Arkansas State Set to Face Georgia Southern in SBC Tournament Opener
MONTGOMERY, Ala. – The 2025 Sun Belt Conference Tournament opens Tuesday evening with No. 8 seed Arkansas State taking on No. 9 seed Georgia Southern at 6:30 p.m. at Riverwalk Stadium. The game will be broadcast on ESPN+ and 95.3 The Ticket.
Georgia Southern enters the matchup with a 19-9 lead in the all-time series, including a 12-3 advantage in Statesboro and a 7-5 edge in Jonesboro. Arkansas State holds the lone neutral-site victory, a 6-1 decision in the 2015 SBC Tournament. The teams last met in April, when the Red Wolves took the series opener in Statesboro before dropping the final two games.
A-State’s SBC Legacy and 2025 Resurgence
Tuesday’s contest marks Arkansas State’s first appearance in the SBC Tournament since 2021. The Red Wolves boast a 29-43 all-time tournament record in 25 appearances, highlighted by their lone title win in 1994, a dramatic 3-2 extra-inning victory over Lamar.
This year’s 26-27 (14-16 SBC) record represents the Red Wolves’ best season since 2018, and their five conference series wins are the most since 2017. Under first-year head coach Mike Silva, A-State has achieved its highest conference finish in six years. Silva also led the Red Wolves to victories over nationally-ranked opponents for the first time since 2019, including wins over No. 21 Coastal Carolina and No. 19 Troy.
Pitching Spotlight: Gavin Galy & Chase Richter
Senior right-hander Gavin Galy is expected to start on Tuesday. Since moving into the rotation in early April, Galy has posted a 3-1 record with a 2.97 ERA across seven starts, tallying 16 strikeouts and allowing just eight walks in 33.1 innings. Opponents are hitting a mere .202 against him. He turned in his best outing of the season on May 15 at Louisiana, delivering six scoreless innings with two hits and three strikeouts.
Redshirt senior Chase Richter has been a key bullpen presence, ranking second in the Sun Belt and 29th nationally with eight saves. In 27 appearances (one start), Richter holds a 3-4 record with a 3.35 ERA and 51 strikeouts in 51 innings. Opposing hitters are batting just .190 against the Tomball, Texas, native, who has struck out multiple batters in 12 appearances.
Offensive Leaders: French and Engskov Pacing the Lineup
Senior first baseman Wil French has started all 53 games, leading the Red Wolves in doubles (14) and runs scored (46), while batting .289 with a .412 OBP and a .452 slugging mark. He also holds the program record for career runs scored (177) and ranks third all-time in walks (138), nearing the record of 143. French needs just one more triple to set a new program record, currently tied with 10 career triples.
Junior infielder Patrick Engskov has made a significant impact in his first season, starting every game at shortstop. The Oklahoma transfer finished the regular season with a .289 average, nine home runs, and a team-leading 35 RBIs (tied with Cross Jumper). He slugged .487 and delivered a standout performance on May 9 with two home runs and a career-high three hits against Troy.
Head-to-Head Statistical Comparison
| **Category** | **A-State** | **GSU** |
| --------------------- | ----------- | ------- |
| Batting Average | .261 | .274 |
| On-Base Percentage | .345 | .376 |
| Slugging Percentage | .389 | .445 |
| Runs Scored | 269 | 352 |
| Home Runs | 42 | 66 |
| ERA | 4.27 | 6.05 |
| Opponent Batting Avg. | .244 | .279 |
| Fielding Percentage | .971 | .973 |
Looking Ahead
Arkansas State’s appearance in this year’s tournament could be historic for more than just the players. With a victory on Tuesday, Coach Mike Silva would become the first A-State head coach to win a Sun Belt Tournament game in his debut season. Only one other coach, Keith Kessinger in 2003, has reached the tournament in their first year but failed to secure a win.