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CONWAY, Ark. _ A milestone will be achieved Friday afternoon when the University of Central Arkansas Bears host the Austin Peay Governors in ASUN Conference baseball action at Bear Stadium.
UCA senior right fielder
Kolby Johnson will become the Bears' career leader in games played in the Purple and Gray. Johnson, from Pearland, Texas, has played in 205 games at UCA, which is currently tied with Ethan Harris (2010-13) for most in school history. Johnson has also been in the starting lineup in 186 of those games, which ranks second all-time behind Barrett Ward's 199 starts (2002-05)
Johnson has 198 career hits, including 15 home runs (a team-high 11 this season) and 34 doubles, along with 23 stolen bases.
The Bears and Governors will be meeting for just the second time in history, following an APSU victory back in 2007 in Clarksville, Tenn. The Bears (19-24, 10-11) are coming off a three-game ASUN sweep of Bellarmine on the road last weekend in Louisville, Ky. UCA won 10-2, 9-3 and 8-5, racking up a combined 37 hits, stealing 10 bases and taking advantage of 15 walks.
UCA pitchers struck out 24 batters, including 11 by Friday starter
Jesse Barker, and walked just six on the weekend.Â
The Governors (22-23, 12-9) were swept at home last weekend by league-leader Florida Gulf Coast and took two of three at Jacksonville the week before. APSU has the No. 2 offense in the ASUN with a .307 batting average. The Governors lead the league with 112 doubles and are sixth in home runs with 53.
UCA counters with the league's second-best earned run average at 5.03. Barker leads the conference in ERA (2.54) and strikeouts (84) and is tied for the lead in victories with six.
The Bears will also be recognizing its graduates prior to Saturday's 6 p.m. game. Those graduates include:
Jesse Barker (general science);
Trey Harris (masters in health promotion);
Jack Angus (family & consumer science);
Spencer Nelson (health promotion);
Kolby Johnson (MBA in data analytics);
Brady Walker (MBA);
Noah Argenta (criminology); Taylo Derioun (family & consumer science);
Cade Fenton (family & consumer science);
Connor Flagg (finance);
Dillan Janak (computer science);
Tanner Leonard (health education/pre-PT), and
Drew Sturgeon (health promotion).
Game times for the weekend, due to graduation ceremonies at the adjacent Farris Center, are noon Friday, 6 p.m. Saturday and 1 p.m. Sunday.
