CANYON, Texas – The No. 3 West Texas A&M baseball team returns home to host Arkansas-Fort Smith Friday and Saturday in a three-game series at Wilder Park.  The series is scheduled for a doubleheader Friday beginning at 4 p.m., followed by a single game Saturday at 1 p.m.

Fans can access links to live stats and streaming of the series at www.gobuffsgo.com on the baseball schedule page.  Check back to the site following the game for a recap of the contest.

WT is third nationally in the newest National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association Top 25, while ranking first in the latest NCBWA South Central Region Top 10.  Angelo State is No. 8 in the NCBWA Top 25 and second in the region top 10, while Lubbock Christian is 17^th and third in the region ranking.  Click here for the full ranking for NCBWA.

WT is 11^th in the Collegiate Baseball Newspaper Top 25 as Angelo State is No. 3 in the poll, Lubbock Christian is No. 21, and Texas A&M-Kingsville is receiving votes.  In the D2Baseballnews.com rankings, Angelo State is fourth, while Colorado Mesa is eighth, WT is 10^th and Lubbock Christian is 20^th.  WT remained No. 3 in the D2BaseballNews.com South Central Region ranking.  Click the links above for each of the full rankings for the respective outlets.

WT ranks 15^th in the latest Perfect Game Top 25 as the organization did a nice story on WT junior pitcher Marshall Kasowski as one of four players this week in NCAA Division II making some noise with great stats.  Click here to read the full article. 

Angelo State sits fourth in the Perfect Game rankings, while Colorado Mesa is 12^th, Lubbock Christian is 13^th and WT is 15^th. 

The Buffs are coming off a disappointing 2-1 loss at then-No. 17 Lubbock Christian Tuesday in Lubbock, Texas.  WT struggled hitting in the game, but pitching on both sides was strong again as the offenses combined for three runs and 13 hits as the pitching staff fanned 11 combined and walked just three combined batters.  WT senior Thomas Garland pitched the first three innings, allowing just two hits, one earned run with one walk and gave way to senior Justin McAllister who pitched five innings, allowing one earned run, walked one and fanned five.  LCU scored the eventual winning run in the bottom of the eighth after WT had tied the game at one in the top of the frame.

WT senior Chad Brown had the game-tying RBI with a single in the eighth with one out.  WT then had runners at the corners, but was unable to get anyone else home as Brown was thrown out at home on a fielder's choice to end the inning.  McAllister got two quick outs in the bottom of the frame, but a single up the middle and walk put two on to extend the frame.  Pinch-hitter Brenon Rhodes singled home the go-ahead run for a 2-1 lead.  In the ninth, WT had a leadoff walk and a one out single put two on.  WT had the tying run at third, but was picked off to end the game. 

The Buffs swept UT Permian Basin last weekend in the 2017 Lone Star Conference home-opening series as WT has won its last eight games at home and is 129-45 (.741) at Wilder Park since it opened in 2011. Prior to the LCU loss, WT had won six-straight and the 25-6 record is the best start to a season in program history.

The Buffs dominated UTPB over the weekend as the team hit .330 for the series on 37 of 112, while scoring 23 runs with six doubles, one triple, one home run and drove in 17.  The Buffs slugged .429 and reached base at a .408 clip, while going 6-for-9 in stolen bases with 13 walks and just nine strikeouts.  Seven players hit .300 or better for the series as the offense returned to early season form after a pair of tough hitting weekends. 

Senior Troy LaBrie paced the team hitting .545 with six hits, four runs scored, two doubles and four driven in, as he slugged a team-high .727 and reached base at a .571 clip.  Junior Adam Adkins hit the team's first home run since Mar. 19, Sunday in the opener of a doubleheader, as it was the 20^th round-tripper for the Buffs this season.  WT had gone six-straight games without a home run prior.  WT fanned just nine times in the series after striking out 71 times in the last two series', including a season-high 45 times in the 3-1 series win at Eastern New Mexico the week before the UTPB series.

On the mound, WT held UTPB to just .167 hitting on 19 of 114, allowing seven runs – four earned, with three doubles, one triple and the Falcons drove in five.  Kasowski was magnificent once again as he pitched his sixth game of 10 or more strikeouts in the 9-3 series-opening win last Friday.  He went six innings, allowing three hits, no runs, walked none and fanned 12.  He now has 96 strikeouts for the season to lead the nation and the 96 K's ranks third all-time in school history for strikeouts in a season.  Sophomore Dominic Yearego went 2-0 on Sunday with a pair of relief wins to improve to 5-0 on the year.  He pitched 6.2 innings, allowing one hit with a combined ten strikeouts. 

The Buffs and Lions have never met on the diamond as WT head coach Matt Vanderburg is in his ninth season at the helm of the Buffs.  He is the all-time winningest coach in program history with a 266-179 record at WT and is 365-246 all-time in 12 seasons of coaching. 

UAFS head coach Todd Holland is 70-56 in his third season at the helm of the Lions.  Holland is no stranger to WT or the Lone Star Conference as he was the head coach at Cameron University compiling a 317-238 record since 2004.  Holland is 21-14 against WT.

This season, the Buffs are hitting .331 on the year, ranking third in the LSC and 15^th nationally.   The Buffs have hit 82 doubles (fifth nationally), 12 triples (26^th nationally), 20 home runs (fourth in LSC) and driven in 222.  The team has scored 246 runs (31^st nationally) and is slugging .497(22^nd nationally), while reaching base at a .412 clip which ranks 21^st nationally.  The Buffs are 29 of 41 in stolen bases and have 32 errors for a .968 fielding percentage, which ranks 39^th nationally and leads the LSC.

On the bump, the Buffs boast a 2.64 ERA, which is fourth nationally and leads the conference.    WT has pitched 245 innings, allowing 203 hits as the Buffs rank 10^th nationally in hits allowed per nine innings at 7.41 per game.  WT has allowed 91 runs – 72 earned, walked 93 and fanned 321 as the Buffs lead the nation in strikeouts per nine innings at 12.0 and the strikeout-to-walk ratio at 3.43 ranks seventh nationally.  Teams are hitting just .223 against WT and have 203 hits, with 33 doubles, three triples and nine home runs, while scoring 91 runs.  The opposition is slugging .296 and reaching base at a .311 clip, while going 24 of 33 in stolen basses.  WT is 16^th nationally in WHIP at 1.21, while ranking second nationally in shutouts with six. 

At the dish, junior Nick Canas leads the team with a .393 average on a team-high 42 of 107.  He has scored 25 runs, while hitting nine doubles, a team-high four triples (17^th nationally and second in the LSC), two home runs and driving in 22.  Canas is slugging a team-high .607 as his 42 hits ranks fourth in the LSC.  Junior Jimmy Cubillos is second in average at a .380 clip on 35 of 92.  He has scored a team-high 34 runs (3^rd in LSC), with six doubles, two triples and 15 RBI.  Cubillos is slugging .489 and reaching base at a .482 clip with 16 walks and a team-low five strikeouts as he leads the league in fewest strikeouts per at bat at 17.6 ranking 36^th nationally.  He is four for four in stolen bases this season.  Junior Luis Amaro is third in average at .364 on 36 of 99.  He has 10 doubles, two home runs and has driven in a team-high 36, while scoring 14 runs.  His 36 RBI ranks second in the LSC and 50^th nationally.  Junior Adam Adkins and LaBrie lead the team with three home runs each as LaBrie has a team-high 15 doubles, ranking fourth nationally, while Adkins has 13, two-baggers ranking 35^th nationally and third in the league. 

On the mound, the Buffs are led by senior Joshua Payne who has a team-low 1.32 ERA, which ranks 22^nd nationally and first in the LSC.  He is 6-1 in seven starts with one complete game in 41 innings of work.  He has allowed 26 hits, 10 runs – six earned, walked 12 and fanned 58 as teams are hitting .179 against him.  Payne is 25^th nationally in WHIP at a 0.93 clip, ranking second in the LSC and he is second in the league in strikeouts with 58 ranking 32^nd nationally.  Payne was named NCBWA National Pitcher of the Week earlier this season.

Kasowski is 6-2 on the year with a 1.68 ERA in 10 appearances, with eight starts while pitching a team-high 48.1 innings.  He has allowed 22 hits, 11 runs – nine earned, walked 29 and fanned 96 as teams are hitting .133 against him.  His 96 strikeouts leads the nation and is third-most in a season in program history.  Kasowski is fourth nationally in hits allowed per nine innings at 4.10, while Payne is 21^st in the nation and third in the LSC at a 5.71 clip.  McAllister leads the team with seven saves on the year ranking 10^th nationally and second in the league.  Yearego is 5-0 with a 2.86 ERA in 10 appearance out of the bullpen.  Yearego has pitched 28.1 innings, allowing 27 hits, nine earned runs, walked three and fanned 28 as teams are hitting .250 against him.  Junior Noah Draper, the third anticipated starter this weekend behind Kasowski and Payne, is 1-0 with a 3.00 ERA in 21 innings.  He has allowed 20 hits, nine runs – seven earned, walked 12 and fanned 31 as teams are hitting .244 against him.

UAFS enters with an 18-14 record overall and an 8-4 mark in Heartland Conference play.  UAFS is 3-8 on the road this season, 0-3 in neutral site matchups and 15-3 at home.  The Lions are coming off a 1-2 weekend at Newman, losing the last two in the series.  Prior to the last two games, UAFS won seven-straight. 

For the Lions, Kasey Cooper leads the team with a .330 average on 37 of 112.  He has scored a team-high 28 runs, with four doubles, four triples, three home runs and 23 RBI.  Cooper is slugging a team-high .518 and reaching base at a team-best .453 clip. Logan Allen leads the team with 38 hits and has a .314 average with 27 runs scored, a team-high eight doubles, two triples and two home runs, while driving in 12.  Allen leads the team going nine of 12 in stolen bases and ranks 30^th nationally in hit by pitch, getting plunked 10 times.  Dion Williams leads the team with six triples and hitting .299 on the year, with 32 hits.  His six triples ranks third nationally.  Drew Duncan is hitting .290 on the year and ranks 17^th nationally in sacrifice bunts with seven.

As a team, the Lions are hitting .273 on the year in 32 games with 269 hits in 987 at bats.  The Lions have scored 174 runs with 42 doubles, 18 triples, 11 home runs, while driving in 147.  The team is slugging .385 and reaching base at a .371 clip, while going 29 of 43 in stolen bases.  UAFS has a .967 fielding percentage with 37 errors leading to 25 unearned runs.  The Lions are eighth nationally in sacrifice bunts with 34, while leading the nation in triples with 18.   

On the mound, the Lions have a 4.04 ERA with five complete games and seven saves in 265 innings.  UAFS has allowed 274 hits, 144 runs – 119 earned, walked 87 and fanned 246 as teams are hitting .266 against it.  Hayden Harvey leads the team with a 4-3 record in 53.1 innings of work and carries a 3.71 ERA.  He has allowed 57 hits, 27 runs – 22 earned, walked 12 and fanned 42, while teams are hitting .273 against him.  Evan Dodd is 3-2 with a 3.67 ERA in 49 innings, while Tyler Nelson is 4-4 with a 3.67 ERA in a team-high 54 innings with a team-best 52 strikeouts.  Nick Yonning leads the team with six saves on the year.