CHICAGO -- The UIC baseball hits the road for the fourth consecutive weekend to open the season, traveling to Fayetteville, Arkansas, for a four-game series against the #3 Razorbacks.

FIRST PITCH
• This weekend's series will mark the third consecutive year in which the Flames have taken on a nationally ranked opponent during the regular season. The Flames played then No. 2 Vanderbilt in 2021 after facing off against No. 8 Auburn and No. 4 Vanderbilt to open the 2020 season.
• UIC is in a stretch of 13 consecutive road games to start the season. UIC will return home for the first time on March 18 to start a three-game Horizon League series against Northern Kentucky.

PETERSON DAZZLES IN UIC DEBUT
• Making his first collegiate start and his UIC debut, UIC lefty newcomer Nate Peterson dazzled for the Flames in the team's season opener against New Mexico State.
• Peterson pitched 7.0 innings of one-run ball, walking two while striking out a career-high 13 batters.
• The 13 strikeouts are tied for the sixth-most strikeouts in UIC single-game history, becoming the first Flame pitcher to fan 13 or more batters in a game since Ryan Zink against Saint Louis on March 7, 2004.
• Peterson kept the Aggies offense at bay, and was in line to earn the win before New Mexico State forced extra innings with a ninth-inning rally to end the day with the no-decision. UIC went on to win the contest, 8-3, in 10 innings.
• Through three starts this year, Peterson has 23 strikeouts, tops among all Horizon League pitchers and 62nd nationally.

ON A STREAK
• Bryan Rosario has been a consistent presence atop the Flames lineup, having occupied the lead-off position in all nine games this year.
• Rosario has reached base safely in all nine contests to start the year and has a streak of 37 consecutive games reaching base, dating back to the second half of last season.
• The left fielder also enters the weekend series with Arkansas on a seven-game hitting streak and has at least one base hit in 12 of the last 13 contests dating back to the end of last year.
• Rosario currently leads the team in batting average (.324), hits (12) and doubles (4) and home runs (2), while sharing the team lead with five RBIs.

SMALL BALL
• UIC is one of the best teams in the Horizon League in manufacturing runs, as the Flames rank atop the League in sacrifice bunts and sacrifice flies.
• The Flames have recorded nine sac bunts this year, 13th most in Division I baseball, and have driven home five players via the sac fly.

PETERSON REPEATS AS #HLBASE PITCHER OF THE WEEK
• UIC's Nate Peterson claimed the first two Horizon League Pitcher of the Week honors that have been handed out this year.
• After winning the award on Feb. 22 behind a career outing against New Mexico State, Peterson threw another gem for the Flames in the series opener at Cal.
• Against the Golden Bears, Peterson struck out eight batters over 6.2 innings of work, allowing just two runs (one earned) and not allowing the walk to earn his first with UIC.

NEW SKIP
• Sean McDermott became the fifth head coach in UIC baseball history this summer following the retirement of long-time head coach Mike Dee.
• No stranger to UIC, McDermott is in his 24th season with the Flames, having worked under Mike Dee during Dee's 23 years as the head coach.
• This is McDermott's first head coaching job in the Division I ranks, having previously been the head coach at Viterbo College (NAIA) for three seasons prior to joining UIC.