LITTLE ROCK — Central Arkansas Coach Allen Gum had a good feeling about his baseball team’s mentality after the Bears beat Mississippi State 2-0 last Tuesday in Starkville, Miss.
“We beat Mississippi State, and that was a big win,” said Gum, who is in his second year at UCA after spending five seasons at Southern Arkansas. “After we got done beating them in every part of the game — pitching, defense and executing on offense — our guys shook hands like they normally do. They didn’t jump up and down or do anything like that. They went through the line and shook hands like they normally do. We got showered up and got on the bus. It wasn’t like we knocked off a SEC power.
“I knew right then that being in the tournament wasn’t going to be enough.”
The “tournament” Gum was referring to is the Southland Conference Tournament. The seventh-seeded Bears open the tournament at 7 Central tonight against second-seeded Southeastern Louisiana in a first-round matchup at Texas State’s Bobcat Ballpark in San Marcos.
UCA (25-28) clinched a berth into the eight-team, double-elimination tournament last Friday with a 13-4 victory against Sam Houston State in Conway. The Bears, who were picked to finish last in the preseason conference poll, tied for sixth in the conference standings at 16-17 with Stephen F. Austin but drew the No. 7 seed because of a tiebreaker. (UCA lost 2 of 3 to Stephen F. Austin on May 11-13).
Southeastern Louisiana finished 36-19 overall and 20-13 in the Southland, but UCA handed the Lions their only home series loss this season, taking 2 of 3 on April 5-7 in Hammond, La.
The Lions are led by second baseman Brock Hebert, who batted a conference-best .388 with 2 home runs and 35 RBI in 55 games this season.
“They’re a very outstanding team,” Gum said of Southeastern Louisiana. “Our style of play is very similar, as far as what they do offensively. They’re very fast, they’re very athletic. ... They are sound in every part of the game.”
“It’s kind of a team we try to be. It’s a similar matchup. It’s going to be a tough matchup, but we’re looking forward to it.”
Gum said the Bears will start junior right-hander Caleb McClanahan. UCA’s Saturday starter during the conference season, McClanahan went 6-4 with a 4.37 ERA in 14 starts during the regular season.
Sophomore center fielder Jonathan Davis, who won the Southland’s freshman of the year award last season, will miss the remainder of the season with a wrist injury. Davis, who batted .333 with 29 RBI and 17 stolen bases in the leadoff position, underwent surgery Tuesday. He was injured May 5 against Texas-San Antonio.
“It’s a tough blow, for sure,” Gum said. “It’s tough on him also. He’s a big-play player and can carry the load at times.”
While the Bears finished 19-10 in Conway this season, they were 6-19 on the road. But Gum is confident that his team’s play as of late can carry over to the conference tournament.
“We’ve had some ups and downs, but lately they’ve played well,” Gum said. “They know when they stay within the system they can play with anybody in the country.”
At a glance CENTRAL ARKANSAS
VS. SE LOUISIANA
WHAT Southland Conference Tournament WHEN 7 p.m. today WHERE Bobcat Ballpark, San Marcos, Texas RADIO KUCA-FM, 91.3, in Conway INTERNET southland.org PITCHERS UCA: RHP Caleb McClanahan (6-4, 4.37 ERA); Southeastern Louisiana: TBA
Sports, Pages 29 on 05/23/2012