JONESBORO, Ark. – The Mississippi Valley State University baseball program will battle the Red Wolves of A-State in a two-game weekday series on Tuesday and Wednesday with both contests being nationally televised events on ESPN+.
What You Need to Know
Time and Dates: Tuesday, March 1 (6 p.m.) | Wednesday, March 2 (3 p.m.)
Records: Mississippi Valley State (2-3, 0-0 SWAC) | Arkansas State (0-4, 0-0 Sun Belt)
Location: Jonesboro, Arkansas – Tomlinson Stadium-Kell Field
Series History: Arkansas State Leads 4-1
Last Meeting: February 26, 2020 | Arkansas State 22, Mississippi Valley State 2 | Tomlinson Stadium-Kell Field
Winning Streak: Arkansas State (W4) | Mississippi Valley State’s Last Win: February 22, 2017 (10-9)
Mississippi Valley State Overview
Despite averaging just 3.7 runs per game at Nicholls, the Green and White still have elite offensive numbers for on-base percentage (.433, top-25 in NCAA) and scoring (8.4, top-45 in NCAA) while baserunning (3.40 steals per game, 7th in NCAA) and fielding (1.00 double plays per game, top-20 in NCAA) continue to shine as well.
Antonio Walker has gotten off to a torrid start in 2022, ranking top-35 in the country for on-base percentage (.615) and leading the SWAC with a .750 slugging percentage, thanks in large part to his first career home run on Sunday.
Maury Weaver has proven himself to be one of the most dangerous baserunners in the nation, slotting fifth among all of NCAA Division I with an average of 1.20 stolen bases a ballgame and the 13th-most steals in general (6).
Scouting The Opponent: Arkansas State Red Wolves
The Red Wolves have faced one of the toughest opening stretches in the land to begin the season, getting swept on the road by Samford who is receiving votes in the Top 25 before losing in Oxford to the third-ranked Rebels of Ole Miss last Wednesday. A-State was scheduled to host a Sunday doubleheader versus Arkansas-Pine Bluff, but it was canceled due to ice.
The Red and Black are the best in the Sun Belt Conference in terms of digging the long ball, smashing 1.25 dingers per night with five different student-athletes going yard over four games.
Jacob Hager has been the catalyst for the ASU lineup so far, posting a top-20 batting average of .538, posting 1.75 hits a game (2nd in Sun Belt), rocking the third highest on-base percentage in the conference (.571), and the seventh-best slugging percentage in the league (.769).
On the bump for the Red Wolves has been a committee style approach for Head Coach Tommy Raffo as 14 different pitchers have taken the ball with none of them surpassing four innings thrown.
Your financial support, whether it be through purchasing season tickets, making an annual donation or committing to a major gift, directly benefits Valley’s student-athletes in the classroom and in sports.
