Panthers Host Arkansas State in Sun Belt Series

GEORGIA STATE (16-17, 5-7) vs. ARKANSAS STATE (11-18, 2-8)
April 14-16 | GSU Baseball Complex

Georgia State hosts Arkansas State in a Sun Belt Conference series Friday through Sunday at the GSU Baseball Complex. The Panthers are coming off a midweek win over Middle Tennessee.

THE SERIES:
Friday, 6 p.m. (ESPN3)
Saturday, 6 p.m. (ESPN3)
Sunday, 1 p.m.

LEADING OFF
> Georgia State is No. 1 in the Sun Belt and No. 6 in Division I with 64 home runs, led by Dylan Strickland and Luke Boynton with 10 each, JoJo Jackson with eight and Max Ryerson with seven.

> The Panthers' total of 64 home runs is the fifth-highest season total in program history. The GSU season record is 82, set in 2010. The next best season totals are 77 (2000), 75 (2022) and 74 (2009).

> Georgia State also ranks in the top three in the Sun Belt in batting average, scoring, on-base percentage and stolen bases.

> Fifteen different Panthers have hit at least one homer, including three freshmen--Michael Maginnis, Colin Hynek and Jaden Anderson--whose first career hit was a home run. Seven different players have hit six or more homers.

> Fourth-year head coach Brad Stromdahl earned his 400th career victory vs. James Madison on April 8. Stromdahl (401-192 overall) took over the Georgia State program in 2020 after seven seasons as the head coach at Georgia Gwinnett, where he started the program from scratch in 2013 and compiled a record of 328-104. He led the Grizzlies to the Avista-NAIA World Series three times, including his last two years (2018-19).

WHO'S HOT
> Cameron Jones leads the Sun Belt and ranks No. 5 in Division I in stolen bases with 24. That total equals the second-highest season figure in program history.

GSU SEASON STOLEN BASES
1. Jimmy Fowlkes (1980) - 34
2. Jimmy Fowlkes (1981) - 25
Cameron Jones (2023) - 25

> Jones stole four bases in Game 1 at James Madison, coming within one of the school record of five, set by Henry Reese vs. Samford in 1985.

> Preseason All-American Max Ryerson is first in the Sun Belt with a .390 batting average, along with seven homers and 21 RBI. Ryerson is also second in the conference with a .504 on-base percentage.

> Ryerson has 38 career homers, tied for 14th among active Division I players.

> Luke Boynton hit his 10th homer in Tuesday's win over Middle Tennessee to equal Dylan Strickland for the team lead. He hit three homers in the Clemson series and two in the Coastal Carolina series. The junior first baseman has 22 career homers.

> Dylan Strickland was named National Player of the Week by Collegiate Baseball and Sun Belt Conference POTW on March 20 after going 7-for-14 with five homers, 10 RBI and nine runs scored in four games. He hit all five homers in the Troy sweep.

> Strickland hit five homers in a span of seven plate appearances over Games 2 and 3 vs. Troy. After homering twice in his last three at-bats in Game 2, he tied the Georgia State record with three home runs in his first four at-bats in the series finale.

> On the season, Strickland is hitting .367 with 10 homers and 27 RBI. He is eighth in the Sun Belt in average and homers.

> Starting pitcher Rafael Acosta has a 1.28 ERA in his last two starts. The senior right-hander has allowed just two runs and six hits in 13.0 innings with 10 strikeouts vs. Coastal Carolina and James Madison. He earned the win at JMU with a career-long outing of 7.0 innings, allowing one run on three hits with five strikeouts in the 3-1 victory.

> Freshman reliever Brady Jones pitched a 1-2-3 ninth inning in last Saturday's 3-1 win at James Madison to earn his first career save.

> The GSU starting rotation of Joseph Brandon, Ryan Watson and Rafael Acosta combined for a 3.63 ERA in 22.1 innings in last weekend's James Madison series. Watson and Acosta combined to two allow just three earned runs in 15.1 innings in Games 2 and 3.

> Shortstop Matt Ruiz hit a 3-run homer for Georgia State's only runs in last Saturday's 3-1 win at James Madison. Ruiz has six home runs and is tied for the team lead with 31 RBI.

SERIES NOTES
> Georgia State has won six in a row over Arkansas State.

> The Panthers swept three games at Arkansas State last season, 10-2, 7-4 and 5-4. GSU also swept the last series in Atlanta in 2018, 12-3, 16-7 and 3-2.

> Georgia State holds a 12-7 lead in the series, including a 7-2 advantage in Atlanta.

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Players Mentioned

#7 Joseph Brandon: RHP; 6' 1"; Freshman; R/R

#25 Ryan Watson: RHP; 6' 2"; Freshman; R/R

#33 Rafael Acosta: RHP; 6' 2"; Senior; R/R

#3 Luke Boynton: INF; 6' 5"; Junior; R/R

#22 Colin Hynek: C; 6' 1"; Redshirt Freshman; R/R

#42 JoJo Jackson: OF; 6' 2"; Sophomore; S/L

#1 Cameron Jones: LHP/OF; 6' 1"; Junior; R/L

#23 Max Ryerson: OF; 6' 2"; Senior; R/R

#10 Dylan Strickland: INF; 5' 11"; Junior; R/R

#11 Brady Jones: INF/RHP; 6' 0"; Freshman; R/R

#21 Matt Ruiz: INF; 6' 3"; Junior; R/R

#24 Michael Maginnis: INF; 6' 0"; Redshirt Freshman; R/R

Players Mentioned

#7 Joseph Brandon
: 6' 1"; Freshman; R/R
: RHP

#25 Ryan Watson
: 6' 2"; Freshman; R/R
: RHP

#33 Rafael Acosta
: 6' 2"; Senior; R/R
: RHP

#3 Luke Boynton
: 6' 5"; Junior; R/R
: INF

#22 Colin Hynek
: 6' 1"; Redshirt Freshman; R/R
: C

#42 JoJo Jackson
: 6' 2"; Sophomore; S/L
: OF

#1 Cameron Jones
: 6' 1"; Junior; R/L
: LHP/OF

#23 Max Ryerson
: 6' 2"; Senior; R/R
: OF

#10 Dylan Strickland
: 5' 11"; Junior; R/R
: INF

#11 Brady Jones
: 6' 0"; Freshman; R/R
: INF/RHP

#21 Matt Ruiz
: 6' 3"; Junior; R/R
: INF

#24 Michael Maginnis
: 6' 0"; Redshirt Freshman; R/R
: INF