SAN MARCOS, Texas – For the last time as Sun Belt Conference members, No. 19 Texas State (25-9, 9-3 Sun Belt) and UTA Arlington (11-22, 4-8 Sun Belt) will face off in a weekend series. Thursday and Friday will see first pitch at 6:30 p.m. and Saturday's series finale is slated to start at 2 p.m. with all three games taking place at Clay Gould Ballpark.
 
None of the games will be streamed but fans can listen to the game through UTA's website. Live stats will also be available for all three contests.
 
PROBABLE STARTING PITCHERS
Thursday: TXST RHP Zeke Wood (2-1) vs. UTA RHP Tanner King (2-3)
Friday: TXST RHP Levi Wells (4-1) vs. UTA RHP Michael Wong (1-3)
Saturday: TXST RHP Cameron Bush (1-1) vs. UTA RHP Cade Winquest (1-1)
 
RANKED!
For the fifth consecutive week, Texas State is ranked in at least five of the major polls. The Bobcats are 18th in both Baseball America and Collegiate Baseball, 19th in D1Baseball, 20th in USA Today and 24th in NCBWA polls.
 
POWER 5 WINS
With Tuesday's win over Baylor, TXST claimed its seventh victory over a Power 5 program this season to set a new single-season record. The previous mark for a season was six wins set in 2004 and matched in 2010 and 2012. The other six wins this season for the Bobcats have been over Arizona (2), Ohio State (3) and Texas.
 
ABOUT TEXAS STATE
Dalton Shuffield paces Texas State offensively with a .371 average, 46 hits, 39 runs scored, 10 doubles, 10 steals and three triples. He shares the team lead of 28 RBI with John Wuthrich, who leads the team with nine home runs. Shuffield has hit seven homers and both Wesley Faison and Justin Thompson have left the yard six times apiece. Thompson heads into the weekend on a 24-game reached base streak and has hit safely in 10 consecutive games.
 
The rotation remains the same for the third straight weekend that begins with Zeke Wood (2-1, 2.98 ERA, 58 K) on Thursday. Levi Wells (4-1, 2.44 ERA, 46 K) gets the ball on Friday and Cameron Bush (1-1, 6.08 ERA, 30 K) takes the mound for Saturday's series finale.
 
Tristan Stivors shares the Sun Belt Conference lead with seven saves while also sporting a 4-1 record, 1.82 ERA and 38 strikeouts. Also with four victories out of the bullpen is Triston Dixon (2.67 ERA, 37 K). Matthew Nicholas (1-0, 0.82 ERA) has made 13 relief appearances.
 
ABOUT UT ARLINGTON
UTA comes in having lost four straight games after falling in seven innings to Abilene Christian by a 15-5 score on Tuesday. The Mavericks were swept last weekend on the road at Little Rock. When playing at home, UTA is 9-8 with a 4-2 mark against Sun Belt opponents with series victories over Troy and ULM.
 
Nick Pierce is the lone regular batting over .300 with a .308 average. Oscar Ponce comes in with a team-high 23 RBI and is hitting .292. A team best four homers have come off the bat of Steven Saunders.
 
Slated to start the series opener is Tanner King, who comes in with a 2-3 record, 4.78 ERA and two saves. He has struck out a team-high 42 while walking eight but hitting seven. Friday will see Michael Wong (1-3, 4.10 ERA, 32 K) start and Cade Winquest (1-1, 5.16 ERA, 31 K) gets the ball on Saturday.
 
Along with King, David Moffat has earned two saves while going 0-4 with a 4.38 ERA I 39 innings. Matt Norris sports a team-low 2.87 ERA in 10 relief appearances. He has struck out 16 over 15.2 innings.
 
SERIES VS. MAVERICKS
Texas State leads the all-time series 70-46. Last season saw UTA win the final two games of the series to claim its first series victory in San Marcos since 1994. The Bobcats won the series opener 2-0 behind a complete game from Zachary Leigh.
 
When playing the Mavericks on the road, TXST is 26-25 all-time. The last meeting in Arlington came in 2018 that ended with a Bobcat sweep.
 
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