SAN MARCOS, Texas – For the second straight weekend, Texas State (26-15, 9-9 Sun Belt) will hit the road for a Sun Belt Conference series against a ranked opponent when it takes on No. 9 Coastal Carolina (28-12, 15-3 Sun Belt) at Brooks Springs Stadium. Friday's series opener is slated for a 5 p.m. CT first pitch followed by a 1 p.m. CT start on Saturday and wrap up on Sunday at 11:30 a.m. CT.
 
All three contests will be streamed on ESPN+ and live stats will be available.
 
PROBABLE STARTING PITCHERS
Friday: TXST RHP Wade Cooper (4-1) vs. CCU RHP Luke Jones (3-1)
Saturday: TXST RHP Cade Smith (3-1) vs. CCU RHP Ross Norman (5-3)
Sunday: TXST LHP Jesus Tovar (6-2) vs. CCU RHP Cameron Flukey (0-0)
 
ABOUT TEXAS STATE
The Bobcats are coming off a victory on Tuesday over UIW for their fourth consecutive midweek win. In conference play, TXST has dropped five straight after falling in all three contests at Southern Miss and the suffering setbacks in the last two contests against Troy. Texas State is 3-9 in road games this season with all of the wins coming at Georgia State.
 
Rashawn Galloway heads into the weekend leading the team with 59 hits, 18 doubles and three triples. He is batting .337 with 35 RBI, 35 runs and six home runs. In Sun Belt action, the senior is hitting .375 with 15 runs, 14 RBI, six doubles, four homers and two triples.
 
A quartet of Bobcats have left the yard double-digit times this season led by Dawson Park (50 RBI) with 13 home runs. Both Jaquae Stewart (42 RBI) and Jackson Cotton (42 R, 30 RBI) have hit 12 long balls apiece. Manny Salas (40 R, 32 RBI) has smacked 10 homers.
 
Ethan Farris is batting a team best .357 while driving in 25 runs, scoring 25 times and hitting eight doubles and round trippers. Also within striking distance of reaching double-digit long balls is Chase Mora with seven.
 
Slated to start on Friday is Wade Cooper. He is 4-1 with five saves, a 4.26 ERA and 35 strikeouts in 31.2 innings. Cade Smith gets the ball on Saturday and heads into the game with a 3-1 record, 3.46 ERA and 25 punch outs. Rounding out the rotation will be Jesus Tovar on Sunday. The lefty is 6-2 with a 5.06 ERA and 46 strikeouts over 48.0 innings spanning 10 starts.
 
ABOUT COASTAL CAROLINA
The Chanticleers come into the series having dropped two straight after falling to Georgia State in the series finale this past Sunday and then on the road at UNCW on Tuesday. CCU is 16-5 at home this season with a 7-2 record against Sun Belt opponents.
 
Dean Mihos is the only player hitting over .300 at .323. He also leads the team with 44 runs and 11 doubles while hitting five home runs and driving in 33. He is one of seven players to have stolen double-digit bases, coming in with 11. Rex Watson has a team-high 11 homers and 46 RBI.
 
Leading the team with 13 stolen bases is Blagen Pado. The trio of Blake Barthol (28 RBI), Jordan Taylor (4 HR) and Colby Thorndyke (24 R) have swiped 11 bags. Stealing 10 bases apiece has been Walker Mitchel (35 RBI) and Watson.
 
Taking the hill on Friday is going to be Luke Jones. The right-hander is 3-1 with a 3.96 ERA and 43 strikeouts in 52.1 innings spanning 10 starts. Also making 10 starts and getting the ball on Saturday will be Ross Norman, who is 5-3 with a 6.25 ERA and 40 punch outs. After suffering an injury the opening weekend of the season, Cameron Flukey makes his return to the rubber on Sunday. In his lone start, the highly touted right-hander struck out seven in 5.2 innings and surrendered two runs.
 
SERIES VS. CHANTICLEERS
Coastal Carolina leads the all-time series 13-7. Last season, the Chanticleers won the series in San Marcos with Texas State's lone victory being a 1-0 contest in the second game of the weekend. The Bobcats are 1-9 all-time when playing on the road. The only win came in the last meeting in Conway, South Carolina by a score of 10-8 on Mar. 25, 2023.
 
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