The long March home stand wraps up with another in-state opponent for the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff baseball team.
UAPB will host Central Arkansas at 3 p.m. Tuesday at the Torii Hunter Baseball Complex. This game will finish a stretch of 14 games, of which 13 were played in Pine Bluff. The lone exception was last week’s short trip to the University of Arkansas at Little Rock. The next eight games will be played on the road.
UAPB (13-17) is 8-4 at home during this stretch and brings a four-game winning streak into the first of three midweek matchups with the Bears. The Golden Lions will travel to Conway twice this season: once on April 7, and again on April 22.
UCA (14-14) has dropped seven of its past 10 games entering Tuesday, including dropping two of three over the weekend to Austin Peay in Atlantic Sun Conference play. The Bears do have a marquee win, a 5-4 road victory against SEC member Vanderbilt.
Independent reporting for Pine Bluff & Jefferson County since 1879.
UAPB Coach Logan Stout said the Bears are healthier this year than they were last season.
“Scouting report says they can really run,” Stout said. “They’re athletic. They can do a lot of things and cause a lot of damage to you. They beat Vanderbilt. They beat some really good teams this year. It’s going to be a tough matchup, but we’re ready for it.”
UCA junior outfielder Zeb Allen leads the Bears’ offense, hitting .318. He has as many home runs this season, 10, as UAPB’s entire team.
UAPB junior Blake Coleman hit his third home run in Sunday’s win against Alcorn State, tying him with shortstop Aaron Grant for the team lead. Coleman is hitting .323 this season, second only to Grant’s .341 among players with at least 25 games played.
The Golden Lions are 2-4 against in-state opponents so far this season with five games still to come. UCA is 1-3 with four to play.