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FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. _ In the middle of their toughest stretch of the season, why not throw in a game against the No. 1 team in the nation?

The University of Central Arkansas Bears will take on the top-ranked Arkansas Razorbacks (19-3) on Tuesday night at Baum-Walker Stadium, The historic matchup, the first between the Bears and Hogs since way back in 1948, will conclude a 10-game road swing for the Bears.

The game, with a 6:30 p.m. first pitch, will also be the middle game of a brutal stretch of nine games in nine days for the Bears, with a nine-hour road trip to and from San Antonio tossed in for good measure. UCA had a four-game Southland Conference series against Incarnate Word last Friday-Sunday, then will host the league's preseason favorite, Sam Houston, in a four-game stand at Bear Stadium beginning Thursday. 

UCA (9-11, 6-6) is coming off a victory over UIW in the series finale on Sunday. The Bears also faced No. 4 Ole Miss last Tuesday in Oxford, Miss., losing 5-2. That makes it 14 games in 16 days overall since March 19.

The Bears have split all three of their SLC series this season, versus Abilene Christian at home and on the road at Lamar and UIW. The SLC instituted a four-game conference series schedule this season to give each program 40 conference games, but the move has also put a strain on pitching staffs around the league. UCA will start freshman Tate Busey of Pea Ridge, Ark., against the Hogs. Busey tossed two innings last week against Ole Miss and allowed two hits and one run while striking out three. It will be the seventh appearance of his career but first start.

Arkansas is expected to open with right hander Kole Ramage (0-1, 9.95 ERA), also his first start of the season.

Arkansas is coming off a three-game sweep of No. 2 Mississippi State last weekend on the road at Dudy Noble Field in Starkville, Miss. The Hogs are ranked in the top four in all five national college baseball polls after going 5-0 week last week, with an additional pair of wins over Memphis. Arkansas' only losses were to Oklahoma, Alabama and Louisiana Tech. The Hogs are 11-2 at home this season.

The Razorbacks are second in the the SEC in home runs with 40, trailing only LSU (44), but are ranked eighth in batting average (.278). Arkansas' earned-run average is 10th (3.78) but the Razorbacks lead the conference in fielding percentage (.984). UCA also leads the Southland with a .983 mark.

UCA is led offensively by senior first baseman Coby Potvin, who has been battling a leg injury. Potvin is hitting a team-best .375. Junior right fielder Conner Emmet is coming off a week where he hit .474 with two home runs and seven runs batted in over five games. Emmet, UCA's leading hitter a year ago in the pandemic-shortened season at .397, improved his 2021 average to .300 after a slow start and pushed his RBI total to a team-high 14.

The game will be carried live on The Bear 91.3 and on the SEC Network+.