SUN BELT
WHEN Today through Sunday
WHERE Bobcat Ballpark, San Marcos, Texas
FORMAT Eight-team, double-elimination INTERNET sunbeltsports.org
TODAY’S GAMES
(3) UALR vs. (6) Georgia Southern, 9 a.m.
(2) South Alabama vs. (7) Texas-Arlington, 12:30 p.m.
(4) Troy vs. (5) Texas State, 4 p.m.
(1) Louisiana-Lafayette vs. (8) Arkansas State, 7:30 p.m.
ARKANSAS STATE
RECORD 27-27
COACH Tommy Raffo (228-227-1 in eighth season at ASU and overall)
RADIO KNEA-FM, 95.3, in Jonesboro; KNEA-AM, 970, in Jonesboro
TODAY’S STARTER Cody Jackson (RHP, 2-4, 4.71 ERA)
ALL-SUN BELT PLAYERS 3B Tanner Ring (first-team), UTIL. Joe Schrimpf (second-team)
THE RUNDOWN ASU almost missed out on the tournament for the first time since 2009, Coach Tommy Raffo’s first season in Jonesboro. But the Red Wolves beat UALR in two out of three games last weekend to earn the final spot in the field. Their road is dificult, though, having to play the top-seed and perhaps the hottest team in the league today. Louisiana-Lafayette, ranked No. 24 by Baseball America, has won six in a row and 10 of its last 13 heading into the tournament. The Ragin’ Cajuns led the Sun Belt in team ERA (3.18) and strikeouts (462). Gunner Leger, today’s likely starter, was 6-3 with a Sun Belt-low 2.09 ERA this season. A victory would put ASU in a 7:30 p.m. second-round game Thursday against Troy or Texas State, while a loss would put ASU in a 12:30 p.m. elimination game against the loser of that game.
UALR
RECORD 26-26
COACH Chris Curry (42-59 in second season at UALR and overall)
RADIO None
TODAY’S STARTER Matt McDowell (RHP, 4-2, 4.26)
ALL-SUN BELT PLAYERS OF Ryan Scott (first-team), DH Dalton Thomas (firstteam), Hayden Martin (second-team)
THE RUNDOWN UALR is in the Sun Belt tournament for the first time since 2013 and enters as its highest seed since joining the conference in 1992. The Trojans got there with their offense, but will need better pitching to advance very far in a tournament that includes two teams that are, or at one time were, ranked in the national polls. UALR’s 6.11 team ERA ranks last in the Sun Belt and it lost the final two games to Arkansas State last weekend when it gave up six and eight runs in the ninth inning. Matt McDowell, today’s starter, held Georgia Southern to 1 run over 5 1/3 inning in a UALR loss on April 22. UALR won the series against Georgia Southern, but lost the series against the other two teams on its side of the bracket, Texas-Arlington and South Alabama. A victory would put UALR in a 4 p.m. game Thursday against Texas-Arlington or South Alabama while a loss would put it in a 9 a.m. elimination game Thursday.
SOUTHLAND
WHEN Today through Saturday
WHERE Constellation Field, Sugar Land, Texas
FORMAT Eight-team, double elimination RADIO KUCA-FM, 91.3, in Conway
INTERNET ESPN3.com
TODAY’S GAMES
(3) Northwestern St. vs. (6) McNeese State, 9 a.m.
(2) SE Louisiana vs. (7) New Orleans, noon
(1) Sam Houston St. vs. (8) Stephen F. Austin, 4 p.m.
(4) Lamar vs. (5) Central Arkansas, 7 p.m.
CENTRAL ARKANSAS
RECORD 28-25
COACH Allen Gum (180-152 in sixth season at UCA, 406-220 in 11th season overall)
TODAY’S STARTER Cody Davenport (RHP, 5-2, 3.50 ERA)
ALL-SOUTHLAND PLAYERS OF Tyler Langley (third-teaam), 2B Chris Townsend (third-team), 3B Logan Preston (thirdteam)
THE RUNDOWN Central Arkansas is hitting its stride as it begins the conference tournament. The Bears swept No. 2 seed Southeastern Louisiana in the final regular-season series last week and are 13-3 since April 23. The Bears did have trouble with today’s opponent, though. Lamar swept the season series, winning 19-5, 7-6 and 9-2 in March in Beaumont, Texas. UCA’s No. 5 seed is the best its entered the tournament since joining the conference in 2007, but it is 3-6 against the three other teams on its side of the bracket, Stephen F. Austin, Sam Houston State and Lamar. A victory would put UCA in a winner’s bracket game at 7 p.m. Thursday against the Sam Houston State-Stephen F. Austin winner, and a loss would put it in an elimination game at noon Thursday against the loser of that game.
SUN BELT SCHEDULE
at Bobcat Ballpark, San Marcos, Texas
All times Central
TODAY’S GAMES
GAME 1 No. 3 UALR vs. No. 6 Georgia Southern, 9 a.m.
GAME 2 No. 2 South Alabama vs. No. 7 Texas Arlington, 12:30 p.m.
GAME 3 No. 4 Troy vs. No 5 Texas State, 4 p.m. GAME 4 No. 1 Louisiana-Lafayette vs. No. 8 Arkansas State, 7:30 p.m.
SOUTHLAND SCHEDULE
at Constellation Field, Sugar Land, Texas
All times Central
TODAY’S GAMES
GAME 1 No. 3 Northwestern State vs. No. 6 McNeese State, 9 a.m.
GAME 2 No. 2 Southeastern Louisiana vs. No. 7 New Orleans, noon
GAME 3 No. 1 Sam Houston State vs. No. 8 Stephen F. Austin, 4 p.m.
GAME 4 No. 4 Lamar vs. No. 5 UCA, 7 p.m.