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CONWAY, Ark. _ The University of Central Arkansas will use their final homestand of the 2021 baseball season to honor their seniors and graduates when they host the McNeese Cowboys in a Southland Conference series beginning Thursday night at Bear Stadium.
A long list of Bears, 18 to be exact, will receive their degrees in a graduation ceremony prior to Thursday's first pitch at 6 p.m. Before Saturday's 1 p.m. series finale, eight seniors will be honored for their career achievements as part of the Bears' program.
UCA (21-26, 16-20) will also need to win some games this weekend to earn a berth in next week's SLC Tournament in Hammond, La. UCA is currently tied for the eighth and final spot in the field with UIW with 48 points in the system the SLC is using to set the field this season. The Cardinals host Lamar in San Antonio this weekend to close out the regular season.Â
The Bears, who have not missed the SLC Tournament since 2010, split a series with last-place Houston Baptist last weekend on the road which would have given them a bit more of a cushion against the Cowboys. McNeese sits sixth in points with 57.
The Cowboys lead the overall series with the Bears 25-18 but UCA leads 11-9 in games played at Bear Stadium. The teams last met in 2019 when UCA won two of three games during the regular season in Conway but then lost to McNeese 4-2 in the SLC championship game in Sugar Land, Texas, after playing an elimination game earlier in the day. Pitching dominated the four games in 2019, with UCA sporting a 2.06 earned-run average and McNeese a 3.18 ERA. The teams combined for just 21 runs over the four games.
The Cowboys are coming off a four-game sweep of the Nicholls Colonels at home last weekend. However, McNeese is just 6-18 in road games this season, while recording 20 of their 26 victories at home at Joe Miller Ballpark.
The Bears and Cowboys had two of the best individual performances last week, with McNeese's Julian Gonzalez earning SLC Hitter of the Week honors after reaching base in 13 of his 15 at-bates vs. Nicholls. UCA's
Benny Ayala hit .727 with a 1.455 slugging percentage, with five doubles and a home run against HBU. Also, UCA freshman right hander
Tyler Cleveland had a win (his sixth) and a save (his ninth) last weekend and lowered his league-best ERA to 2.18.
Game times are 6 p.m. Thursday, 1 and 4 p.m. Friday and 1 p.m. Saturday. The games can be heard on The Bear 91.3 and at ucasports.com/KUCA, and live streamed at ucasports.com/watch.
UCA'S GRADUATES:
May 2020: Beau Orlando (exercise science);
Coby Potvin (family & consumer science);
Nathaniel Sagdahl (master's degree in health promotion)
Summer 2020: Logan Gilbertson (health education)
December 2020: Alonso Bibiano (health education);
Christian Brasher (MBA);
Ryan Johnston (management)
May 2021: Benny Ayala (general business);
Kinner Brasher (health education);
Taylor Daniell (health education);
Cole Halpin (finance);
Kolby Johnson (finance);
Rylan Meek (health education);
Mark Moyer (exercise science);
Brad Verel (exercise science);
Conner Williams (master's in exercise science); Director of Operations
Hunter Roberts (master's in sports management).
August 2021: Connor Emmet (management)
UCA'S SENIORS:
Coby Potvin (1B, Belton, Texas)
Alonso Bibiano (OF, Ellensburg, Wash.)
Beau Orlando (3B/C, Houston, Texas)
Mark Moyer (RHP, Russellville, Ark.)
Christian Brasher (SS, Fort Smith, Ark.)
Brad Verel (LHP, Broken Arrow, Okla.)
Conner Williams (RHP, Conway, Ark.)
Nathaniel Sagdahl (C, Federal Way, Wash.)
