North Alabama at Central Arkansas
WHEN 3 p.m.
WHERE Bear Stadium, Conway RECORDS North Alabama 9-32, 2-19 ASUN Conference; UCA 19-23, 13-8 STARTING PITCHERS Game 1: North Alabama RHP Austin Nichols (1-7, 8.81 ERA); UCA RHP Tyler Cleveland (5-2, 3.10 ERA). Game 2: North Alabama RHP Will Haberstock (2-7, 8.13 ERA); UCA RHP Jesse Barker (2-5, 5.27 ERA). Game 3: North Alabama LHP Jacob James (2-4, 5.93 ERA); UCA RHP Cade Fenton (0-2, 7.53 ERA) COACHES Mike Keehn (343-324-1 in 14th season at North Alabama and overall); Nick Harlan (19-23 in first season at UCA and overall) SERIES UCA leads 2-1 TV None RADIO KUCA-FM, 91.3, in Conway INTERNET ESPN-Plus SHORT HOPS The teams’ only previous meeting came April 1-3 in Florence, Ala., when UCA won two of three games and outscored the Lions 15-7 during the series. … North Alabama’s Luke Harper (.363) and Bears first baseman Hunter Hicks (.352) are among the ASUN’s top 10 in batting average. … Lions starter Austin Nichols has allowed 16 home runs — the most among qualified pitchers in the conference.
THE WEEK AHEAD
TODAY North Alabama*, 3 p.m.
SATURDAY North Alabama*, 6 p.m.
SUNDAY North Alabama*, 1 p.m.
MONDAY Off TUESDAY at Oral Roberts, 6 p.m.
WEDNESDAY Off THURSDAY Off
*ASUN game
UALR at Coastal Carolina
WHEN 5:30 p.m. Central WHERE Spring Brooks Stadium, Conway, S.C.
RECORDS UALR 21-19, 9-11 Sun Belt Conference; Coastal Carolina 26-15-1, 13-7-1 STARTING PITCHERS Game 1: UALR RHP Hayden Arnold (4-4, 2.67 ERA); Coastal Carolina LHP Reid VanScoter (7-2, 2.47 ERA). Game 2: UALR RHP Hoss Brewer (3-2, 5.82 ERA); Coastal Carolina RHP Michael Knorr (4-0, 2.58 ERA). Game 3: UALR TBA; Coastal Carolina RHP Nick Parker (3-3, 4.43 ERA) COACHES Chris Curry (171-208 in eighth season at UALR and overall); Gary Gilmore (1,027-546-3 in 27th season at Coastal Carolina and 1,280-648-5 overall) SERIES Coastal Carolina leads 4-2 TV None RADIO None INTERNET ESPN-Plus SHORT HOPS Today’s matchup features two of the seven qualified pitchers in the Sun Belt Conference with a sub-3.00 ERA in Reid VanScoter (2.47) and Hayden Arnold (2.67). … Coastal Carolina Cach Gary Gilmore has won his league’s Coach of the Year award 10 times and helped the Chanticleers win the 2016 national title. … UALR’s Canyon McWilliams (.364) and Noah Dickerson (.351) enter the weekend among the eight best hitters in the Sun Belt by average.
THE WEEK AHEAD
TODAY at Coastal Carolina*, 5:30 p.m.
SATURDAY at Coastal Carolina*, 1 p.m.
SUNDAY at Coastal Carolina*, noon MONDAY Off TUESDAY Off WEDNESDAY Off THURSDAY Off
*Sun Belt Conference game
University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff at Southern
WHEN 6 p.m.
WHERE Lee-Hines Stadium, Baton Rouge
RECORDS UAPB 9-30-1, 5-15 Southwestern Athletic Conference; Southern 15-27, 12-9
STARTING PITCHERS N/A
COACHES Carlos James (175-342-2 in 12th season at UAPB); Chris Crenshaw (35-55 in second season at Southern)
SERIES Southern leads 37-33
TV None
RADIO None
INTERNET uapblionsroar.com
SHORT HOPS UAPB is looking to win its first series since it took two of three games from Southern on March 19-20. ... The Jaguars are tied with Texas Southern for third place in the SWAC West Division. The Golden Lions are 6.5 games behind both. ... Southern's Taj Porter has been hit by pitches 17 times this season, which is more than any other player in the conference. ... UAPB is playing the second of seven consecutive road games. The Golden Lions will play a three-game set at Alcorn State next weekend before closing out the regular season at home with three games against Grambling State on May 19-21.
THE WEEK AHEAD
TODAY at Southern*, 6 p.m.
SATURDAY at Southern*, 3 p.m.
SUNDAY at Southern*, 1 p.m.
MONDAY Off
TUESDAY Off
WEDNESDAY Off
THURSDAY Off
*SWAC game
Arkansas State at South Alabama
WHEN 6:30 p.m. Central WHERE Stanky Field, Mobile, Ala.
RECORDS ASU 10-29, 5-15 Sun Belt Conference; South Alabama 24-19, 10-11 STARTING PITCHERS Game 1: ASU LHP Justin Medlin (1-4, 3.92 ERA); South Alabama RHP Matt Boswell (5-3, 4.24 ERA). Game 2: ASU RHP Will Nash (1-4, 6.07 ERA); South Alabama TBA Game 3: ASU RHP Carter Holt (0-2, 5.23 ERA); South Alabama TBA COACHES Tommy Raffo (340-385-1 in 14th season at ASU and overall); Mark Calvi (337-250 in 11th season at South Alabama and overall) SERIES South Alabama leads 30-18 TV None RADIO KNEA-FM, 95.3, in Jonesboro INTERNET ESPN-Plus SHORT HOPS South Alabama’s Miles Simington currently ranks third in the Sun Belt in batting average at .374. … In four of his past five outings, ASU’s Justin Medlin has held his opponent to three or fewer earned runs while pitching into the sixth inning. … The Red Wolves have not played a game in Mobile since April 2018 when they took two of three from the Jaguars.
THE WEEK AHEAD
TODAY at South Alabama*, 6:30 p.m.
SATURDAY at South Alabama*, 6:30 p.m.
SUNDAY at South Alabama*, 1 p.m.
MONDAY Off TUESDAY at Memphis, 6 p.m. Central WEDNESDAY Off THURSDAY Off
*Sun Belt Conference game