SPRINGDALE, Ark. – The Ouachita Tigers (3-6) travel to Springdale, Arkansas, to play Ecclesia College (3-4) at 2:00 p.m. for their first midweek game of the 2020 season. The Tigers are coming off the GAC opener against Arkansas Tech, where they secured a 7-5 win in game three after dropping the first two games 4-8 and 0-2.
 
This Season
Ecclesia College is coming off of three wins against Graceland University (10-9, 9-3, 6-3) and was unable to play their weekend series against Crowley's Ridge College this past weekend. Other than Graceland, they played Southwestern Christian University and dropped all four games (2-5, 1-3, 2-4, 5-11).
 
Last Year
For the first time in each program's history, both schools faced off against each other in a double-header at Rab Rodgers Stadium in Arkadelphia, Arkansas. The Tigers won both games against the Royals, 2-0 in game one and 10-2 in game two.
 
Players to Watch
The Royals have three players hitting at least .400 this season. Elijah Saldana leads Ecclesia College offensively with a .429 average. Saldana is 3 for 7 at the plate with a run scored, a double, four RBI's, and three walks. Luke Taylor is just behind Saldana, having gone 5 for 12 with a .417 average, four runs scored, a triple, a homerun, three walks, and three strikeouts. The final player is Tomas Lietenbauer, who is hitting an even .400 with six hits in 15 at bats. He has also scored three runs, has two RBI's, four walks, and strikeout.
 
The Royals also have three hitters with an above .300 average at the plate. Austin Butler is hitting .375 on three hits in eight at bats with a run scored, a double, four RBI's, three walks, and three strikeouts. The other two batters, Austyn Hester and Zack Espinosa, are hitting .333 each. Hester has nine hits in 27 at bats with three runs scored, two RBI's, and four strikeouts. Espinosa has six hits in 18 at bats with three runs scored, a double, a homerun, five RBI's, a walk, and seven strikeouts.