ACU opens Southland play at Central Arkansas

CONWAY, Ark. – ACU baseball opens the Southland Conference schedule this weekend up in “The Natural State” against the Central Arkansas Bears for a four-game series. The Wildcats (8-3) are coming off a sweep against Arkansas State at home last weekend, and have the full week to get ready for league play. Friday's opener gets started at 4 p.m. (moved up two hours due to weather), and Saturday's doubleheader and Sunday's single game both begin at 1 p.m.

FOLLOW THE SERIES

SERIES HISTORY

ACU takes on UCA for the 11th, 12th, 13th, and 14th times this weekend, and the 'Cats will look for their first-ever win over UCA. ACU trails the all-time series 10-0, and it will be the third series played in Conway.

THE PITCHING MATCHUPS

Game 1: RHP Spencer Chirpich (2-0, 3.86 ERA) vs. TBD

Game 2: RHP Genner Cervantes (1-0, 5.11 ERA) vs. TBD

Game 3: LHP Adam Stephenson (0-2, 4.50 ERA) vs. TBD

Game 4: TBD vs. TBD

ACU STORYLINES

• RACKING UP THE K'S: ACU ranks 28th in the country with 11.4 strikeouts per nine innings this season. The Wildcats have struck out 120 batters as a pitching staff, with Max Huffling and Tanner Riley lead the way with 21 apiece. Seven players have double-digit punch-outs (Tyler Morgan - 18, Austin Glaze - 12, Spencer Chirpich - 11, Genner Cervantes - 11, Adam Stephenson - 11).
• RILEY'S REMARKABLE START: Right-hander Tanner Riley is 3-0 this season out of the bullpen, has not allowed a run, and has a miniscule 1.06 WHIP. In his 10.1 innings of work, he has 21 strikeouts, nearly two K's every inning. Riley is barely allowing base runners this season; the Clyde, Texas native is allowing a .114 batting average and has only walked seven batters.
• SAME ROTATION: Head coach Rick McCarty has his weekend rotation set for the season so far. Spencer Chirpich (3.86 ERA) gets the ball to open the series Friday, Genner Cervantes (5.11 ERA) goes again in Game 2, and Adam Stephenson (7.04 ERA) starts in Game 3. Game 4 is still to be decided.
• HITTER OF THE WEEK: Junior outfield Colton Eager has been named the Southland Conference Hitter of the Week after a historic week at the plate for the Wildcats. Eager hit .368 and slugged .789 for the week and drove in eight runs in the win over Arkansas State on Friday night, tying a long-standing RBI record from 2007 (Matt McGuire). Four of his seven hits went for extra bases (two doubles, two home runs), and he drove in eight runs, all in the opener against Arkansas State. Eager scored five runs in that game as well, and both home runs came in that wild game. Eager leads the team with a .356 average this season and 13 RBI.
• OFFENSIVE FIREPOWER: ACU is hitting .315 as an offense, ranking No. 21 in all of college baseball, but the power has been most impressive. The team's 28 doubles are the seventh-highest mark in the country, and 35 of their 119 hits this season have gone for extra bases. ACU has been patient at the plate as well; their 75 walks are No. 10 in the nation, and the .441 team on-base percentage is No. 10 in the country as well. The Wildcat offense scored 43 runs for the week and hit .293. The 26 runs scored against A-State were two shy of tying the record of 28 set in 1997 against Panhandle State.

SCOUTING CENTRAL ARKANSAS (3-4)

• The Bears had their first three games of the season canceled, but have since swept a two-game series against Tarleton and lost a single game to Missouri State.
• UCA scored 25 wins in two games against Tarleton, and lost a wild 15-9 game to Missouri State on March 7.
• Coby Potvin is the leader on offense with a .364 average, and Benny Avala is tied with Potvin for the team-lead in RBI with seven.
• The rotation is to be determined, but Mark Moyer is 1-1 with a 3.60 ERA and Ryan Johnston is 1-1 with a 4.50 ERA.