Tigers Set to Face Central Arkansas in Home Midweek Finale; First Pitch Moved to 3:05 p.m.

Tuesday, May 5

Memphis, Tenn.

3:05 p.m.

University of Memphis

Central Arkansas

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Tigers Set to Face Central Arkansas in Home Midweek Finale; First Pitch Moved to 3:05 p.m.

May 04, 2026 | Baseball

MEMPHIS, Tenn. – The University of Memphis (18-28, 10-11 American) baseball team will play its final home midweek game of the season against Central Arkansas (27-21, 14-10 ASUN) on Tuesday afternoon. First pitch has been moved up to 3:05 p.m. due to expected weather.

Memphis holds a 14-3 advantage in the all-time series against the Bears, with Tuesday's matchup set to be the 18th meeting between the two programs. A season ago, the Tigers traveled to Conway and came away with a 13-3 run-rule win in seven innings. The Bears later returned the trip to Memphis on May 13, where the Tigers secured an 11-8 victory.

Memphis (18-28, 10-11 American) claimed a crucial series win over East Carolina over the weekend as the Pirates came into the weekend at the top of the American Conference. Memphis was limited to four hits in the opener as East Carolina used a six-run first inning to seize control early. The Tigers responded in game two with nine hits and a strong pitching performance that produced 10 strikeouts, answering a three-run fifth by the Pirates and holding them scoreless over the final four innings to even the series. In the finale, Memphis jumped out with multiple early scoring frames and added a key three-run homer in the fifth, while the staff limited ECU to four runs. The Tigers totaled nine runs on eight hits and drew six walks, capitalizing on timely hitting and Pirate miscues to secure the series win.

Memphis has been aggressive on the basepaths all season, racking up 103 stolen bases, fifth-most in program history, while leading the American Conference and ranking 30^th nationally. Senior Freddy Rodriguez has led the charge, going 35-for-40 on stolen base attempts, leading the league and sitting fifth in the country. He is now just five steals away from breaking the program's single-season record.

Memphis has been solid defensively all season, recording a .974 fielding percentage that ranks 85th nationally. The Tigers have committed just 42 errors, leaving them six shy of the program's single-season low of 48 set in 2022.

Fourteen different Tigers have left the yard this season, combining for 53 home runs as a team. Senior center fielder Michael Gupton leads the group with 12 long balls, good for third in the conference, while James Smith IV sits ninth with eight.

Graduate student David Case earned an honorable mention for American Conference Pitcher of the Week for his performance against East Carolina on Saturday. Case outdueled American Conference Preseason Pitcher of the Year Ethan Norby and limited the East Carolina lineup in Saturday's 5-3 win over the Pirates. Over 6.0 innings, Case allowed five hits and one earned run while striking out six, throwing a career-high 106 pitches to secure the victory. In his last six starts, Case has worked at least 6.0 innings each time, recording five quality starts. During that stretch, he is 4-1 with 27 strikeouts.

Central Arkansas (27-21, 14-10 ASUN) sits third in the ASUN and most recently dropped two of three to Austin Peay over the weekend. In game one, Central Arkansas fell behind early after surrendering a pair of solo home runs, and a four-run fifth inning by the Governors put the game away. In game two, the Bears were held to six hits and a single run as Austin Peay used a late ninth-inning rally to secure the win. In the finale, Central Arkansas broke through with a five-run fourth inning, holding off the Governors' comeback efforts to claim the victory.

On the mound, the Tigers will turn to RHP Seth Impson (1-3, 8.57 ERA) to make his seventh start this season. The Bears will counter with RHP JB Williams (2-4, 5.94 ERA), who has made 18 appearances this season, including five starts.

At the plate, Central Arkansas has been led by Zeb Allen (60 H / 17 HR / 50 RBI), Jack Runsick (9 2B / 6 HR / 40 RBI) and Nate Negre (54 H / 10 2B / 34 RBI). As a team, the Bears rank seventh in the nation in triples (17), 13^th in sacrifice flies (29) and 93^rd in home runs (53).

HOW TO FOLLOW THE TIGERS: For complete information on Memphis Tiger Baseball, visit www.GoTigersGo.com and follow the team's social media channels on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.