CONWAY, Ark. _ The University of Central Arkansas Bears rode the arm of junior right hander Jesse Barker to a 5-0 shutout of the North Florida Ospreys in their ASUN series opener on Friday night at Harmon Stadium.

Barker, a 6-foot-2, 200-pounder from Benton, Ark., went the distance, allowing just five hits while striking out five and walking none. He worked out of a bases-loaded jam in the ninth to earn his second complete game of the season and third of his career. Barker improved to 5-2 on the season and dropped his earned-run average to 2.56.

The Bears (16-17, 7-6) got all the runs they would need against UNF starter Peter Holden in the second inning. First baseman Evan Hafley doubled down the left-field line and scored on shortstop Reid Bowman's single up the middle. Bowman advanced to second on a failed pickoff attempt and made it 2-0 when he came in on Tanner Leonard's base hit down the right-field line.

UCA upped the lead to 4-0 in the sixth when A.J. Mendolia and Kolby Johnson had consecutive doubles and Mason King singled in Johnson. The Bears put up one more for good measure in the eighth on a leadoff home run by Johnson, his seventh of the year, which ties him with Hafley for the team lead.

Hafley, Johnson, Leonard and center fielder Drew Sturgeon all had two hits as UCA finished with 12, including four extra-base hits. The Bears also stole four more bases, giving them 62 for the season, surpassing last year's total of 58 over 53 games.

Friday's game was the first meeting between the teams.

Saturday's schedule has been changed to a 1 p.m. (CT) doubleheader due to expected rain on Sunday. Game 3 of the series will begin approximately 30 minutes after the conclusion of Game 2.