Leading Off
The Mavericks officially open their 2024 season this Friday at 6 p.m. at Arkansas State. They are coming of a 21-28 season in which they finished fourth in the Summit League.

Upcoming Schedule
Friday: 6 p.m. at Arkansas State at Tomlinson Stadium
Saturday: 3 p.m. at Arkansas State at Tomlinson Stadium
Sunday: 1 p.m. at Arkansas State at Tomlinson Stadium

Around the Horn

• In the Summit League Preseason poll, the Mavericks were ranked fourth out of six teams, while reigning champion ORU took first place.
• Haiden Hunt and Caleb Riedel were named Summit League Players to Watch. Hunt made his Division I debut with Omaha last year and hit .291/.390/.442 (.832) with three home runs, eight doubles, and a team-high four triples, primarily from the lead-off spot. Riedel is coming off an injury shortened season following a rookie season that saw him lead the nation with a 1.49 ERA. He earned Summit League Player of the Week honors on March 13, 2023 after striking out a career-high 13 vs. Stonehill.
• Overall there are 17 returners on the team. Noah Greise is the active team leader in most offensive categories including games played (77), hits (60), doubles (15), home runs (10), and RBIs (48).
• On the pitching side, veterans Charlie Bell and Harrison Kreiling head up the rotation alongside Riedel and 2023 breakout Preston Tenney. Bell is the active team leader in innings (115.0), Kreiling is coming off a season in which he earned an All-Summit Honorable Mention, and Tenney is the only member of the staff with a CGSO under his belt.
• Omaha boasts 20 newcomers on the 2024 squad. Among them are Tyler Palmer, who played for Nebraska back in 2022, Trent Burkhalter, who batted .336 with a 1.100 OPS as a catcher at Kirkwood CC, and Jackson Trout, who hit .355 with a 1.018 OPS at Northeast CC. There's also Tyler Bishop, who had a season for the ages at Southeast CC last year batting .441 with 25 home runs, 25 doubles, 93 RBIs, and an incredible 1.507 OPS.
• Of the 37 members of the 2024 Mavericks, 20 of them are newcomers, including 7 freshman and 13 JUCO transfers.
• In 2023, the Mavericks set a program record in the Division I era with 48 home runs. This was the first time Omaha topped 40.

Scouting Arkansas State
Arkansas State went 20-31 last year with a 9-19 record in the Sun Belt conference. Though the missed qualifying for the conference tournament, the Red Wolves ended their season with a three-game sweep of South Alabama.

First baseman Brandon Hager returns as Arkansas State's top batter after slashing .348/.500/.657 with 15 home runs and 55 RBIs in season that earned him ABCA/Rawlings All-Region (Second Team) honors. Infielder Will French is also back after leading the team in triples (3), steals (11), and runs (62).

On the mound, Arlon Butts is the team's top returning pitcher after posting a 4.05 ERA and .244 BAA in 46.2 relief innings last year, while also recording four saves. Meanwhile, Hunter Draper is the only pitcher on the current roster to have made at least 10 starts last year, making 14 and totaling 58.0 IP with a 6.98 ERA.

Head Coach Tommy Raffo is in his 16th season with the Red Wolves, accumulating a 361-415-1 overall record and a 17-16 record in conference tournament games in that time. Prior coming to Arkansas State he served as an assistant coach at Mississippi State from 1994-2008, helping the Bulldogs to three CWS appearances.

All-Time Series
The Mavericks and Red Wolves have only faced each other twice before. Their first meeting was in 1963 when Omaha won 5-2. The two teams would not play each other again until 2016, when the Mavericks again came out on top 4-3 in an 11-inning home game.