RUSSELLVILLE, Ark. - Arkansas Tech baseball will return to Tech Field on Friday, for a three-game series against Southern Nazarene. The Great American Conference series will begin with a single game on Friday at 7 p.m., followed by a doubleheader at 1 p.m. on Saturday.
GAME COVERAGE
Live video and statistics for all three games are available at www.arkansastechsports.com.
ALL-TIME SERIES
Arkansas Tech is 10-2 all-time against the Crimson Storm, in a series that began in 2013. The Wonder Boys took two of three games in last season's series, defeating SNU 5-4 and 3-2 before falling 8-1.
SCOUTING THE WONDER BOYS
Arkansas Tech (12-9, 7-5 GAC) enters the series ranked sixth in the GAC standings. In last weekend's conference games against Henderson State, the Wonder Boys took two of three contests, including an 8-5 decision to claim the series.
The Wonder Boys currently rank sixth in the GAC with a .283 team batting average. Riley Hickerson is batting a team-high .377 this season, and he has reached base safely in all 20 of the 21 games this season. Hickerson also leads the team with 26 runs batted in, he notched four of the RBIs in the 8-5 win over Henderson State as Hickerson hit a grand slam in the top of the third inning. Harry Gard leads the team in runs scored with 20, in walks with 11, and is tied for the lead in doubles with 6 and hits with 22. Gard ranks second on the team with a .349 batting average.
On defense, Tech is ranked third in the GAC with a 4.91 earned-run average. The Wonder Boys' pitching staff ranks third in the conference in strikeouts and fifth in opponent batting average. Hayes Cox leads the Wonder Boys and is second in the GAC with a 1.93 ERA in 37.1 innings this season. Cox holds a 4-2 record and has pitched three complete games. Michael Mueller paces Tech with 44 strikeouts and 38.1 innings pitched and holds a 4.46 earned-run average.
SCOUTING THE CRIMSON STORM
Southern Nazarene (8-12, 4-8 GAC) in ranked ninth in the GAC standings. The Crimson Storm have won two of their last three games, defeating Southern Arkansas 3-2 and 14-1 and falling to Central Oklahoma 8-4.
SNU is hitting .275 as a team this season, seventh-best in the GAC. Cole Wagner is batting .370 in 20 games, and is tied with Austin Cooper with 15 runs batted in to lead the team. HSU's defense has allowed opponents to a .297 batting average, which ranks eighth in the GAC. The Crimson Storm are led on the mound by David Gustafson, the reigning GAC Pitcher of the Week paces the team with 30.0 innings pitched and 40 strikeouts. Gustafson gave up just one run on two hits in 5.2 innings of work as he picked up his third win of the season as SNU downed No. 25 Southern Arkansas 3-2. He tied his career-high with 10 strikeouts for the second time this season in the start. It was the first time in school history the Crimson Storm took a series from Southern Arkansas.
-FIGHTON-
