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BIRMINGHAM, Ala. _ The University of Central Arkansas Bears will open Atlantic Sun Conference play this weekend against the North Alabama Lions, but neither team will have a true home-field advantage.

The Bears (5-9) and Lions (3-12) will play their three-game series at Alabama-Birmingham's Young Memorial Field in Birmingham, due to construction on UNA's home field in Florence, Ala. The Lions have played 10 true road games and five neutral games so far this season, including three at Toyota Field, a minor league park in Huntsville, Ala., and two at Trustman Park in Pearl, Miss.

The Lions have already played three games at Young Memorial Field against UAB, dropping all three contests on Feb. 28-March 2. UNA's tough early season schedule also included games at No. 25 Auburn and No. 1 LSU.

UCA is coming off a 9-2 loss at No. 3 Arkansas on Tuesday, a game in which the Bears out-hit the Razorbacks 7-6 but gave up three home runs that accounted for seven of the runs.

The Bears are in second place in the ASUN Gold Division standings behind Austin Peay, which is 11-6 overall. The Governors open ASUN play at home against Lipscomb.

UCA is seventh in the ASUN in hitting with a .265 average while UNA is 11th at .207. The Lions are fourth in pitching with a 5.50 earned-run average while the Bears are ninth at 7.58. UCA is No. 1 in fielding percentage at .979 while UNA is fifth (.967).

UCA junior third baseman Bryce Cermenelli, coming off a 3-for-5 performance at Arkansas, is sixth in the league in batting average at .393 and is fourth in hits with 24. Junior Blaine French is fifth in on-base percentage (.526) and is fourth in walks with 14. UCA junior right hander Charlie Christensen is third in strikeouts with 24 and junior closer Hunter Alexander is seventh with 21.

Junior right hander Jacob Pannell is third in ERA at 2.25.

Game times for this weekend are 4 p.m. Friday, 2 p.m. Saturday and 1 p.m. Sunday.