SAN ANGELO, TX — The No. 17 Angelo State Rams host a midweek non-conference matchup against Arlington Baptist this Wednesday, February 27, before they hit the road for another Lone Star Conference series against the University of Arkansas Fort Smith this weekend. Angelo State struggled at home last weekend against UT Tyler when the Rams lost their first series of the season 3-1.
Early season mishaps continue to hold the defending National Champions back this season. The Rams show flashes of brilliance here and there, but the consistency is not yet established. Head Coach Kevin Brooks talked about this exact issue at his weekly press conference on Monday at the Junell Center in San Angelo.
Watch the press conference below:
Pitching was a concern during the series against UT Tyler. In more than one of the games last weekend, ASU went down early and had to fight to pull back into contention for a win. Even in the game that Angelo State won 23-8 on Saturday, the Rams trailed 6-0 before they made a comeback. Coach Brooks said that the Rams have always been a counter-punch team, but he’d like to see Angelo State be the aggressor moving forward.
“Time for moral victories is over,” Coach Brooks said. “We’re past that.”
However, despite the loss against UT Tyler, the Rams still are a productive team. ASU leads the LSC in runs scored and is in the Top 3 in runs allowed. Over the course of a long baseball season, the numbers say this will work in the Rams' favor, even if the results aren't quite in the win/loss column as of yet.
The Rams will have their first shot at correcting this issue on Wednesday when ASU hosts Arlington Baptist at Foster Field on Wednesday. Arlington Baptist is 6-8 so far this season and experiences some of the same struggles that plague the Rams. This matchup will be a perfect warmup for another tough series after a long road trip to Arkansas this weekend.
The Rams play the University of Arkansas Fort Smith starting on Friday, March 1. First pitch is scheduled for 3 p.m.
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