's 2.06 ERA. Armstrong ranks fifth in the conference in earned-run average, while his 39.1 innings pitched ranks third. Kyle Wilson maintains a 2.30 ERA and ranks fourth in the conference with 37 strikeouts. Geoffrey Birkemeier has pitched 27.0 innings and recorded a 2.33 ERA.
 
SCOUTING THE CRIMSON STORM
Southern Nazarene (1-20, 1-11 GAC) has lost 10 consecutive games, and the Crimson Storm are 0-10 at home this season. SNU's only win of the season came in a 2-1 victory over Henderson State on Feb. 18.
 
The Storm are batting .223 as a team and are led by Mike Descisciolo's .306 average. Descisciolo leads Southern Nazarene in runs, hits, home runs, runs batted in and slugging. Tyler Stevens is hitting .295 this season and has doubled a team-high seven times. Garrett Perez ranks third in the conference with 13 stolen bases in 15 attempts this season.
 
SNU's 9.42 earned-run average ranks at the bottom of the conference, and opponents are batting .349 against the Storm. David Gustafson leads Southern Nazarene with 30.0 innings pitched and 28 strikeouts, and Cody Tolbert has recorded the team's only complete game and win.