2021 Little Rock Trojans baseball team

2021 Little Rock Trojans baseball
Conference	Sun Belt Conference
Division	West Division
Record	21–30 (11–13 SBC)
Head coach	Chris Curry (7th season)
Assistant coaches	Noah Sanders R. D. Spiehs
Home stadium	Gary Hogan Field
Seasons ←  2020 2022  →

2021 Sun Belt Conference baseball standings

v t e	Conf.							Overall
Team	W		L		PCT			W		L		PCT
East Division
South Alabama  x‍‍‡‍y	15	–	9		.625			36	–	22		.621
Georgia Southern  ‍‍‍	14	–	10		.583			34	–	23		.596
Troy  ‍‍‍	13	–	11		.542			27	–	26		.509
Appalachian State  ‍‍‍	11	–	10		.524			21	–	31		.404
Georgia State  ‍‍‍	12	–	12		.500			18	–	37		.327
Coastal Carolina  ‍‍‍	9	–	12		.429			27	–	24		.529
West Division
Louisiana  x‍‍‍	13	–	11		.542			32	–	23		.582
UT Arlington  ‍‍‍	13	–	11		.542			27	–	30		.474
Louisiana–Monroe  ‍‍‍	11	–	13		.458			26	–	26		.500
Little Rock  ‍‍‍	11	–	13		.458			21	–	30		.412
Arkansas State  ‍‍‍	10	–	14		.417			19	–	30		.388
Texas State  ‍‍‍	9	–	15		.375			21	–	36		.368
x – Division champion ‡ – Tournament champion y – Invited to the NCAA tournament As of June 7, 2021 [1] Rankings from D1Baseball

The 2021 Little Rock Trojans baseball team represented the University of Arkansas at Little Rock during the 2021 NCAA Division I baseball season. The Trojans played their home games at Gary Hogan Field and were led by seventh-year head coach Chris Curry. They were members of the Sun Belt Conference.

Preseason

Signing Day Recruits

^[2]

Player	Hometown	Previous Team
Pitchers
Preston Davis	Texarkana, Texas	Redwater HS
Ezra Gustafson	Midwest City, Oklahoma	Carl Albert HS
Asher Hastings	Little Rock, Arkansas	Joe T. Robinson HS
Tristan Hawkins	Benton, Arkansas	Benton HS
Michael Quevedo	Deltona, Florida	TNXL Academy
Hitters
Jaxson Anders	Greenbrier, Arkansas	Greenbrier HS
Traejon Blake	England, Arkansas	England HS
Aidan Garrett	Benton, Arkansas	Benton HS
Jarkevious Johnson	Cleveland, Mississippi	Cleveland Central HS
Graydon Martin	Texarkana, Arkansas	Arkansas HS

Sun Belt Conference Coaches Poll

The Sun Belt Conference Coaches Poll was released on February 15, 2021 and the Trojans were picked to finish fourth in the West Division. ^[3]

Coaches poll (West)
Predicted finish	Team	Votes (1st place)
1	Texas State	65 (6)
2	UT Arlington	58 (4)
3	Louisiana	52 (2)
4	Little Rock	33
5	Louisiana–Monroe	27
6	Arkansas State	13

Preseason All-Sun Belt Team & Honors

• Aaron Funk (LR, Pitcher)
• Jordan Jackson (GASO, Pitcher)
• Conor Angel (LA, Pitcher)
• Wyatt Divis (UTA, Pitcher)
• Lance Johnson (TROY, Pitcher)
• Caleb Bartolero (TROY, Catcher)
• William Sullivan (TROY, 1st Base)
• Luke Drumheller (APP, 2nd Base)
• Drew Frederic (TROY, Shortstop)
• Cooper Weiss (CCU, 3rd Base)
• Ethan Wilson (USA, Outfielder)
• Parker Chavers (CCU, Outfielder)
• Rigsby Mosley (TROY, Outfielder)
• Eilan Merejo (GSU, Designated Hitter)
• Andrew Beesly (ULM, Utility)

Roster

2021 Little Rock Trojans roster
	Pitchers 12 Reese Lansville - Sophomore 14 Eli Sievert - Senior 16 Jacob Weatherley - Freshman 17 Aaron Funk - Senior 18 Aaron Barkley - Senior 19 Calvin Hunt - Sophomore 25 Jack Decooman - Redshirt Junior 26 Cal Beardsley - Senior 27 Luke Wallner - Senior 29 Matthew Davis - Freshman 30 Hayden Arnold - Senior 31 Chance Vaught - Freshman 34 Dillon Delgadillo - Senior 35 Zane Neves - Sophomore 36 Austin Smith - Senior 37 Erik McKnight - Sophomore 39 Sawyer Smallwood - Junior 40 John Boushelle - Senior 44 Cole Evans - Senior		Catchers 10 Anthony Socci - Junior 23 Robert Diaz - Freshman 28 John Michael Russ - Senior 32 Jake Wright - Sophomore Infielders 1 Christian Bernabe - Sophomore 2 Eldrige Figeuroa - Senior 4 Chris Prentiss - Senior 5 Miguel Soto - Junior 6 Nathan Lyons - Junior 9 Will Spears - Sophomore 21 Jorden Hussein - Senior 24 Canyon McWilliams - Senior 33 Kobe Barnum - Senior Outfielders 7 Noah Dickerson - Redshirt Sophomore 8 Tim Dixon - Senior 13 Tyler Williams - Sophomore 20 Kenny Rodriguez - Senior 22 Marlon Lindsey - Junior

Coaching staff

2021 Little Rock Trojans coaching staff
Chris Curry – Head Coach – 7th year Noah Sanders – Assistant Head Coach and Recruiting Coordinator – 4th year R. D. Spiehs – Assistant Head Coach – 3rd year Eric Hansen – Director of Operations/Player Development – 1st year Jacob Caples – Volunteer Assistant Coach

Schedule and results

Legend
	Little Rock win
	Little Rock loss
	Postponement/Cancelation/Suspensions
Bold	Little Rock team member

2021 Little Rock Trojans baseball game log
Regular season (21-28)
February (2-4) Date Opponent Rank Site/stadium Score Win Loss Save TV Attendance Overall record SBC record Feb. 21 at Oral Roberts J. L. Johnson Stadium • Tulsa, OK W 4-3 Arnold (1-0) Rogen (0-1) None 882 1-0 Feb. 22 at Oral Roberts J. L. Johnson Stadium • Tulsa, OK L 3-7 Coffey (1-0) DeCooman (0-1) None 519 1-1 Feb. 23 at No. 20 Oklahoma State O'Brate Stadium • Stillwater, OK Cancelled Feb. 24 at No. 20 Oklahoma State O'Brate Stadium • Stillwater, OK L 2-7 Cheney (1-0) McKnight (0-1) None 2,635 1-2 Feb. 26 Eastern Illinois Gary Hogan Field • Little Rock, AR L 6-12 Hampton (2-0) Funk (0-1) Doherty (1) 75 1-3 Feb. 26 Eastern Illinois Gary Hogan Field • Little Rock, AR L 1-17 (7 inns) Nicholson (1-0) Arnold (1-1) None 240 1-4 Feb. 27 Eastern Illinois Gary Hogan Field • Little Rock, AR W 6-5 Barkley (1-0) Stevenson (0-1) None 185 2-4
March (9-4) Date Opponent Rank Site/stadium Score Win Loss Save TV Attendance Overall record SBC record Mar. 3 Central Arkansas Gary Hogan Field • Little Rock, AR W 5-3 Evans (1-0) Gregson (0-1) Barkley (1) 294 3-4 Mar. 5 at North Alabama Mike D. Lane Field • Florence, AL L 4-6 Nichols (1-0) Hunt (0-1) None 157 3-5 Mar. 6 at North Alabama Mike D. Lane Field • Florence, AL W 9-1 Barkley (2-0) Best (0-2) None 210 4-5 Mar. 7 at North Alabama Mike D. Lane Field • Florence, AL W 10-3 Weatherley (1-0) Moore (0-2) None 209 5-5 Mar. 12 at Auburn Plainsman Park • Auburn, AL L 0-7 Greenhill (2-0) Funk (0-2) None SECN+ 850 5-6 Mar. 13 at Auburn Plainsman Park • Auburn, AL L 0-6 Barnett (2-0) Arnold (1-2) None SECN+ 850 5-7 Mar. 14 at Auburn Plainsman Park • Auburn, AL W 12-6 Barkley (3-0) Bright (2-1) None SECN+ 850 6-7 Mar. 19 Texas State Gary Hogan Field • Little Rock, AR W 2-1 (11 inns) Barkley (1-0) Wofford (1-1) None ESPN+ 212 7-7 1-0 Mar. 20 Texas State Gary Hogan Field • Little Rock, AR W 12-0 Arnold (2-2) Bush (1-2) None ESPN+ 238 8-7 2-0 Mar. 21 Texas State Gary Hogan Field • Little Rock, AR W 7-4 Weatherley (2-0) Nicholas (0-1) Barkley (2) ESPN+ 254 9-7 3-0 Mar. 23 at Arkansas–Pine Bluff Torii Hunter Baseball Complex • Pine Bluff, AR Game Cancelled Mar. 26 at Southern Illinois Itchy Jones Stadium • Carbondale, IL L 7-10 McDaniel (1-0) Barkley (4-1) None 9-8 Mar. 27 at Southern Illinois Itchy Jones Stadium • Carbondale, IL W 11-5 Arnold (3-2) Chapman (5-1) None 10-8 Mar. 28 at Southern Illinois Itchy Jones Stadium • Carbondale, IL W 11-5 Barkley (5-1) McDaniel (1-1) None 11-8 Mar. 30 Arkansas–Pine Bluff Gary Hogan Field • Little Rock, AR W 7-2 Delgadillo (1-0) Wasson (0-1) None 207 12-8
April (6-10) Date Opponent Rank Site/stadium Score Win Loss Save TV Attendance Overall record SBC record Apr. 1 at Arkansas State Tomlinson Stadium–Kell Field • Jonesboro, AR L 2-10 Hudson (2-0) Funk (0-3) Jumpers (2) ESPN+ 405 12-9 3-1 Apr. 2 at Arkansas State Tomlinson Stadium–Kell Field • Jonesboro, AR L 0-4 Jeans (1-0) Arnold (3-3) None ESPN+ 422 12-10 3-2 Apr. 3 at Arkansas State Tomlinson Stadium–Kell Field • Jonesboro, AR L 6-10 Holt (1-2) DeCooman (0-2) None ESPN+ 510 12-11 3-3 Apr. 6 at No. 2 Arkansas Baum–Walker Stadium • Fayetteville, AR L 2-7 Costeiu (4-0) Smallwood (0-1) None SECN+ 4,225 12-12 Apr. 7 at No. 2 Arkansas Baum–Walker Stadium • Fayetteville, AR L 3-10 Bolden (1-0) Evans (1-1) None SECN+ 4,002 12-13 Apr. 9 South Alabama Gary Hogan Field • Little Rock, AR W 7-3 Arnold (4-3) Lee (2-2) Barkley (3) ESPN+ 204 13-13 4-3 Apr. 10 South Alabama Gary Hogan Field • Little Rock, AR W 4-2 Funk (1-3) Boswell (2-1) Barkley (4) ESPN+ 432 14-13 5-3 Apr. 11 South Alabama Gary Hogan Field • Little Rock, AR W 9-8 Hunt (1-1) Samaniego (1-1) None ESPN+ 436 15-13 6-3 Apr. 13 at Central Arkansas Bear Stadium • Conway, AR L 2-4 Moyer (2-3) Beardsley (0-1) Cleveland (5) 345 15-14 Apr. 17 at Louisiana–Monroe Warhawk Field • Monroe, LA W 2-0 Arnold (5-3) Barnes (1-3) Barkley (5) 618 16-14 7-3 Apr. 18 at Louisiana–Monroe Warhawk Field • Monroe, LA L 3-5 Barlow (4-4) Funk (1-4) Lindsay (2) 578 16-15 7-4 Apr. 19 at Louisiana–Monroe Warhawk Field • Monroe, LA L 4-5 (10 inns) Goleman (1-1) Barkley (5-2) None 494 16-16 7-5 Apr. 20 at No. 12 Ole Miss Swayze Field • Oxford, MS L 6-11 Kimbrell (4-0) Vaught (0-1) None SECN+ 6,851 16-17 Apr. 23 Louisiana Gary Hogan Field • Little Rock, AR W 8-2 Arnold (6-3) Arrighetti (6-3) Barkley (6) ESPN+ 256 17-17 8-5 Apr. 24 Louisiana Gary Hogan Field • Little Rock, AR W 4-3 (10 inns) Delgadillo (2-0) Nelson (1-1) None ESPN+ 490 18-17 9-5 Apr. 25 Louisiana Gary Hogan Field • Little Rock, AR L 4-7 Dixon (2-0) Wallner (0-1) Talley (5) ESPN+ 390 18-18 9-6
May (3–10) Date Opponent Rank Site/stadium Score Win Loss Save TV Attendance Overall record SBC record May 1 at UT Arlington Clay Gould Ballpark • Arlington, TX L 0-1 (11 inns) King (3-0) Evans (1-2) None ESPN+ 314 18-19 9-7 May 2 at UT Arlington Clay Gould Ballpark • Arlington, TX L 4-5 Wong (3-1) Barkley (5-3) King (2) ESPN+ 314 18-20 9-8 May 2 at UT Arlington Clay Gould Ballpark • Arlington, TX L 0-3 Moffat (4-3) DeCooman (0-3) Austin (2) ESPN+ 314 18-21 9-9 May 7 at Sam Houston State Don Sanders Stadium • Huntsville, TX W 5-3 Barkley (6-3) Dillard (1-4) None 462 19-21 May 8 at Sam Houston State Don Sanders Stadium • Huntsville, TX L 4-9 Wesneski (2-1) Funk (1-5) Atkinson (2) 462 19-22 May 9 at Sam Houston State Don Sanders Stadium • Huntsville, TX L 4-8 Backhus (4-0) Weatherley (2-1) None 462 19-23 May 12 at No. 18 Ole Miss Swayze Field • Oxford, MS L 4-9 Miller (1-1) Wallner (0-2) None SECN+ 6,703 19-24 May 14 Appalachian State Gary Hogan Field • Little Rock, AR L 1-2 Tuthill (4-5) Barkley (6-4) None ESPN+ 329 19-25 9-10 May 15 Appalachian State Gary Hogan Field • Little Rock, AR W 4-2 Funk (2-5) Cornatzer (1-2) Barkley (7) ESPN+ 378 20-25 10-10 May 16 Appalachian State Gary Hogan Field • Little Rock, AR L 0-5 Tujetsch (1-5) Weatherley (2-2) Ellington (4) ESPN+ 271 20-26 10-11 May 20 at Georgia State Georgia State Baseball Complex • Decatur, GA W 7-3 Arnold (7-3) Jones (1-7) None 239 21-26 11-11 May 21 at Georgia State Georgia State Baseball Complex • Decatur, GA L 0-5 Dawson (3-2) Funk (2-6) Watson (1) 278 21-27 11-12 May 22 at Georgia State Georgia State Baseball Complex • Decatur, GA L 10-11 Brandon (1-2) Barkley (6-5) Watson (2) 351 21-28 11-13
Post-season (0–2)
SBC Tournament (0–2) Date Opponent Seed/Rank Site/stadium Score Win Loss Save TV Attendance Overall record Tournament record May 25 vs. (6E) Coastal Carolina Montgomery Riverwalk Stadium • Montgomery, AL L 1-15 (7 inns) Peavyhouse (3-2) Arnold (7-4) Joyce (1) ESPN+ 21-29 0-1 May 27 vs. (1E) South Alabama Montgomery Riverwalk Stadium • Montgomery, AL L 2-6 Michael (5-0) Evans (1-3) None ESPN+ 21-30 0-2

Schedule Source:

*Rankings are based on the team's current ranking in the D1Baseball poll.

Postseason

Conference accolades

• Player of the Year: Mason McWhorter – GASO
• Pitcher of the Year: Hayden Arnold – LR
• Freshman of the Year: Garrett Gainous – TROY
• Newcomer of the Year: Drake Osborn – LA
• Coach of the Year: Mark Calvi – USA

All Conference First Team Connor Cooke (LA) Hayden Arnold (LR) Carlos Tavera (UTA) Nick Jones (GASO) Drake Osborn (LA) Robbie Young (APP) Luke Drumheller (APP) Drew Frederic (TROY) Ben Klutts (ARST) Mason McWhorter (GASO) Logan Cerny (TROY) Ethan Wilson (USA) Cameron Jones (GSU) Ben Fitzgerald (LA)

All Conference Second Team JoJo Booker (USA) Tyler Tuthill (APP) Jeremy Lee (USA) Aaron Barkley (LR) BT Riopelle (CCU) Dylan Paul (UTA) Travis Washburn (ULM) Eric Brown (CCU) Grant Schulz (ULM) Tyler Duncan (ARST) Parker Chavers (CCU) Josh Smith (GSU) Andrew Miller (UTA) Noah Ledford (GASO)

References: ^[4]

References

1. "Sun Belt Conference baseball standings". D1Baseball.com. Retrieved May 31, 2021.
2. "Curry Adds 10 in Fall Early Signing Period". Little Rock Athletics. Retrieved March 6, 2021.
3. Conference, Sun Belt. "Sun Belt Conference Announces 2021 Baseball Preseason Honors". sunbeltsports.org. Retrieved February 17, 2021.
4. "Sun Belt Announces 2021 Baseball All-Conference Teams & Postseason Awards". sunbeltsports.org. Retrieved January 5, 2022.