RUSTON – The Diamond 'Dogs (13-8, 3-0 CUSA) look to close out the homestand with the Central Arkansas Bears (11-9, 1-2 ASUN) on Tuesday, March 17 at the Love Shack. First pitch is scheduled for 6 p.m. CT.
 
GAME INFORMATION
Date/Time: Mar. 17 (6 p.m. CT)
Location: J.C. Love Field at Pat Patterson Park (Ruston, La.)
Watch: ESPN+
Listen: 97.7 FM / LA Tech Athletics app / Varsity Network app
Stats: LATechSports.com/Stats
Series History: LA Tech leads 4-2
 
This is the first time the two clubs meet since 2010, when the 'Dogs and the Bears split a two-game home-and-home series. Tech won the most recent matchup at the Love Shack, 13-5, after falling to the Bears, 1-0, on the road in Conway, Arkansas.
 
That was the lone game played at UCA's home field, with five of the six all-time matchups being played in Ruston.
 
Tech looks to extend their three-game winning streak before heading into their first conference test on the road this season, coming off a sweep to open CUSA play at home against Delaware. The 'Dogs secured their first shutout win to open conference play since 1987 with a 5-0 victory Friday night.
 
Declan Dahl fired off seven shutout innings with eight strikeouts, earning him CUSA Pitcher of the Week honors following the end of the series.
 
The series was clinched with a 9-3 win on Saturday before a massive 17-4 eight-inning run-rule on Sunday capped off the series. Tech's 31 runs scored over the weekend were the most runs scored against a conference opponent scoring 39 at New Mexico State in 2024. The last time the 'Dogs scored at least 31 runs in a CUSA weekend at home was against WKU in 2022.
 
The Bulldogs have struggled in midweeks so far this season, holding a 1-4 record when not playing on the weekend. The lone midweek win for the 'Dogs this year was a 5-2 victory over Northwestern State on February 24.
 
UCA is coming off a series loss, dropping two of three games to Eastern Kentucky to open ASUN play. The Bears won a 16-12 shootout to open the series before losing Game 2 by a score of 16-3 and dropping the rubber match, 6-5.
 
The Bears have three hitters batting over .340 thus far in Nate Negre, Parker Gwyn and Zeb Allen. Allen leads the club with a .358 average and starts in all 20 games this year, along with 22 runs, seven homers, 5 total bases and eight stolen bags on a perfect eight attempts.
 
Parker also has eight stolen bases on 12 attempts, while batting .353 with four doubles, two triples and a homer. Negre bats .343 with 13 runs, two doubles, two triples and an OBP of .457, yet is one of three Bears to have struck out at least 20 times this year.
 
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