CONWAY, Ark. _ The University of Central Arkansas Bears will host the Missouri State Bears in a three-game, non-conference series beginning at 2 p.m. Saturday at Bear Stadium.

UCA (7-7) and MSU (6-5) have backed the series up a day due to weather concerns on Friday. The series will conclude with a noon doubleheader on Sunday.

UCA is coming off a solid showing at No. 2 Arkansas on Tuesday afternoon in Fayetteville. The Bears lost 9-7 but had the bases loaded in the ninth inning and scored once in the inning against the 10-2 Razorbacks. UCA out-hit Arkansas 9-7, including a three-hit day for junior designated hitter Jagger Schattle and a three-RBI day for junior third baseman Bryce Cermenelli.

Missouri State, which did not play a mid-week game this week, took two of three games from Arkansas State last weekend at Hammons Field in Springfield, Mo. All three were high-scoring games, with MSU winning 8-2 and 15-5 and losing 14-12 in the middle game of the series.

The maroon Bears are 4-4 on the road this season, with losses at Louisiana-Monroe, Southern Miss (twice) and Ole Miss. They are led by sophomore outfielder Zack Stewart, who is hitting .409 with 6 home runs, a .909 slugging percentage and a .490 on-base percentage.

As a team, MSU is hitting .257, with just one other player over .300 in sophomore third baseman Taeg Gollert at .336. The maroon Bears have hit 18 home runs and allowed just seven. Their team earned-run average is 4.55.

UCA, which has lost three consecutive games after a six-game winning streak, has four players hitting better than .300, led by Cermenelli at .359. Junior center fielder Drew Sturgeon is hitting .358 with a team-high three home runs, while Schattle is hitting .341. Junior catcher Casey Shipley, who was hit in the face by a pitch against Arkansas and left the game, is hitting .280.

UCA's team ERA is 5.51. Graduate Mason Griffin has a team-best three wins, while sophomore Hunter Alexander had a team-high two saves and has struck out 19 batters in just 9.2 innings.

The UCA Bears will not have a mid-week game next week before opening ASUN Conference play at home against Eastern Kentucky next Friday.