As the second half of Region 2 begins, Southern Arkansas University has a great chance to move up in the standings with just five road games remaining in the league.
Southark (21-15, 8-6) will play the first of its remaining road games today, starting a three-game series against SAU Tech (10-18, 6-9).
Game time is set for 3 p.m. The series moves to El Dorado for a Saturday doubleheader starting at 2 p.m.
The Rockets took two of three games from the Stars in the first league series of the year, but since dominating South Central Arkansas, SAU Tech has lost seven of its past eight games and lost seven of its last eight games to Bossier Parish (Los Angeles). ) and suffered a seven-game losing streak. .) Mondays from 2pm to 8pm.
In Game 1 at El Dorado, Asher Hastings and Sawyer Pritchard led the Rockets to a 3-0 victory with a two-hit shutout, and in Game 2 at Camden, Jacob Key had four hits to lead the Rockets to an 8-2 victory. did.
The Stars had 21 hits in Game 3, winning 26-7 and salvaging the finale. Since that win, the Stars have won 12 of their last 17 games, including handing off their then-No. 1 player. Arkansas State vs. Mountain Home suffered its first series loss in league play last weekend, but defeated Arkansas State vs. Three Rivers 5-3 in Tuesday's midweek game.
Sophomore outfielder Cooper McDaniel, who hit a home run in Game 3, leads the Rockets with five home runs and 23 RBIs. He is hitting .321. Sophomore catcher Jackson Cobb is batting .326 in 46 at-bats, and sophomore outfielder Jake Dupre is batting .324 with three home runs and 13 RBIs. He also recorded 15 stolen bases in 16 tries. Sophomore infielder Shea Thibodeau is batting .310 with four home runs and 11 RBIs.
As a freshman, Key performed admirably, pitching 36 innings with a meager 3 wins, 2 losses, and an ERA of 1.50. Pritchard, a sophomore, is 2-0 with a 4.03 ERA and two saves in 13 games. Hastings, also a sophomore, leads the team with 57 strikeouts in 38 1/3 innings, but his record is just 2-4 with a 7.09 ERA.
“Their offense is good,” Southark coach Cannon Lester said of the Rockets. “I think their first five or six hitters are about as good as anyone else in the conference. They can really power up top. Defensively, in their first game, they We played well. They had two really good pitches against us. Their closer had three or four wins against us, but his numbers are still very good.
“Their Game 2 players dominated just about everyone. He pitched well. They have a left-handed player at the top who's going to be a really great player if he comes out. Honestly, a sweep. “We need to keep their first five or six guys at bay and wear out their closer and No. 2. Hopefully, they need to get into the bullpen early.”
This series is important for both teams, with the Stars holding onto third place in the Region 2 Arkansas Division with National Park next at 7-8 and the Rockets next at 6-9. .
For Leicester, this is a series where Southark can separate themselves from the chasing teams with a good weekend.
“I think so too,” Lester said. “They beat us in two out of three games, so I think we gave them confidence. The second time around, you start to really see who's tougher. You don't tap into raw emotion anymore. It's like you can withstand situations with ups and downs, and that's true for all teams. It starts to affect us. Hopefully we can stabilize and continue to right the ship and good things will happen.”
A quick look at the rankings for both Arkansas and Oklahoma showed there wasn't a huge difference, and Lester said he wasn't surprised by that.
“Oklahoma and Arkansas are pretty similar in a lot of ways,” Lester said. “After the win, we told them we thought we were the most talented team from a pure talent standpoint, but we know that talent doesn't always win, especially in this game. Our pitchers have pitched really well. We need to be a little more consistent offensively. We're starting to find that. I think the biggest thing is defense. We're playing routine. Just do it.”
Southark is 9-2 at home this year, with SAU Tech giving up one of their two losses to the Stars, but Lester believes playing 10 of their last 15 Region 2 games at home will be a big advantage. he said.
“I don't think there's any doubt,” Lester said. “If you look at our record at home, we are definitely a better team at home. That's a big advantage because we're used to it, especially on the offensive side. We did it that way as intentionally as possible because as the season goes on, especially freshmen, they get tired. The road is going to get tiring. And we've come a lot, so we're excited about that. That's going to be a big advantage for us in the future.”
As far as the rotation goes, Coach Lester will pitch sophomore Brett Foss (4-5, 3.00 ERA) in Game 1, and freshman Ryan Arcelly (6-3, 3.52 ERA) in Game 2. He plans to pitch in the game, but said Game 3 is scheduled. Up in the sky. Lester added that depending on how today's game goes, he could score the first goal and end the game for freshman Colin Reid.
“We've seen Colin at the back end of games before and he's really good,” Lester said. “I don't know if he's broken his arm a little bit. Velo is down. He said he's fine, but I think this is the most innings he's ever pitched. , I think they're starting to catch up a little bit. We've really talked about using Collin like (Arkansas pitcher) Will McIntyre. They can throw him when they need him. His arm never hurts. In a starting role, I think he's a little reserved. He's 85 to 90 (mph) and has a very good breaking ball. In a starting role, he has a very good breaking ball. He's around 84, 85, 86. We want him to be around 85 to 90. He throws with high energy. He works really fast and puts pressure on hitters. .”
