Arkansas State Baseball Aims to Ride Momentum Into Weekend Series

After a historic season, the Red Wolves look to secure their first road conference series win under Head Coach Mike Silva.

Apr. 16, 2026 at 4:56am

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A cubist, geometric painting depicting an Arkansas State baseball game, with sharp, overlapping planes of red, blue, and gold representing the team's colors and dynamic play on the field.Arkansas State's high-powered offense and resilient pitching staff have fueled their remarkable turnaround, but the team's ability to close out games in the 9th inning will be crucial as they push for the NCAA Tournament.Jonesboro Today

Just four years after finishing 11-38, the Arkansas State baseball team is now 22-14 and reaching new heights under Head Coach Mike Silva. The Red Wolves have set program records for ranked wins and climbed as high as #22 in the national polls. However, their Achilles heel has been closing out games in the 9th inning, an issue Coach Silva is determined to fix as they head into a weekend series against Louisiana Monroe.

Why it matters

Arkansas State's dramatic turnaround under Coach Silva has energized the program and fanbase, but the team knows they still have work to do to reach the NCAA Tournament. Securing a road conference series win would be another important milestone in their resurgence.

The details

After opening the season with a historic win over Arkansas, the Red Wolves have continued to make strides, setting a program record for ranked wins and climbing as high as #22 in the national polls. However, their struggles to close out games in the 9th inning have been an issue all season. Coach Silva attributes this to a lack of consistency and the difficulty of executing under high-pressure situations.

  • In February, Arkansas State defeated Arkansas for the first time in program history.
  • In early March, the Red Wolves climbed to #22 in the Baseball America Top 25 poll.
  • This weekend, Arkansas State takes on Louisiana Monroe in a key conference series.

The players

Mike Silva

The head coach of the Arkansas State baseball team, who has led the program's dramatic turnaround over the past four seasons.

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What they’re saying

“If I could collect their phones for the next five weeks, we'd make a run and potentially be in a regional. It's just intoxicating when you're doing really well. It's really deprecating. Self-deprecating when you're doing poorly because you're constantly judging yourself on how the rest of the world sees you.”

— Mike Silva, Head Coach, Arkansas State Baseball

“We gotta get off the field with two outs. We got toa get off the field with two outs. I mean even if you look at the games that we have struggled with in the 9th inning. We go 0-2 to 3-2. You just can't do that. You can't create innings for people and put hitters back and hitters counts, and you just have to finish the at bat.”

— Mike Silva, Head Coach, Arkansas State Baseball

What’s next

First pitch for the weekend series against Louisiana Monroe is set for 6 p.m. on Friday.

The takeaway

Arkansas State's remarkable turnaround under Coach Silva has energized the program, but the team knows they still have work to do to reach the NCAA Tournament. Securing a road conference series win against Louisiana Monroe would be another important milestone in their resurgence.