ADA – The East Central University baseball team will be at Ken Turner Field this weekend for the opening Great American Conference series of the 2017 season.  The Tigers (0-7) will face Arkansas-Monticello, Feb. 18-19.  A double-header is set for Saturday, Feb. 18 at 12 p.m. and a single game on the slate for Sunday, Feb. 19 starting at noon. (Updated game dates and times).

ECU is coming off a home-and-home series with Central Oklahoma.  Senior Kaleb Matthews led the Tigers with a .500 batting average, three hits and 14 putouts.  Junior Connor Stevenson added a .364 average, two runs, four hits, two home runs and two RBIs.

The Boll Weevils are 2-4 so far this season, but will have a chance to improve their record with a game against Union Feb. 15 at home.  UAM has played just one true road game this season, picking up a win.

Nick Piraino is the top player at the plate for the Boll Weevils, with a .476 average, three runs, 10 hits and two RBIs.  He is one of four players hitting over .400 on the year, but is the only one who as play in all six games.

UAM has used a total of 11 pitchers this year, with only two seeing action in nine or more innings.  Landon McFaden and Dawson Moser are both 1-0, with a 0.00 ERA and five strikeouts.  McFadden has played in four games, with 7.0 innings of work and allowing five.    Moser has pitched in three innings and allowed two hits.

A year ago, the Boll Weevils took all three games in the series played in Monticello, Ark.  ECU hit .188 in the series and allowed a .361 average.  The Tigers trailed 15-35 in hits and 5-26 in runs.

Junior Jacob Cowling led the Tigers hitting, with a .667 average and two hits.  Senior JT Stevenson added a .400 average, two hits and an RBI.

Junior Shae Edmonds was one of six pitchers to see action in the series, throwing a complete game, allowing five runs and six hits and striking out two.

UAM's top returners from the series are Guy Halbert and Nick Piraino.  Halbert hit .545, with a run, six hits and two RBIs.  Piraino added a .500 average, five hits, three runs and two RBIs.

Grant Black and Braden Chambers both earned wins on the mound in the series.  Black threw a shutout, allowing seven hits and striking out four.  Chambers allowed three hits and two runs, while striking out four.

The Tigers trail UAM 6-10 in the all-time series, including a 5-9 mark in the GAC.  However, ECU has done better at home, with a 5-3 record.  While the Boll Weevils have been the victors in the last four games, ECU went 2-1 the last time the teams played in Ada.