Baseball opens I-20 rivalry Tuesday at UTA

ARLINGTON – ACU baseball is off to a 5-2 start to 2021, its best start to a season since 2018, and takes that record to the Metroplex on Tuesday night for a matchup with the UT Arlington Mavericks of the Sun Belt Conference. It's the first of two meetings this season with UTA, with the latter coming April 13 at Crutcher Scott Field. The Wildcats are off to their best start of the Rick McCarty era, and are coming off a 3-1 week against Texas A&M and New Mexico State, two teams who constantly find themselves in the NCAA Regional field at the end of seasons.

FOLLOW THE GAME

SERIES HISTORY

UTA leads the series 6-3 since ACU joined NCAA Division I before the 2014 season. The teams last met in March of 2019 when ACU beat UTA 4-2 in Arlington. The win snapped a three-game losing streak in the series, and ACU goes for its first winning streak against the Mavericks on Tuesday night. All three Wildcat wins in the series have come in Arlington (3-2).

THE PITCHING MATCHUP

LHP Max Huffling (1-0, 2.25 ERA) vs. RHP Cade Winquest (0-0, 4.50 ERA)

ACU STORYLINES

• HISTORIC WIN: The Wildcats went into College Station on Tuesday, and played a total team game in a 6-5 upset of the Texas A&M Aggies in Blue Bell Park. ACU outhit their SEC opponent 9-8, and got three strong innings to close it out from Tanner Riley to seal the win. Bryson Hill recorded the game-winning sacrifice fly in the top of the ninth, and ACU, who trailed twice in the game, completed the come-from-behind upset.
• RILEY'S EFFORT: Right-hander Tanner Riley entered the game in the seventh inning, and after allowing a hit to the first batter he faced, retired the next nine, including a 1-2-3 final ninth inning to earn the win. Riley struck out three and only needed 31 pitches in relief. He then tossed 2.2 innings of relief to get the win over New Mexico State, striking out seven batters during the game.
• BASH BALL: Freshman Sebastian “Bash" Randle is off to a spectacular start in his young career; the Wildcat shortstop is hitting a ridiculous .450 so far in 2021 with an OPS of 1.177. Three of his nine hits are doubles for a slugging percentage of .600.
• HUNTING GIES: Hunter Gieser has been extremely tough to get out so far; the first baseman leads a team that hits .330 with a .360 average, and four of his nine hits are doubles.

SCOUTING UT ARLINGTON (3-2)

• The Mavericks had their first series of the season canceled against Texas A&M-Corpus Christi, and are coming off a series win over SFA, taking the final two games of the weekend.
• UTA is led by Wyatt Divis at the plate, who is hitting .444 in nine at-bats. Boone Montgomery hits .385 and Tyler Rice is swinging it well with a .364 average.
• Cade Winquest gets the ball, who is 0-0 with a 4.50 ERA in his two innings out of the bullpen this season.