Troy University Athletics
Friday, April 1
State University, AR
6:00 pm
Troy University
at
Arkansas State University
Trojans Head To Arkansas in Search of First Road Wins
4/1/2011 11:43:42 AM | Baseball
GAME NOTES | LIVE AUDIO | LIVE STATISTICS | E-MAIL RADIO CREW
JONESBORO, Ark. – After dropping their third road game of the season on Tuesday night in Auburn, the No. 21 Troy Trojans will open a three-game series tonight against Arkansas State in Sun Belt Conference play.
Troy is 0-3 on the year away from Riddle-Pace Field, but no road trip is more like a home away from home for the Trojans than Tomlinson Stadium. Troy owns a perfect 9-0 record all-time on the Red Wolves home field and leads the overall all-time series with ASU 16-2.
All three games of the weekend series will be broadcast by the Troy Sports Network with Barry McKnight (@barrymcknight) and Ricky Hazel (@troysid) on the call. The audio of the games will also be available online through TroyTrojans.com. Video will not be available for the three-game series.
The Trojans (19-5, 5-1) come into the weekend tied with Western Kentucky and Florida Atlantic atop the Sun Belt Conference standings. Arkansas State (12-15, 2-4) is tied with FIU and UALR, three games behind the league leaders.
Troy will once again turn to its solid rotation of weekend pitchers to lead the way. Junior right-hander Tyler Ray (5-0, 1.76) is second in the Sun Belt Conference in ERA this year and is tied for the league lead in wins. Ray has allowed just eight earned runs in six starts and only two in league play.
Arkansas State will counter with senior right-hander Andy Ferguson (3-1, 4.66) tonight. The Benton, Ark., native allowed five earned runs in six innings last Friday against UL Lafayette, but took a no decision in a 10-9 loss.
Neither Ray nor Ferguson is a stranger to tonight's opponents. It will be Ray's fourth career outing against ASU, against who he has a 2-1 career record with a 5.30 ERA in 18.2 innings of work. Ferguson will also be facing Troy for the fourth time in his career, entering the game with a 1-1 record and a 5.17 ERA in 15.2 innings of work.
Saturday's game will pit a pair of veteran right-handers against each other. Troy's Drew Hull (3-0, 2.12) missed his start in the series against South Alabama because of back pain, and struggled with his control last week against UALR. He walked a career-high seven in 4.2 innings last week in a no decision. Hull is 1-0 in three career outings against ASU with a 5.62 ERA.
Arkansas State will counter with junior Jacob Lee (2-2, 2.75). Lee earned his second win of the year last week against UL Lafayette and has had success in his career against Troy. He went the distance in a 12-2 ASU victory over the Trojans in the Sun Belt Tournament last May. He is 1-2 in his career against Troy with a 5.94 ERA.
On Sunday, Troy will send freshman left-hander Jimmy Hodgskin (2-1, 3.07) out for his third Sun Belt start. He lasted just five innings in his start last Sunday against UALR after he was hit on the left biceps by a line drive.
ASU will counter in the series finale with senior right-hander Brad Allen (2-2, 4.76). Allen got roughed up in his last start, surrendering six runs on nine hits in just three innings. The start will be his first against Troy, but his third career outing against the Trojans. He has worked 5.0 innings in two relief appearances against Troy, with no record and a 10.80 ERA.
Offensively, the Trojans will try to re-ignite their bats after getting just three hits on Tuesday at Auburn. The team is hitting .298 on the year, led by senior All-American Adam Bryant and junior third baseman Tyler Hannah.
Bryant enters the weekend with a career-best 12-game hitting streak, during which he is batting .431. Bryant is hitting .360 on the season and is tied for the team lead with three homers and leads the club with 29 RBI.
Hannah saw his 10-game streak come to an end on Tuesday night, but is still hitting .363 on the year.
Another hot hitter for the Trojans is freshman outfielder Ali Knowles. In just 11 starts, he is hitting a robust .406 on the year and has played near flawless defense in the outfield.
The Trojans and Red Wolves will open their series tonight at 6 p.m. Saturday's game is set for a 4 p.m. start and Sunday's series finale will be at 1 p.m.
Following the series with ASU, the Trojans return home on Tuesday night where they will host Auburn in a game that will be televised by CSS. Troy will then host the team that downed the Trojans in the 2010 Sun Belt Tournament, FIU, for a three-game series starting next Friday.
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