Friday, March 3
Fayetteville, AR
4 PM ET
Wright State University
at
#8 Arkansas
Baseball heads to nationally ranked Arkansas
3/2/2023 3:45:00 PM | Baseball
DAYTON — The Wright State baseball program will close its season-opening road slate with a three-game series against No. 8 Arkansas from March 3-5 at Baum-Walker Stadium. The weekend series will broadcast live on SEC Network Plus. Live stats will also be provided.
Game 1 - Friday, March 3 - 4 p.m. ET - Watch - Live Stats
WSU RHP Jake Shirk (1-1, 5.40 ERA, 8.1 IP)
ARK LHP Hagen Smith (1-0, 0.00 ERA, 9.2 IP)
Game 2 - Saturday, March 4 - 4 p.m. ET - Watch - Live Stats
WSU LHP Sebastian Gongora (1-0, 1.80 ERA, 10.0 IP)
ARK RHP Will McEntire (1-0, 8.10 ERA, 6.2 IP)
Game 3 - Saturday, March 5 - 2 p.m. ET - Watch - Live Stats
TBD
ARK LHP Hunter Hollan (1-0, 2.79 ERA, 9.2 IP)
LAST TIME OUT
The Raiders are coming off a 1-2 weekend at Kentucky. Wright State dropped the opener 8-3 but bounced with a 12-9 victory in game two. The Wildcats collected a 15-0 shutout on Sunday to clinch the series win.
Wright State batted .214 over the three games with five doubles, six homers, and 15 runs batted in. The Raider pitching staff was tagged for 31 earned runs, but three newcomers in Warren Hartzell, Ty Roder, and Ben Vore worked scoreless frames in relief.
"POWER FIVE" WIN
Wright State's 12-9 win over Kentucky was its 20th win over a "Power Five" conference opponent since 2014. WSU finished with a season-high 13 hits, including eight for extra bases. The duo of Andrew Patrick and Jay Luikart combined to go 7-for-8 at the plate with two doubles, four homers, eight runs batted in, and six runs scored. Luikart batted 4-for-4 with a double, two roundtrips, three RBI, and four runs in addition to a walk and a steal. Patrick blasted a pair of two-run homers to go along with an RBI double, all in the first five innings of play.
Starting pitcher Sebastian Gongora earned the winning decision after limiting Kentucky to two runs on one hit and four walks while striking out four batters in five innings of work. Luikart tossed the final two innings to secure his first save of the year.
SCOUTING THE RAZORBACKS
Arkansas is 6-2 on the season, which includes a 4-1 record at Baum-Walker Stadium. The Razorbacks boast victories over Texas (3-2) and Oklahoma State (18-1) in addition to a series win over Eastern Illinois.
The Hogs are batting .300 as a team, led by Jared Wegner with team-leading marks in batting average (.433), hits (13), home runs (3), RBI (15), and runs scored (10). The pitching staff possesses a 6.56 ERA, but Friday starter Hagen Smith has yet to allow a run through 9.2 innings of work.
Arkansas is the only team in the country with at least 45 wins in each of the last five seasons, excluding the pandemic-shortened 2020 campaign. The Hogs have posted seven 45-win seasons in head coach Dave Van Horn's 20-year tenure at the helm. The host team finished 46-21 overall and 18-12 against SEC opponents last year. The Razorbacks pulled off seven wins in the NCAA Tournament before falling to eventual national champion Ole Miss in the College World Series.
HISTORY VS. ARKANSAS
Wright State is 0-3 all-time against Arkansas. The Raiders opened their 2008 season against the Razorbacks, losing all three games by five or fewer runs.
STOCK RISING
Sebastian Gongora entered the 2023 season with high expectations after being named the preseason Horizon League Pitcher of the Year and the conference's top prospect for the 2023 Major League Draft by D1Baseball.com and Perfect Game USA. He was also listed as the 82nd-ranked prospect for the upcoming draft by D1Baseball.
This season, the 6-foot-5 lefty is 1-0 through two starts with a 1.80 ERA and a .90 WHIP. Gongora has given up just five hits in 10.0 innings of work, limiting opponents to a .147 batting average.
STAY HOT, AP
Andrew Patrick has slashed .471/.550/.941 with two doubles, two home runs, five RBI, and five runs scored through six starts in 2023. The sophomore outfielder has added a team-leading three stolen bases and two hit by pitch. Patrick was at his best in WSU's 12-9 victory over Kentucky, going 3-of-4 at the plate with a double, two homers, and five RBI.
DÉJÀ VU
Julian Greenwell has blasted a two-run homer in his first at-bat of both series openers this season. The Columbus, Indiana native homered to center field at Hawaii (2/17), while his blast at Kentucky (2/24) went over the right field wall.
PITCHER OF THE WEEK
Friday starter Jake Shirk earned Horizon League Pitcher of the Week honors after firing six scoreless innings in Wright State's season-opening 8-3 victory at Hawaii (2/17). The junior right-hander allowed just two hits and one walk, while striking out six batters over 76 pitches en route to his first win of the 2023 season. Hawaii did not reach scoring position on Shirk in his last five innings of work.
HE GETS ON BASE
Justin Riemer ranks second in the Horizon League with a team-leading seven walks. The redshirt sophomore is tied for fourth on the team in hits and has struck out only once in 18 at-bats.
Game 1 - Friday, March 3 - 4 p.m. ET - Watch - Live Stats
WSU RHP Jake Shirk (1-1, 5.40 ERA, 8.1 IP)
ARK LHP Hagen Smith (1-0, 0.00 ERA, 9.2 IP)
Game 2 - Saturday, March 4 - 4 p.m. ET - Watch - Live Stats
WSU LHP Sebastian Gongora (1-0, 1.80 ERA, 10.0 IP)
ARK RHP Will McEntire (1-0, 8.10 ERA, 6.2 IP)
Game 3 - Saturday, March 5 - 2 p.m. ET - Watch - Live Stats
TBD
ARK LHP Hunter Hollan (1-0, 2.79 ERA, 9.2 IP)
LAST TIME OUT
The Raiders are coming off a 1-2 weekend at Kentucky. Wright State dropped the opener 8-3 but bounced with a 12-9 victory in game two. The Wildcats collected a 15-0 shutout on Sunday to clinch the series win.
Wright State batted .214 over the three games with five doubles, six homers, and 15 runs batted in. The Raider pitching staff was tagged for 31 earned runs, but three newcomers in Warren Hartzell, Ty Roder, and Ben Vore worked scoreless frames in relief.
"POWER FIVE" WIN
Wright State's 12-9 win over Kentucky was its 20th win over a "Power Five" conference opponent since 2014. WSU finished with a season-high 13 hits, including eight for extra bases. The duo of Andrew Patrick and Jay Luikart combined to go 7-for-8 at the plate with two doubles, four homers, eight runs batted in, and six runs scored. Luikart batted 4-for-4 with a double, two roundtrips, three RBI, and four runs in addition to a walk and a steal. Patrick blasted a pair of two-run homers to go along with an RBI double, all in the first five innings of play.
Starting pitcher Sebastian Gongora earned the winning decision after limiting Kentucky to two runs on one hit and four walks while striking out four batters in five innings of work. Luikart tossed the final two innings to secure his first save of the year.
SCOUTING THE RAZORBACKS
Arkansas is 6-2 on the season, which includes a 4-1 record at Baum-Walker Stadium. The Razorbacks boast victories over Texas (3-2) and Oklahoma State (18-1) in addition to a series win over Eastern Illinois.
The Hogs are batting .300 as a team, led by Jared Wegner with team-leading marks in batting average (.433), hits (13), home runs (3), RBI (15), and runs scored (10). The pitching staff possesses a 6.56 ERA, but Friday starter Hagen Smith has yet to allow a run through 9.2 innings of work.
Arkansas is the only team in the country with at least 45 wins in each of the last five seasons, excluding the pandemic-shortened 2020 campaign. The Hogs have posted seven 45-win seasons in head coach Dave Van Horn's 20-year tenure at the helm. The host team finished 46-21 overall and 18-12 against SEC opponents last year. The Razorbacks pulled off seven wins in the NCAA Tournament before falling to eventual national champion Ole Miss in the College World Series.
HISTORY VS. ARKANSAS
Wright State is 0-3 all-time against Arkansas. The Raiders opened their 2008 season against the Razorbacks, losing all three games by five or fewer runs.
STOCK RISING
Sebastian Gongora entered the 2023 season with high expectations after being named the preseason Horizon League Pitcher of the Year and the conference's top prospect for the 2023 Major League Draft by D1Baseball.com and Perfect Game USA. He was also listed as the 82nd-ranked prospect for the upcoming draft by D1Baseball.
This season, the 6-foot-5 lefty is 1-0 through two starts with a 1.80 ERA and a .90 WHIP. Gongora has given up just five hits in 10.0 innings of work, limiting opponents to a .147 batting average.
STAY HOT, AP
Andrew Patrick has slashed .471/.550/.941 with two doubles, two home runs, five RBI, and five runs scored through six starts in 2023. The sophomore outfielder has added a team-leading three stolen bases and two hit by pitch. Patrick was at his best in WSU's 12-9 victory over Kentucky, going 3-of-4 at the plate with a double, two homers, and five RBI.
DÉJÀ VU
Julian Greenwell has blasted a two-run homer in his first at-bat of both series openers this season. The Columbus, Indiana native homered to center field at Hawaii (2/17), while his blast at Kentucky (2/24) went over the right field wall.
PITCHER OF THE WEEK
Friday starter Jake Shirk earned Horizon League Pitcher of the Week honors after firing six scoreless innings in Wright State's season-opening 8-3 victory at Hawaii (2/17). The junior right-hander allowed just two hits and one walk, while striking out six batters over 76 pitches en route to his first win of the 2023 season. Hawaii did not reach scoring position on Shirk in his last five innings of work.
HE GETS ON BASE
Justin Riemer ranks second in the Horizon League with a team-leading seven walks. The redshirt sophomore is tied for fourth on the team in hits and has struck out only once in 18 at-bats.
Players Mentioned
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