STATE SPORTS BRIEFS: Wicklander, Bishop sign contracts | Sun Belt releases men's schedules | UCA lands 13 on ASUN preseason team

BASEBALL

Wicklander, Bishop sign contracts

FAYETTEVILLE -- Arkansas baseball's No. 1 starting pitcher in 2021 and a high school signee are the latest players with Razorback ties to sign professional deals after the MLB Draft.

Left-handed pitcher Patrick Wicklander signed with the Tampa Bay Rays for $147,500, according to MLB.com writer Jim Callis. The slot value for the 251st overall pick is $163,400.

Wicklander finished 7-1 with a 2.09 ERA last season.

Braylon Bishop, an outfielder signee from Texarkana, also signed with the Pittsburgh Pirates on Tuesday for $268,700. He was selected in the 14th round of the draft.

Bishop was ranked as the Razorbacks' third-best prospect by Baseball America and 88th overall. He committed to Arkansas on Dec. 16, 2017, when he was 15.

Right-handed pitcher Elijah Trest, a 19th-round pick of the Colorado Rockies, is the only Razorback taken in this year's draft who has not signed a deal.

-- Scottie Bordelon

BASKETBALL

Sun Belt releases men's schedules

The Sun Belt Conference released its 2021-22 men's basketball slate Tuesday afternoon, featuring an 18-game regular season with contests set for Thursday and Saturday over nine consecutive weeks.

After splitting into divisions a year ago to minimize travel, the Sun Belt will revert to its standard format with each team playing all 11 other schools at least once.

As in years past, the University of Arkansas at Little Rock and Arkansas State University will be travel partners, meaning they'll face the same two schools during a Thursday-Saturday stretch -- either at home or on the road.

The only time that won't be the case is Jan. 13 and 15 when they'll face one another. The Trojans will visit the Red Wolves first before playing 48 hours later in Little Rock.

Both UALR and Arkansas State will open conference play at home Dec. 30. The Trojans will host Georgia Southern at 6:30 p.m while Georgia State heads to Jonesboro to take on the Red Wolves.

The Trojans and Red Wolves will play just once against South Alabama and Troy, heading on the road for those two matchups in mid-February.

UALR and Arkansas State will each close the regular season at home Feb. 26 -- Coastal Carolina will be at the Jack Stephens Center and Appalachian State visits First National Bank Arena -- before the Sun Belt Conference Tournament, which runs March 3-7 in Pensacola, Fla.

Neither school has announced its nonconference schedule.

-- Mitchell Gladstone

FOOTBALL

UCA lands 13 on ASUN preseason team

Ahead of the Atlantic Sun's first football media day today, the league announced its preseason awards, which were chock full of recognition for Central Arkansas.

The Bears landed 13 players on the ASUN's all-conference team, headlined by Offensive Player of the Year Tyler Hudson as well as fellow wide receiver Lujuan Winningham. Junior quarterback Breylin Smith was one of the other four UCA players selected from the offensive side of the ball, and sophomore defensive lineman Logan Jessup highlighted the five Bears defensive players represented.

Junior kicker Hayden Ray and sophomore return specialist Cameron Myers grabbed two of the league's three special teams spots, ensuring that UCA had five more representatives than the next closest school. Jacksonville State had eight honorees and Eastern Kentucky was third with six.

Because the ASUN currently has just five football-playing programs -- not enough to qualify for an automatic berth into the Football Championship Subdivision playoffs -- the league will partner with the Western Athletic Conference for the upcoming season.

The ASUN-WAC Challenge will merge the Bears, Gamecocks and Colonels with WAC programs Abilene Christian, Lamar, Sam Houston State and Stephen F. Austin as well as transitioning schools Dixie State and Tarleton. The ASUN's other two programs, North Alabama and Kennesaw State, will remain in the Big South this fall.

UCA was projected to finish second in the ASUN-WAC Challenge behind reigning FCS champion Sam Houston State. All seven of the league's coaches picked the Bearkats to top the standings, with the Bears behind them and followed by Stephen F. Austin.

-- Mitchell Gladstone

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