Arkansas begins a long homestand with another edition of the Natural State Series, this time welcoming UAPB to Baum-Walker Stadium. Here is a preview of the midweek matchup…

Schedule (TV)

Tuesday, April 16 - 6:30 p.m. CT (SECN+)

The game will be streamed on SEC Network-plus, meaning it can be watched online on ESPN3.com or on the WatchESPN app.

Weather Report

It will be in the low-70s when the game starts, but temperatures will dip into the mid-60s by the team it ends. There is a 5 percent chance of precipitation, according to the Weather Channel, but the biggest weather factor could be the wind, which will be blowing 12-15 miles per hour out of the south. That means it will be blowing in from right field.

Arkansas’ Starting Pitcher (season stats)

Tuesday - Fr. RHP Connor Noland (10 games/9 starts, 0-2, 5.94 ERA, 22 K/10 BB, 33 1/3 IP)

After a disastrous start at Vanderbilt in which he allowed all four hits and one walk before being relieved without recording an out, Noland will make the first midweek start of his career.

Considering he threw only 15 pitches in Saturday’s start, Noland should be fresh. The coaches will likely be looking for him to gain some confidence and show that he is capable of giving them innings over the weekend in SEC play.

Speaking of the weekend, this seemingly signals a change is coming to Arkansas’ rotation. It’s not a surprise because head coach Dave Van Horn mentioned that freshman left-hander Patrick Wicklander - who has made six midweek starts - will probably move into the rotation against Mississippi State.

In the Polls

Despite losing its series at Vanderbilt, Arkansas fell just one spot to No. 11 in the latest HawgBeat Composite Poll. A few individual rankings even still have the Razorbacks in the top 10. UAPB is unranked and checks in at No. 292 - out of 299 - in the RPI, while Arkansas is No. 6.

Scouting the Opponent

UAPB’s starting pitcher (season stats)

Tuesday - Jr. LHP Carlos Benoit (10 games/5 starts, 0-5, 6.69 ERA, 22 K/16 BB, 40 1/3 IP)

Now in his ninth season at his alma mater, head coach Carlos James has enjoyed some success at UAPB, including three straight SWAC Western Division titles from 2014-16.

However, the Golden Lions are struggling this season with a 6-27 overall record and 2-14 conference mark, which is dead last in either division of the SWAC.

They will likely pull out all the stops against Arkansas, as evidence by their starting pitcher. Benoit is one of UAPB’s top arms, having thrown the second-most innings on the team.

Coming out of Lackawanna C.C. - the same school that produced Arkansas offensive lineman Chibueze Nwanna - Benoit had been the Golden Lions’ Saturday starter, but didn’t throw last weekend against Southern.

Although his overall numbers aren’t very good, he didn’t allow an earned run in appearances against Oklahoma and Ole Miss. He gave up one unearned run on three hits and one walk while striking out four in 2 2/3 innings against the Sooners and one unearned run on one hit while striking out three against the Rebels.

UAPB might have everyone available out of its bullpen because it hasn’t played since Friday, when it played 16 total innings in a doubleheader.

That includes redshirt freshman right-hander Will Smith, who has started on the weekends but didn’t pitch against Southern. The Junction City product has struggled with command at times, with 19 walks, 13 hit batsmen and four wild pitches in 28 innings, but he leads the team with a 5.14 ERA.

Offensively, the Golden Lions’ best player by far is redshirt junior first baseman Nick Kreutzer. Currently riding a six-game hitting streak, he leads the team in virtually every offensive category, hitting .384/.493/.661 with 10 doubles, seven home runs, 34 RBIs and 21 walks.

They’ve also gotten a boost from junior third baseman Justin Robinson, who has hit .322 since missing the first part of the season. Although his batting average is down from the .331 he hit last year, sophomore second baseman Jarficur Parker was a preseason first-team All-SWAC pick and is hitting .292.

Throw in senior shortstop Ryan Mallison, a preseason second-team All-SWAC selection, and those are the top base stealers on a team that likes to use its speed. They are a combined 32 for 41 on stolen base attempts.

Historical Significance

This will be just the second time Arkansas has ever played a regular-season game against an in-state opponent in baseball.

The first time came just two weeks ago and it went poorly for the Razorbacks. UALR used a fifth-inning grand slam to propel itself to a 17-7 upset over the state’s flagship university.

Stat of the Midweek

The Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) is comprised of 10 historically black colleges and universities, or HBCUs. It is traditionally one of the worst conferences in college baseball.

For example, the highest ranked team in the RPI from the SWAC is Southern at No. 193. The other nine teams are outside of the top 250 with an average rank of 275. Four of them - including UAPB - are in the bottom 11.

When those teams match up with SEC teams, which is common because of the similar geographic footprints of the conferences, the results are usually not pretty.

Arkansas has never lost to a SWAC team, winning all 21 games by an average of 8.3 runs. The Razorbacks did get a scare from Grambling last year, though, needing four runs in the eighth to win 7-6 in North Little Rock.

Stat Comparison - Arkansas | UAPB (national rank, out of 297 teams)

Batting average: .294 (36th) | .252 (221st)

Slugging percentage: .462 (28th) | .383 (173rd)

On-base percentage: .393 (36th) | .348 (212th)

Home runs: 38 (t-30th) | 24 (t-123rd)

Runs/game: 7.2 (30th) | 5.4 (t-186th)

ERA: 4.13 (85th) | 9.79 (294th)

WHIP: 1.31 (41st) | 2.15 (292nd)

Strikeouts/9 innings: 9.6 (29th) | 5.8 (290th)

Strikeout-to-walk ratio: 2.36 (54th) | 0.86 (295th)

Fielding percentage: .972 (93rd) | .956 (261st)

Stolen bases/game: 1.39 (t-69th) | 1.82 (30th)

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