SAN MARCOS, Texas – The Texas State baseball team hosts Sun Belt Conference foe Arkansas State this weekend at Bobcat Ballpark with games taking place Thursday-Saturday.
 
Games on Thursday and Friday will both see first pitch at 6 p.m. Saturday's series finale is scheduled for a 1 p.m. start time.
 
The Bobcats enter the series 24-13 overall and 9-6 in the Sun Belt while the Red Wolves are 22-16 on the season and 8-7 in conference play.
 
A video stream and live stats will be available for all three games through the TXST athletic website. Bill Culhane will have the radio call on KTSW 89.9 FM.
 
Probable Starting Pitchers
Thursday: TXST RHP Hunter McMahon (4-4, 4.31 ERA) vs. ASU RHP Zach Jackson (5-2, 3.12 ERA)
Friday: TXST RHP Nicholas Fraze (5-3, 5.13 ERA) vs. ASU RHP Nate Alberius (4-3, 3.96 ERA)
Saturday: TXST RHP Connor Reich (5-1, 2.67 ERA) vs. ASU TBA
 
Scouting Texas State
Texas State enters the game having won three straight and five of the last six games. The Bobcats are 11-6 at home this season with a 4-2 mark against Sun Belt opponents.
 
Taking over the team lead in batting is Jaxon Williams at .354 after going 5-for-5 against Houston Baptist. He also leads the team with 51 hits and 42 runs scored while he is third with four home runs.
 
Dalton Shuffield is hitting .340 and paces the squad with eight stolen bases. Jayen Hubbard enters the series with a .336 average, 50 hits, 38 runs scored and tied for the team lead with five homes runs with Skyler Valentine.
 
Pacing TXST with 30 walks, 29 RBIs and 12 doubles is Will Hollis. The junior outfielder is also batting .331 with 41 base knocks.
 
Also batting over .300 this season are Travon Benton (.301) and John Wuthrich (.313). Over his last three games, Wuthrich is 7-for-15 with eight RBIs, five runs scored and two home runs.
 
Scheduled to take the mound this weekend are Nicolas Fraze, Hunter McMahon and Connor Reich. Fraze enters with a 5-3 record, 5.13 ERA and 56 strikeouts in 54.1 innings of work. McMahon sports a 4.31 ERA and has struck out 45 in 54.1 innings to compile a 4-4 record. Reich is 5-1 with a 2.67 ERA in 57.1 innings. He has struck out 58 while walking just 10 in a team-high 57.1 innings of work.
 
Scouting Arkansas State
Arkansas State is coming off an 8-4 win over Southeast Missouri State on Tuesday. The Red Wolves have lost five straight Sun Belt games after being swept at home by UTA and dropping the finale two games against Louisiana.
 
Sky-Lar Culver is the lone plater batting over .300 at .345. He leads the team with 49 hits, 12 doubles and 36 RBIs while hitting five home runs. Kyle MacDonald, the conference's preseason player of the year, has put up a .294 average with three homers, 28 RBIs and 24 runs scored but hasn't played in the last eight games.
 
Of ASU's 40 stolen bases, 24 have been by Drew Tipton in 25 attempts. The junior outfielder is batting .293 with 43 hits and a team-high 35 runs scored.
 
Justin Felix has hit a team-high eight home runs while driving in 31 runs and scoring 28 times. Alex Howard has smacked five homers, plated 29 runs and scored 28 runs.
 
Slated to start this weekend are Nate Alberius (4-3, 3.96 ERA, 41 K) and Zach Jackson (5-2, 3.12 ERA, 44 K). The third starter this weekend is TBA.
 
Kollin Stone has recorded six of the team's eight saves. The junior right-hander sports a 2.05 ERA, 23 strikeouts and a 1-1 record spanning 22 innings over 17 games. The Red Wolves' other two saves belong to Jack Jumper, who is also 2-1 with a 1.32 ERA and 26 strikeouts in 27.1 innings in 18 appearances.
 
Pitching in 17 games apiece has been Zech Jarrard (2-2, 3.62 ERA, 37 K) and Payton Lannon (1-0, 5-03 ERA, 23 K).
 
All-Time Series
Arkansas State leads the all-time series 13-6 and have a 12-4 mark over Texas State since the Bobcats joined the Sun Belt. The Red Wolves have won of the three games in each regular season meeting the past three years. Only once has the Bobcats won at home over ASU. That came on Mar. 31, 2017 by the score of 16-7 in the second game of a doubleheader.
 
For all things Texas State baseball, be sure to follow the team on Instagram and Twitter.