The Diamond Wolves (new phrase, hope it catches on) are set to travel to Conway, South Carolina to take on the 12th-ranked Chanticleers of Coastal Carolina for a weekend Sun Belt series. This series will likely be the biggest challenge the Red Wolves face for the remainder of the regular season.
Arkansas State (17-6, 5-1 SBC) is off to their best start since 2012 and could leave an emphatic mark on their resume this weekend in Conway. The Red Wolves have been playing like a really good team, but great teams beat great teams. Road series are never easy in any league, adding an additional layer of difficulty to the task at hand. In other words, if the Red Wolves can pull it off and notch a series win, there will start to be a lot more chatter about the team from Jonesboro.
Both squads come into this matchup tied atop the Sun Belt conference, boasting 5-1 league records. A-State swept Troy on the road and won two-of-three against South Alabama at home. The Chants swept ULM on the road and then beat Troy in their first two matchups in Conway before losing the final matchup.
Despite being on a two-game losing streak as of this writing (they play a game Wednesday night), the Chants are a great baseball team. They are currently ranked in the top-15 in most major polls. Here are some notable games they’ve played thus far:
- 6-7 loss to 5 NC State (11 innings)
- 11-3 win vs. 25 Illinois
- 4-4 tie with defending national champion 7 Oregon State (11 innings)
- 5-8 loss at Clemson
Coastal Carolina (18-6-1, 5-1 SBC) is no stranger to success in baseball, as demonstrated by their 2016 College World Series title. Their eyes are set on a Sun Belt championship and another berth in the CWS. For A-State, the former is in reach, but it all starts with this weekend series.
Of course, winning or losing the series won’t automatically elevate or eliminate the Red Wolves. The winner will hold on to the top spot in the conference, but it is still a long season. In terms of confidence and momentum, however, not many series will hold the same weight as this one. If A-State can pull off a single win, it will help them overall. Pull off a series victory, though, and the hype train will full force in Jonesboro, and for good reason.
First pitch is set for 6 p.m. Friday at Springs Brooks Stadium.
RECENT REDWOLFREPORT.COM ARTICLES
DUGGAN LAYS OUT HIS PLANS FOR THE DEFENSE
HECKENDORF OUTLINES HIS PLANS FOR THE OFFENSE
ANDERSON DISCUSSES GOALS FOR SPRING BALL
TWO-OUT GRAND SLAM LIFTS A-STATE PAST TROY
KENDARIUS MOORE EXCITED ABOUT A-STATE OFFER
REDWOLFREPORT.COM BUSINESS PARTNERS
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Email LDMatheson@Gmail.com for information on becoming a business partner with RedWolfReport.com!
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE REDWOLFREPORT.COM MOBILE APP.
FOLLOW US ON TWITTER: @LUKEMATHESON - @REDWOLFREPORT - @CHASEGAGE1
Keep checking back with RedWolfReport.com all of your Red Wolf athletic and recruiting news!
