Listen to Arkansas Tech baseball over the Internet. Admission to Tech Field will be free. Arkansas Tech qualified for the inaugural GAC Baseball Tournament last May. It was the third consecutive postseason berth for the Wonder Boys, matching their longest such streak in baseball at the NCAA Division II level. In order to break through and reach baseball postseason play at the NCAA Division II level for a school-record fourth consecutive year, Arkansas Tech must finish in the top six of the 2013 GAC baseball standings. The Wonder Boys (27-17 overall, 14-10 GAC) currently sit in fifth place in the Great American Conference. Nationally 13th-ranked Southern Arkansas University (31-12, 19-12) is in first place, while Southwestern Oklahoma State University (27-12, 17-7), Henderson State (21-19, 15-9) and the University of Arkansas at Monticello (28-16, 16-11) round out the top four. After Arkansas Tech, Harding University (24-16, 13-11), Southeastern Oklahoma State University (20-17, 12-12) and Ouachita Baptist University (19-21-1, 11-13) are the other GAC baseball teams still in the hunt for a postseason berth. Northwestern Oklahoma State University (19-21, 8-16), Southern Nazarene University (16-23, 8-19) and East Central University (8-30, 2-22) fill out the bottom portion of the GAC baseball standings. The Wonder Boys have the benefit of playing their final six conference games at home. After hosting Henderson State this weekend, Arkansas Tech will welcome Harding to Tech Field for a regular season-closing series on April 26-27. The 2013 GAC Baseball Tournament is scheduled for May 3-6 in Enid, Okla. Senior second baseman Cesar Abreu has been the Wonder Boys’ top offensive weapon this season. He ranks among the GAC leaders in batting average (4th, .391), on-base percentage (2nd, .500), base hits (5th, 54), triples (T-1st, 4) and stolen bases (3rd, 17). Right-handed junior Ryan Taylor is the ace of the Arkansas Tech pitching staff. He is 6-3 with a 2.96 earned run average. Taylor ranks fifth in the GAC in opponents’ batting average (.226) and fourth in the conference in innings pitched (78 and two-thirds). As a team, the Wonder Boys rank fourth in the GAC in team batting average (.303), eighth in team earned run average (4.90) and second in team fielding percentage (.968). Their opponent this weekend — Henderson State — is the top defensive team in the GAC with a .969 team fielding percentage. The Reddies are tied for sixth in the GAC in team batting average (.281) and seventh in team earned run average (4.42). Both teams will enter the weekend trying to start a new trend. Arkansas Tech is 3-7 over its last 10 games, while Henderson State has just one victory in its last eight contests.]]>
