VAN PROVENCE ASSISTANT SPORTS INFORMATION DIRECTOR (cell)

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1 A R K A N S A S S T A T E U N I V E R S I T Y BASEBALL ARKANSAS STATE VAN PROVENCE ASSISTANT SPORTS INFORMATION DIRECTOR vprovence@astate.edu (cell) 11-8, , 5-1 ARKANSAS STATE SCHEDULE/RESULTS Date Opponent Time/Result Feb. 22 Ohio St.% L 7-3 Feb. 23 Seton Hall% W 6-3 Feb. 24 Navy% W 8-1 Feb. 25 Williams Baptist W 6-1 Feb. 28 Kansas State# W, 2-1. Feb. 29 Lamar# L,10-3. Mar. 01 Michigan St.# L, 6-5. Mar. 02 Lamar# L, 4-0 Mar. 05 at Ole Miss W, 7-5 Mar. 07 at Louisiana-Lafayette* W, 3-0 Mar. 08 at Louisiana-Lafayette* W, 9-5 Mar. 09 at Louisiana-Lafayette* W, 9-2 Mar. 11 Memphis L, 3-0 Mar. 12 Harris-Stowe (DH) W 3-2, 10-4 Mar. 14 Middle Tennessee State* W, 6-5 Mar. 15 Middle Tennessee State* L, 2-1 Mar. 16 Middle Tennessee State* L, 7-6 Mar. 18 at Missouri State Rained Out Mar. 19 at Missouri State L, 9-4 Mar. 21 Louisiana-Monroe* 7:00 p.m. Mar. 22 Louisiana-Monroe* 6:00 p.m. Mar. 23 Louisiana-Monroe* 1:00 p.m. Mar. 25 at Tennessee-Martin 3:00 p.m. Mar. 26 at Memphis 6:30 p.m. Mar. 28 at South Alabama* 6:00 p.m. Mar. 29 at South Alabama* 2:00 p.m. Mar. 30 at South Alabama* 1:00 p.m. Apr. 01 Tennessee-Martin 6:30 p.m. Apr. 02 Southern Illinois 6:30 p.m. Apr. 04 at Troy* 6:00 p.m. Apr. 05 at Troy* 6:00 p.m. Apr. 06 at Troy* 1:00 p.m. Apr. 09 at Southeast Missouri St. 6:30 p.m. Apr. 11 at Southern Miss 6:00 p.m. Apr. 12 at Southern Miss 2:00 p.m. Apr. 13 at Southern Miss 1:00 p.m. Apr. 16 Murray State 6:30 p.m. Apr. 18 at Western Kentucky* 6:00 p.m. Apr. 19 at Western Kentucky* 3:00 p.m. Apr. 20 at Western Kentucky* 1:00 p.m. Apr. 22 Southeast Missouri St. 6:30 p.m. Apr. 23 Ole Miss 6:30 p.m. Apr. 25 New Orleans* 7:00 p.m. Apr. 26 New Orleans* 6:00 p.m. Apr. 27 New Orleans* 1:00 p.m. May 02 Florida International* 7:00 p.m. May 03 Florida International* 6:00 p.m. May 04 Florida International* 1:00 p.m. May 09 at Florida Atlantic* 5:00 p.m. May 10 at Florida Atlantic* 4:00 p.m. May 11 at Florida Atlantic* 1:00 p.m. May 13 at Murray State 2:00 p.m. May 15 Arkansas-Little Rock* 7:00 p.m. May 16 Arkansas-Little Rock* 7:00 p.m. May 17 Arkansas-Little Rock* 2:00 p.m. May Sun Belt Conf. Tournament TBA 5/30-6/01 NCAA Regionals TBA Jun NCAA Super Regionals TBA Jun NCAA World Series TBA % Service Academy Classic XVIII - Millington, Tenn. # - Lamar Cardinal Classic - Beaumont, Texas * - Sun Belt Conference Game Sun Belt Conference Tournament - at Lafayette, La. All Times Central Time GAMES 20, 21 & 22 ASU INDIANS vs. LOUISIANA-MONROE WARHAWKS March 21-7 p.m. March 22-6 p.m. March 23-1 p.m. Tomlinson Stadium & Kell Field (1,200) Jonesboro, Arkansas Radio: KJCF Earl FM & ASUIndians.com Live Stats on ASUIndians.com LEADING OFF: The Indians of Arkansas State host the Warhawks of Louisiana-Monroe March in a Sun Belt Conference weekend series at Tomlinson Stadium and Kell Field. Friday s game is scheduled to get underway at 7 p.m., Saturday s start time is set for 6 p.m., and the first pitch for Sunday s finale is scheduled for 1 p.m. Every ASU Indian baseball game can be heard live on Earl FM in Northeast Arkansas. The live audio broadcast can also be accessed through the StateZone portion of the Arkansas State athletics website, ASUIndians.com. Live Stats may also be accessed by logging on to ASUIndians.com and clicking the link on the left sidebar. THE TEAMS: In its only mid-week game this week, Arkansas State lost 9-4 Wednesday afternoon at Missouri State. The Indians were to have played March 18 and 19, but heavy rain in the Springfield area forced the cancellation of the March 18 contest. The Warhawks were scheduled for two mid-week games as well, but like ASU, ULM s Tuesday game was rained out. The Probable Pitching Matchups Friday ASU - RHP Chase Ware (3-0, 3.08 ERA) ULM - LHP Jared Jennings (1-2, 4.70 ERA) Saturday ASU - RHP Jacob Maggard (2-1, 1.38 ERA) ULM - RHP Drew Graham (1-0, 5.66 ERA) Sunday ASU - LHP Joel Boeschen (2-1, 5.09 ERA) ULM - LHP Josh Lett (3-1, 2.49 ERA) Warhawks returned to action Wednesday, with Southern Miss rallying for a 7-5 win over the Warhawks. THE SERIES: Louisiana-Monroe leads the series ASU won the series in 2007 when the teams met in mid-may at Tomlinson Stadium. The Tribe posted a 7-5 victory to open the series, then dropped a 12-3 decision to the Warhawks in the Saturday game. In the Sunday finale, ASU got an eighth-inning grand slam from then-senior Josh Yates, and a solo home run later in the inning from then-senior Tyler Doke to rally for a victory and the series win. ON THE MOUND FOR THE TRIBE: Junior Chase Ware will take the mound in Friday s series opener. Ware stands at 3-0 on the season with an ERA of He has given up 20 hits and nine earned runs through 26.1 innings of work, with 22 strikeouts. Junior Jacob Maggard will start for the Indians in Saturday s contest. Maggard is 2-1 on the season with an ERA of 1.38, having surrendered just four earned runs through 26 innings of work. He has given up 21 hits while striking out 17 opposing batters. Senior Joel Boeschen will get the call for the Indians in Sunday s finale. Boeschen is 2-1 on the season with an ERA of Boeschen has given up 13 earned runs on 25 hits through 23 innings of work, with 17 strikeouts to his credit INDIAN BASEBALL 1

2 AMONG THE BEST IN THE BELT: Following last weekend s action, Arkansas State leads the Sun Belt Conference in team pitching, posting a league-best 3.01 ERA. The next-closest team is Louisiana- Lafayette, which holds a team ERA of Three ASU pitchers are among the Sun Belt s top-10, with junior Jacob Maggard leading the way with a 1.38 ERA. Junior Chris Bullington is second in the league with an ERA of 1.89, while junior Jett Jones is ninth with an ERA of The Indians four sacrifices during the March 14 game against Middle Tennessee is also the single-game high in the league, with senior Aaron Ferguson and junior Guy Brown each logging two sacrifices - also the most for any players in a single game this season. BAUMGARTNER OUT OF ACTION: Arkansas State freshman Todd Baumgartner will be out of action for at least six weeks after breaking his right index finger during practice HEAD TO HEAD ASU ULM 11-8, Record , Batting Avg Hits RBI Runs Scored Doubles Triples Home Runs Stolen Bases On-Base % Walks ERA Runs Allowed Earned Runs Allowed Saves Average Against Fielding % Double Plays T urned Putouts Assists Errors March 13 at Tomlinson Stadium. Baumgartner was hit in the finger with the ball during routine drills leading into the Indians home series with Sun Belt rival Middle Tennessee State. At the time of the injury Baumgartner was the reigning Sun Belt Conference Player of the Week after leading the Tribe to a victory over No. 2 Ole Miss and a series sweep of preseason SBC favorite Louisiana-Lafayette. For the week, Baumgartner went 9-for-20 at the plate with a home run, a double, four RBI and five runs scored. In addition, he posted a fielding percentage, starting all four games in left field and was 1-for-1 on stolen base attempts. We are obviously extremely disappointed to lose a talented player like Todd but I am sure that he will do all that he can to be back in the lineup as soon as possible, said ASU Head Coach Keith Kessinger. Knowing Todd the way that I do, I know that he will be a tremendous teammate on the bench during the time that he is injured. Through the first 15 games this season, the freshman from Edwardsville, Ill., was second on the team with 18 hits, and second on the team with four doubles. He led the Indians with six multi-hit games, had slugged a team-leading two triples, and his batting average of.290 ranked third on the ASU hitting charts. WARE WINS SBC PITCHER OF THE WEEK AWARD: Arkansas State junior Chase Ware was named the Sun Belt Conference Pitcher of the Week March 10 for his performance in game one of the Indians threegame sweep of preseason Sun Belt Conference favorite Louisiana- Lafayette March 8 & 9. The series sweep was the Indians first-ever against the Ragin Cajuns. Ware threw a completegame shutout against the Ragin Cajuns, giving up just three hits as he Ware led the Tribe to a 3-0 victory in game one. Striking out six batters while walking two, Ware improved to 2-0 in three appearances on the season. Ware held the Cajuns to a.100 batting average while surrendering just two singles and a double in the game. He now has 19 strikeouts in three appearances this season (21.0 innings) and has compiled a 1.71 ERA. I am extremely pleased that both Chase and Todd Baumgartner won the player and pitcher of the week awards, said ASU Head Coach Keith Kessinger. Chase was at his best against the Ragin Cajuns in a dominating performance that got our weekend off to a great start. BAUMGARTNER WINS SBC PLAYER OF THE WEEK AWARD: Arkansas State freshman Todd Baumgartner was named as the Sun Belt Conference Player of the Week March 10 for his performance in the Indians four games in the week ending March 9. Baumgartner led Arkansas State at the plate during the week, batting.450 as the Tribe handed previously undefeated and No. 2-ranked Ole Miss a 7-5 defeat in Oxford, Miss., to open the week s play, then traveled to Lafayette, La., where they swept three games from the preseason Sun Belt Conference f a v o r i t e Louisiana- Baumgartner Lafayette Ragin Cajuns. The series sweep was the Indians first-ever 2008 INDIAN BASEBALL 2

3 against the Cajuns. Against Ole Miss, Baumgartner doubled, drove in a run and scored a run, and in game two of the ULL series, he went 3-for-5 with a home run, two runs scored and two RBI. In game three against the Cajuns, Baumgartner went 3-for-6 with an RBI and two runs scored. For the week, Baumgartner went 9-for-20 with a home run, a double, four RBI and five runs scored. In addition, he posted a fielding percentage, starting all four games in left field Athletic Media Relations Arkansas State University PO Box 1000 State University, AR Telephone Fax Press Box Website - ASUIndians.com Baseball Contact - Van Provence, Asst. SID / vprovence@astate.edu Jerry Scott, Asst. A.D./ Sports Info. Dir jscott@astate.edu Gina Bowman, Asst. SID / gbowman@astate.edu Stephanie Fischer, Graduate Asst stephanie.fischer@smail.astate.edu MEDIA INFORMATION Credentials Working press credentials can be requested by contacting Van Provence at , or by at vprovence@astate.edu. Full-season and single-game credentials will be mailed whenever possible. If not, they will be left at the Tomlinson Stadium/Kell Field Box Office. Post-Game Interviews The Arkansas State locker room is closed to all members of the media. Head coach Keith Kessinger and requested assistant coaches and players will be available for interviews following a brief cooling-off period. At ASU s home games, all post-game coach and player interviews will be conducted in the press box. Baseball Releases All Lady Indian basketball releases can be obtained as a PDF document on the athletics website at ASUIndians.com. To be added to the broadcast for baseball releases, contact Van Provence in the Sports Information office. and was 1-for-1 on stolen base attempts. I am extremely pleased that both Todd and Chase Ware won the player and pitcher of the week awards, said ASU Head Coach Keith Kessinger. Todd is a very talented player who really had a break-out week in helping us to our 4-0 record on the road this past week. ULM DUO FOLLOWS UP ASU DUO: When pitcher Chase Ware and left fielder were named Sun Belt Conference Pitcher and Player of the Week March 10, it marked the first time this season that players from the same school won both awards in the same week. Louisiana-Monroe matched the accomplishment this week when pitcher Josh Lett and second baseman Kyle Suire won the honors. Suire helped lead the Warhawks to a 5-0 record last week while batting.455 with 3 Arkansas State On the Radio Indian Baseball can be heard on Earl FM, and online at Matt Stolz will handle the play-by-play, returning for his third season as the Voice of the Indians. Arkansas State Quick Facts Location Jonesboro, Arkansas Enrollment ,869 Nickname Lady Indians Colors Scarlet & Black President Dr. Les Wyatt Chancellor Dr. Robert Potts Director of Athletics.....Dr. Dean Lee Home Facility......Tomlinson Stadium Capacity ,200 Conference Sun Belt Head Coach..Keith Kessinger (6th Year) Record at ASU Overall Record homers and 13 RBIs in 22 at bats. Lett threw a compete game Sunday and allowed only two runs in the Warhawks 3-2 rubber match victory over New Orleans. The senior is now 3-1 on the year with a 2.49 ERA. PLUNKED: Junior Guy Brown is on pace to break the single-season hit-by-pitch record of 23 set by Derek Alferman in Brown has been hit by a pitch on 10 occasions during the 2008 season, including Brown three times March 12 against Harris-Stowe. FAST START IN SBC PLAY: When Arkansas State defeated Louisiana- Lafayette three games to none on the opening weekend of conference play, the Indians opened league play with a three-game sweep for the first time since and their 8-4 overall record was their best through 12 games since a 10-2 start in FIRST SWEEP OF CAJUNS: ASU s three-game sweep of ULL March 8 & 9 was the first time that the Indians have earned a series sweep against the Cajuns. The last ASU threegame series win against ULL came during the 2001 season when ASU dropped the first game of the series before bouncing back to win the final two. The Tribe also won the series with ULL during the 2004 season, but ASU won the series 2-0 when game three was rained out. RARE SWEEP AT LAFAYETTE: With their three-game sweep of ULL March 7-9, ASU became the first Sun Belt Conference team to sweep Louisiana-Lafayette in a three-game series on the Ragin Cajuns home field since the 2000 season. KESSINGER VS. RANKED TEAMS: Following the March 5 win over # INDIAN BASEBALL 3

4 2008 Sun Belt Standings As of March 17 West Division Conf. Overall W-L Pct. W-L Pct. ULM FAU Troy Arkansas State Middle Tenn WKU FIU South Alabama UALR New Orleans ULL Preseason All-Sun Belt First Team Danny Farquhar (Louisiana-Lafayette, Sr., SP) Hunter Moody (Louisiana-Lafayette, Sr., SP) Mike Obradovich (Florida Atlantic, Sr., RP) Chris LaGrow (South Alabama, So., RP) David Doss (South Alabama, Jr., C) Rawley Bishop (Middle Tennessee, Jr., 1B) Johnny Giavotella (New Orleans, Jr., 2B) Terrence Dayleg (WKU, Jr., SS) T.J. Baxter (New Orleans, Sr., 3B) Mike McKenna (Florida Atlantic, Sr., OF) Nolan Gisclair (Louisiana-Lafayette, Sr., OF) Clint Toomey (South Alabama, Sr., OF) Scott Hawkins (Louisiana-Lafayette, Jr., DH) Preseason Player of the Year Johnny Giavotella (New Orleans, Jr., 2B) Preseason Pitcher of the Year Danny Farquhar (Louisiana-Lafayette, Sr., SP) Preseason Coaches Poll 1. Louisiana-Lafayette (11) New Orleans Troy Florida Atlantic Middle Tennessee South Alabama Western Kentucky Louisiana-Monroe Florida International Arkansas State Arkansas-Little Rock 15 Ole Miss, the Indians have now knocked off seven ranked teams in five-plus seasons under Head Coach Keith Kessinger. In 2003, Kessinger s first season at ASU, the Indians defeated #25 South Alabama twice. In 2004, the Indians defeated #10 Ole Miss 10-7, and later in the season after the Rebels had risen to #6 in the polls, ASU handed Ole Miss a second loss, posting a 7-6 win over Kessinger s alma-mater. In 2005, the Tribe defeated ULL 6-2 and Ole Miss fell victim to ASU again in 2006 when the Indians won With this year s win over Ole Miss, the Indians ASU RECORD WHEN at home on the road neutral day games night games vs. left starter vs. right starter extra innings shutouts ASU scores 0-2 runs ASU scores 3-5 runs ASU scores 6-9 runs ASU scores 10+ runs opponent scores 0-2 runs opponent scores 3-5 runs opponent scores 6-9 runs opponent scores 10+ runs ASU scores in 1st inning opponent scores in 1st inning ASU scores first opponent scores first after 6 leading after 6 trailing after 6 tied after 7 leading after 7 trailing after 7 tied after 8 leading after 8 trailing after 8 tied ASU hits 0 home runs ASU hits 1 home run ASU hits 2+ home runs opponent hits 0 home runs opponent hits 1 home run opponent hits 2+ home runs ASU makes 0 errors ASU makes 1 error ASU makes 2+ errors opponent makes 0 errors opponent makes 1 error opponent makes 2+ errors ASU out-hits opponent opponent out-hits ASU hits are tied have now defeated the highest ranked team they have played with Keith Kessinger as head coach. MAGGARD BOUNCES BACK: Less than a year after undergoing Tommy John surgery, ASU righthander Jacob Maggard has bounced back strong in the early going of the 2008 season. Maggard has given up just four earned runs in 26 innings pitched. Maggard The junior from Monticello, Ark. has notched 17 strikeouts against 21 hits. He has given up just one multi-base hit this season, that being a Michigan State triple in the second inning, but the hit did not result in an earned run. His ERA of 1.38 is currently the best in the Sun Belt Conference. BREAKOUT GAME FOR HUDGINS: After batting just.188 in the first eight games this season, senior Ryan Hudgins, a 2007 second team All-Sun Belt selection, came up big for the Tribe in its 7-5 win over #2 Ole Miss March 5. Hudgins went 3- for-5 at the plate against the Rebels, with two Hudgins RBI s, a run scored and two stolen bases. LAMBERT EARNS FIRST SAVE: After setting the record for appearances and relief appearances in a single season a year ago, junior right-hander Nick Lambert earned his first career save against Ole Miss March 5. Lambert pitched the Lambert 2008 INDIAN BASEBALL 4

5 ASU BATTING LEADERS Must have played in 1/3 of ASU s Games Batting Cody Pace Todd Baumgartner Derrick Coleman Drew Benes Ryan Hudgins On Base Percentage Guy Brown Ryan Hudgins Drew Benes Cody Pace Derrick Coleman Runs Scored Guy Brown Derrick Coleman Drew Benes Brandon Eller Todd Baumgartner Hits Derrick Coleman Brandon Eller Drew Benes Ryan Hudgins Todd Baumgartner Runs Batted In Drew Benes Brandon Eller Todd Baumgartner Ryan Hudgins Derrick Coleman Doubles Drew Benes Brandon Eller Todd Baumgartner Guy Brown Ryan Hudgins 3 Triples Todd Baumgartner Home Runs Drew Benes Derrick Coleman Ryan Hudgins Brandon Eller Todd Baumgartner Walks Ryan Hudgins Guy Brown Brandon Eller Drew Benes Derrick Coleman Hit by Pitch Guy Brown Brandon Eller Drew Benes tied at Sacrifice Bunts Aaron Ferguson Guy Brown Cody Pace A.J. Prickel Todd Baumgartner Sacrifice Flies Guy Brown Lawson Hipps Drew Benes Todd Baumgartner tied at Stolen Bases Todd Baumgartner Guy Brown Ryan Hudgins Aaron Ferguson Cody Pace final inning against the Rebels, did not allow a baserunner, and struck out one batter. Lambert made 32 ASU PITCHING LEADERS Minimum 5 Innings Pitched ERA Andy Ferguson Jacob Maggard Chris Bullington Nick Lambert Chase Ware Opponent Batting Average Andy Ferguson Chris Bullington Nick Lambert Chase Ware Jacob Maggard Wins Chase Ware Jacob Maggard Jordan Kimball Joel Boeschen Andy Ferguson Saves Chris Bullington Nick Lambert Innings Pitched Chase Ware Jacob Maggard Joel Boeschen Jett Jones Chris Bullington Strikeouts Chase Ware Jacob Maggard Joel Boeschen Jett Jones tied at Appearances Nick Lambert Jordan Kimball Jett Jones Chris Bullington tied at Games in Relief Nick Lambert Chris Bullington Jordan Kimball Jett Jones Jordan Torr Runners Picked Off Chase Ware Chris Bullington Joel Boeschen Lawson Hipps Batters Struck Out Looking Joel Boeschen Chris Bullington Jacob Maggard Andy Ferguson tied at relief appearances for the Indians in 2007, and has a team-high seven appearances in He recorded his second career save March 12 against Harris-Stowe State and his third March 15 against Middle Tennessee. SAVES ADDING UP: After recording just six saves as a team during the 2007 season, the Tribe already has six to its credit in Junior Chris Bullington and Nick Lambert have all of the Tribe s saves, with each recording three on the season. The ASU single-season saves record is seven, set by Randy Walker in GOING YARD: A pair of newcomers lead the Indians in home runs on the season. True freshman Drew Benes and junior transfer Derrick Coleman have each launched three out of the park this season. Both players hit home runs against Seton Hall - ASU s second game of the season - while Coleman hit his second against Navy and Benes hit his second against Williams Baptist and his third against ULL. Coleman s third came on the first pitch the Indians faced March 16 against Middle Tennessee. MORE RENOVATIONS AT TOM- LINSON STADIUM: As part of an ongoing effort to improve the game-day experience for Indian baseball fans, 206 field-level seats have been added at Tomlinson Stadium and Kell Field. Included in the expansion is the addition of 26 handicap-accessible seats, with ramps for wheelchair access. The addition of the field-level seats at Tomlinson Stadium will bring fans over 20 feet closer to home plate than in the past. Front-row seating at the venue is now just 37 feet behind home plate. The chairback seats are 21 inches wide with 41 inches between rows, providing ample legroom for fans. In addition to the new seating area, party boxes have been added to the stadium to accommodate groups or corporate 2008 INDIAN BASEBALL 5

6 events, and plans are in place for future expansion that will include private suites. Fans throughout the stadium also have an improved view of the game with the addition of a new Dyneema backstop net. Dyneema backstop netting is used in most Major League parks throughout the nation and gives the most unobstructed view while providing maximum protection. The renovation marks the second major seating area improvement at Tomlinson Stadium in as many years. Last year, the Barton s Baseball Deck was added. The deck, located down the right field line, features picnic tables and barbeque grills for use by fans before and during ASU s home games. Other recent improvements at the stadium include the addition of brick columns under the grandstand and the replacement of the infield turf following last season. WOLVES ON THE WAY: March 13, at 11 a.m. on the east side of the Student Union, a roll-out ceremony for Arkansas State University s newly adopted mascot, the Red Wolves, revealed the new face of ASU athletics. The decision to bid farewell to ASU s Indians and Indian Family was not an easy one, but it was a collaborative decision at every level. The decision-making process was begun about a year ago in response to NCAA sanctions. At the urging of administrators, notably ASU Chancellor Dr. Robert L. Potts, a Mascot Selection Steering Committee was appointed and charged with gathering ideas for a mascot change from an extremely broad-based constituency that included current students, alumni, representatives from student athletics, athletic administration representation, and members of the community. Jim Pickens, emeritus trustee, was appointed committee Multiple Hit Games Total Ryan Hudgins Todd Baumgartner Derrick Coleman Brandon Eller Guy Brown Drew Benes Murray Watts Aaron Ferguson Lawson Hipps Cody Pace Joey Hoffman Team Multiple RBI Games Total Drew Benes Ryan Hudgins Todd Baumgartner Joey Hoffman Brandon Eller Derrick Coleman Murray Watts Team Hitting Streaks Longest Current Derrick Coleman Drew Benes Cody Pace Brandon Eller Guy Brown Todd Baumgartner Ryan Hudgins Murray Watts Lawson Hipps Aaron Ferguson Joey Hoffman chair to oversee the process and keep it representative of all constituencies. Pickens remarked, It was a pleasure playing a small role in the future of our university, and all concerned played a significant part in helping our institution move forward. On behalf of the Mascot Selection Committee, we wish to thank the administration, Board of Trustees, and various constituencies for the trust, confidence, and support we received as we went about this historic process of selecting a new mascot and mark for our university. I commend the Mascot Selection Committee for their dedication, professionalism, and hard work as we attempted to select a new mascot that is in keeping with the highest standards of our great university. Hopefully, the new mascot and imagery will serve to broaden and unify our base as together we strive for continued excellence in all aspects of our students' experience at Arkansas State University. I m thankful for the opportunity to participate in what I hope is a great new beginning for A-State." As Chancellor Potts noted at the historic Friday, March 7 ASU Board of Trustees meeting, on Jan. 30, the Mascot Selection Steering Committee concluded its work by recommending that ASU adopt Wolves or a variation thereof, such as Red Wolves, as the new mascot and nickname for our athletic team. After ascertaining that the nickname Red Wolves was unique among four-year universities, Potts brought it before the trustees, who ratified his selection. Potts remarked, The Red Wolf is a noble species of wolf that once inhabited Arkansas and still exists in small numbers in other states. They are vicious and very aggressive, and they run in packs. I believe that Red Wolves is the best choice ASU Board of Trustees chair Mike Gibson addressed the Mascot Selection Steering Committee s work at the historic board meeting marking the ratification of the adoption of Red Wolves as the new mascot INDIAN BASEBALL 6

7 Gibson noted of the committee s recommendation to the chancellor, It was done with class; it was done well, it was a tough job done well. On behalf of the Board of Trustees, I want to thank Jim Pickens, who agreed to serve as chairman of this committee and did a wonderful job, Dr. Robert L. Potts, chancellor of the Jonesboro campus who worked so hard to bring us to this point and to those committee members who were there and offered their input they all loved ASU everybody wanted the best, and I feel like you have come up with the best selection that anybody could find. Shortly after these comments, and as the meeting broke up, Gibson led the assembled company of ASU administrators and their legal counsel, board members, and members of the media, in a rousing wolf howl, in a satisfactory conclusion of the laborious process. Gibson and the assembled company weren t the only ones howling with joy. Kim Wheeler, executive director of the Red Wolf Coalition, a nonprofit conservation group based in eastern North Carolina, wrote the following message to Chancellor Potts. Wheeler wrote, The Red Wolf Coalition, Inc., and the many supporters of red wolf conservation are thrilled and send their howling congratulations to ASU on your choice of the red wolf as your mascot. I have passed along your mascot announcement to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service s Red Wolf Recovery Program and to the captive management facilities across the United States with great enthusiasm. We consider our red wolf supporters and captive management facilities to be one big family, and we welcome the students, staff, and alumni of Arkansas State University to the family. Wheeler can t wait to see the imagery, either, but she won t have to wait much longer. The team from ASU's Publications and creative Services department is ready to roll out the imagery that they created in-house for the new visage of ASU. According to Ron Looney, director, Department of Publications and Creative Services, all four of the department s staff artists collaborated in the creation of the Red Wolves imagery. Initial sketches of the wolf mascot were created by art director Mark Reeves and designer Mary Williams. Graphic designer Heath Kelly developed a unique lettering style, and staff artist Michael Johnson assisted with conceptual suggestions and digital manipulation of the art forms. The staff then combined their efforts to create the versions necessary for production of various types of university media. The Publications and Creative Services team look upon the project as entirely collaborative, and as a great experience for them all. ASU will promote that ASU-generated Red Wolves imagery, according to Gleen Hart, assistant athletic director for marketing and promotions, in many ways. Hart says, We will try to be as visible as possible with the new imagery being displayed via billboards, the student body, print material, commercials, newspaper ads, and merchandising. The new imagery will be a vital part of the new student group. We will continue to provide prizes, promotions, and incentives to increase student involvement in athletic-related activities. Doug Doggett, associate athletic director for external operations and Indian Club director, says that the name change, even for his own organization, obviously represents a significant impact on the athletic program and the university. We will continue to give thorough consideration to the switch from Indian names and imagery to Red Wolves throughout the process. ASU s athletic teams will begin competing as Red Wolves next fall at the beginning of the academic year INDIAN BASEBALL 7

8 Head Coach Keith Kessinger Now entering his sixth season as head coach of the baseball Indians, Keith Kessinger has compiled a record during his five seasons at ASU, including back-to-back winning seasons in 2004 and the first time the Tribe had posted back-to-back winning records since In his five seasons at ASU, Kessinger has not only brought national recognition to ASU baseball, earning victories over nationallyranked opponents, but has also overseen the transformation of Tomlinson Stadium and Kell Field into a source of pride for Arkansas State. While at Arkansas State, Kessinger has coached 10 All-Sun Belt Conference performers, four ABCA All-South Region players, and two All-Americans. Additionally, two players have been named as ESPN the Magazine Academic All-Americans. Kessinger s teams have also set or tied 16 individual or team records during his five years at ASU. Despite an overall record of in 2007, the Indians did have the most Sun Belt Conference wins in a single season under Kessinger, winning 13 league games during the season. The Indians won league series over Florida International and Louisiana-Monroe in Jonesboro, and picked up road series wins over Western Kentucky and Arkansas-Little Rock. The Indians also defeated Big-10 member Northwestern at the Lamar Cardinal Classic in Beaumont, Texas. Three players, pitcher T.J. Brewer, designated hitter Josh Yates and shortstop Ryan Hudgins, were named All-Sun Belt at the conclusion of the season. Brewer, Hudgins and pitcher Nathan Gates all earned Sun Belt Conference Player of the Week honors during the season, with Brewer winning the award twice. Brewer and fellow senior pitcher Tim Egart were both selected in the Major League Baseball draft. Although the Indians also dipped below.500 in 2006, finishing at 22-30, ASU did post victories over nationally-ranked Mississippi, Southeastern Conference member Kentucky, Big 10 member Michigan State, and Memphis during the non-conference season. Additionally, the Tribe qualified for the Sun Belt Conference Tournament as it won Sun Belt series against UALR and WKU, sweeping UALR in early April. The Tribe also posted a record in 2006 at ASU's Tomlinson Stadium, designated hitter Josh Yates was named All-America as a junior, and following the season, two Indians were selected in the Major League Baseball Draft. ASU's 33 victories in 2005 tied a record for the fourth most victories in a single season for the Indian baseball program. The Indian offense posted a record breaking performance in 2005 under Kessinger's guidance as it re-wrote the ASU record books in almost every offensive category. The Tribe posted single season records in batting average (.314), runs scored (429), hits (632), doubles (135), home runs (78), runs batted in (390) and total bases (1023). The Tribe posted a 19-9 record at home at Tomlinson Stadium in 2005, which marked the most home wins since The Indians also recorded a record in Sun Belt Conference action including series wins over Arkansas-Little Rock, Western Kentucky, New Orleans and NCAA Tournament participant South Alabama. The Tribe s.500 winning percentage in SBC play is the best winning percentage for ASU since the 1998 season. Under his tutelage the Indians also gained national and regional recognition on both the team and individual levels. The Indians received votes for the first time in program history in the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association Weekly Poll. The Tribe placed three players on the All-Sun Belt First Team in first baseman Geoff Desmond, second baseman Brett Kinning and shortstop Chris Rich. Desmond also picked up NCBWA All-America honors for his record-breaking season as he set four new single season offensive marks. The Indians also highlighted the Sun Belt weekly awards in 2005 as they collectively took home eight total awards. The eight total awards for the team are the most ever for a team in a single season in Sun Belt history and the most since South Alabama and Southwestern Louisiana picked up six awards each in Included in those eight awards were six Pitcher of the Week honors with lefthander Taylor Fowler taking home a single season record five weekly honors. Fowler also was named the NCBWA/Pro-Line Cap National Pitcher of the Week and the Louisville Slugger National Player of the Week during the 2005 season. The Tribe has also made great strides off of the field as well. The In INDIAN BASEBALL 8

9 dians picked up the Sun Belt Conference Academic Team award for the third straight season. The Tribe posted a 3.0 team G.P.A. in 2005 to take home the honor. In 2004, the Indians posted a record marking the first winning season for ASU since The Indians picked up victories over nationally-ranked Ole Miss on two different occasions and posted a twogame sweep of Sun Belt foe Louisiana-Lafayette late in the season In his first season at the helm, Kessinger opened the season by leading his team to some upsets as they knocked off nationally-ranked South Alabama, beat the University of Memphis twice and defeated his alma mater Ole Miss twice. Since Kessinger's arrival on campus he has been instrumental in spearheading improvements at Tomlinson Stadium. Improvements have been made each year since his arrival and more improvements and renovations are planned for the future. In the five years that Kessinger has been at Arkansas State, the school has seen the ASU Baseball Complex transformed. Over 200 seats have been added to Tomlinson Stadium in time for the 2008 season, all at field level. The new seating includes 26 handicap accessible seats and moves the fans in the front row more than 20 feet closer to home plate than in the past. The ASU Legacy Walk was created during the offseason to honor friends of ASU Baseball for their contributions to the program, and during the 2007 season, the Barton s Baseball Deck was completed. The deck became increasingly popular throughout the season and includes barbeque grills and picnic tables. The ASU baseball program has also resurfaced the infield, added a second indoor batting cage, constructed two outdoor all-weather batting cages, relocated the bullpens, improved both teams' dugouts, refurbished the team's locker room, added landscaping features throughout the facility, added a batter's eye, replaced the speakers/sound system and constructed a new brick entrance into the ballpark during Kessinger s tenure. The Indians have also seen a marked improvement in attendance at Tomlinson Stadium since Kessinger's arrival. The Tribe posted a single game attendance record of 742 for a game against Ole Miss in his first season. The Indians also set an attendance record for a three-game series in 2006 as they drew 1,488 for a series against nationally-ranked Louisiana-Lafayette. Kessinger came to ASU after spending two seasons as head coach at Carson-Newman College, where he compiled a record of In 2002, his team finished 39-19, reaching the NCAA South Regional. CNC won the South Atlantic Conference regular season title while Kessinger picked up coach of the year honors from the conference. At Carson-Newman, he coached a schoolrecord nine All-SAC players in 2002, two All-Americans and the Division II National Player of the Year. The team also set or tied 18 individual or team records in his two seasons. Kessinger has an overall coaching record of through seven seasons at both Arkansas State and Carson-Newman College Prior to taking over the program at Carson-Newman, Kessinger was an assistant coach and recruiting coordinator at the University of Mississippi for four seasons. While there, he coached three All-Southeastern Conference players, two All-Americans and two freshman All- Americans as well as 28 academic All-SEC players. He helped guide the Rebels to three 30-win seasons in a row from Kessinger was a basketball and baseball player for Ole Miss and finished his career in the top ten in the Rebels' record book for hits, runs and doubles in a season. He was named All-Southeastern Conference second-team shortstop in 1989 and Academic All-SEC three times. He was drafted by the Baltimore Orioles in 1989 and played seven years for that team, the Cincinnati Reds and Chicago Cubs organizations. In his first major league appearance in 1993, he singled in his first at bat. Kessinger graduated from Briarcrest High School in Memphis, Tenn. in 1984 and received his Bachelor of Arts degree in managerial finance from Ole Miss in He is married to the former Laura Neyman and they have two children-anna Kathryn (11) and Chase (9). He is the son of baseball legend Donnie Kessinger who spent 16 seasons in the Major Leagues including time with the Chicago Cubs. Kessinger At A Glance Arkansas State in SBC, tie 8th 2006 Arkansas State in SBC, 7th 2005 Arkansas state in SBC, 6th 2004 Arkansas State in SBC, 8th 2003 Arkansas State in SBC, tie 7th 2002 Carson-Newman NCAA South Re gion al 2001 Carson-Newman Career at ASU (.476 winning percentage) Career Overall (.507 winning percentage) Education: Graduate of University of Mississippi, 1989, B.A. Managerial Finance. Playing Experience: Drafted by the Baltimore Orioles in played seven years with the Orioles, Cincinnati Reds and Chicago Cubs organizations... played at Ole Miss as a short stop... All-Southeastern Conference sec - ond team in Academic All-SEC three times. Coaching Experience: Head Coach at Arkansas State Uni ver si ty (2002-Present); Head Coach at Carson-Newman Col lege ( ); Assistant Coach at Uni ver si ty of Mississippi ( ) INDIAN BASEBALL 9

10 2008 Arkansas State University Baseball Roster Name Yr. Pos. Ht. Wt. B/T Hometown (Previous School) 1 Jordan Kimball So. INF/P S/R New Madrid, Mo. (Central) 2 A.J. Prickel Sr. OF R/R Cincinnati, Ohio (Ala. Southern) 3 Guy Brown Jr. INF R/R Harrison, Ark. (Harrison) 4 Aaron Ferguson Sr. OF R/R Paragould, Ark. (Crowder CC) 5 Derrick Coleman Jr. OF S/R Jonesboro, Ark. (Connors St. CC) 6 Grey Avant Jr. C R/R Germantown, Tenn. (Houston) 7 Jett Jones Jr. OF/P L/L Stuttgart, Ark. (Stuttgart) 8 Todd Baumgartner Fr. OF/INF R/R Edwardsville, Ind. (Edwardsville) 9 Hunter Smith So. RHP R/R Jonesboro, Ark. (Jonesboro) 10 Nick Lambert Jr. RHP R/R Norphlet, Ark. (Norphlet) 11 Joey Hoffman Fr. OF R/R St. Louis, Mo. (Parkway Central) 13 Cade Baxter Fr.-RS C R/R Forney, Texas (Rockwall) 14 Joel Boeschen Sr. LHP L/L Okawville, Ill. (SW Illinois CC) 15 Drew Benes Fr. INF/P R/R St. Louis, Mo. (Westminster) 16 Lawson Hipps Jr. C L/R Russellville, Ark. (Ft. Scott CC) 17 Cory Lambert So. LHP L/L Bryant, Ark. (Bossier Parish CC) 18 Cody Pace So. OF R/R Jonesboro, Ark. (Jonesboro) 19 Murray Watts Fr.-TR 1B L/R Jonesboro, Ark. (Arkansas) 21 Zach Skaggs So. LHP L/L Tuckerman, Ark. (Tuckerman) 22 Danny Riemenschneider Fr.-RS INF/P R/R Bryant, Ark. (Bryant) 23 Jacob Maggard Jr. RHP R/R Monticello, Ark. (Miss. Delta CC) 24 Pete Pasternak Sr. RHP R/R Desloge, Mo. (Forest Park CC) 25 Jordan Torr Jr. LHP L/L McKinney, Texas (Paris CC) 26 Chris Bullington Jr. RHP R/R Lavaca, Ark. (UA-Ft. Smith) 27 Brandon Eller Jr. INF/P R/R Sherwood, Ark. (Sylvan Hills) 28 Ryan Blackburn So. RHP R/R Jonesboro, Ark. (Nettleton) 29 Chase Ware Jr. RHP R/R Southaven, Miss. (NW Miss. CC) 30 Cody Powell Fr. RHP R/R Jonesboro, Ark. (Jonesboro) 31 Ryan Hudgins Sr. INF R/R Hayesville, Kan. (Butler Co. CC) 33 Sean Nichols Fr.-RS INF R/R Bastrop, La. (Ouachita Christian) 34 Andy Ferguson Fr. RHP R/R Benton, Ark. (Benton) 36 Tony Pavan Fr. RHP R/R Sherwood, Ark. (Sylvan Hills) 37 Taylor Stetzer Fr. INF R/R Rowlett, Texas (Rockwall) 20 Keith Kessinger Head Coach 12 Chris Cook Assistant Coach 35 Justin Meccage Pitching Coach 32 Steven Tharp Volunteer Assistant 2008 INDIAN BASEBALL 10

11 2008 Arkansas State University Season Baseball Statistics 2008 INDIAN BASEBALL 11

12 2008 Arkansas State University Season Baseball Statistics 2008 INDIAN BASEBALL 12