No, Arkansas State didn’t hide the home plate from the Toppers last weekend.

Though Western (27-11, 14-4 Sun Belt Conference) won the three-game series, the SBC’s top offensive team only combined to score 14 runs.

Western is batting .350, tied with two teams for 10th in the NCAA, but only managed 19 hits in 105 at-bats during the series.

Senior shortstop Terrence Dayleg said that the team’s approach at the plate has changed.

“We pitched well enough to win all three games, but our (offensive) approach wasn’t really the same as it has been all year,” Dayleg said. “We’ve put up big numbers all year, but our approach hasn’t been the same. We weren’t as aggressive.”

Against Arkansas State, the Toppers had to rely on their pitching staff, which is 14-2 in weekend games this season.

In Sunday’s 3-0 win, junior pitcher Shane Cameron allowed seven hits but held the Indians scoreless through seven innings, striking out six.

“It’s fun as a pitcher to be able to come in and keep the other team shut down,” Cameron said. “You’d like to have lots of run support, but I know no matter what I can go in there and throw strikes and get my outs.”

Cameron, in his first year with the Toppers after two seasons at Connors State College, has struck out 40 batters in 47 innings pitched.

“He’s very competitive, very focused, hates to lose,” pitching coach Matt Myers said. “Hates to get beat, hates to give up a hit, believes his stuff is better than all the hitters, and I think those are all the intangibles you need to be successful in this game.”

Dayleg, who transferred from Seminole State College in 2007, said that though junior college baseball isn’t as fast-paced or organized as NCAA Division I, his experience prepared him to contribute for the Toppers.

“It’s just two completely different games of baseball,” he said. “But junior college players usually tend to face better pitching than you usually would in high school, and they’re older, so I think experience plays a huge role.”

Myers said that Western’s junior college players, including Cameron, Dayleg, senior right fielder Chad Cregar and senior pitcher/catcher J.B. Paxson, were brought in to fill “special needs” on the team.

“Those guys were able to get the change done quickly,” Myers said. “When you’ve got a good team, and then you add in a Chad Cregar or a Shane Cameron, who adds right in right away, those guys help you maintain your course of direction.”

The Toppers will host Eastern Kentucky in a double header beginning at 3 p.m. on Wednesday.

The teams last met in Richmond on April 18, when Colonels sophomore third baseman Jayson Langfels hit a two-run home run in the bottom of the ninth inning for a walk-off 8-7 win.

“We owe them a little bit of revenge from the last time we faced them,” Dayleg said. “We’re going to want to win very bad, so I think we’re going to go up there with just a total different approach.”