(STATS) -- After a memorable regular season that resulted in the programs first playoff appearance in four years, the FCS Playoff Committee rewarded Central Arkansas with a first-round matchup against a team thats no stranger to postseason success.Illinois State appeared to be playing its way out of postseason consideration during a four-game losing streak that dropped the proud program to 2-4 on Oct. 8. The Redbirds then rallied to win four of five down the stretch to earn a trip for a third straight season.No. 14 Central Arkansas will try to bounce back after its eight-game winning streak came to an end in the regular-season finale Saturday when it hosts a playoff game on the purple and gray stripes at Estes Stadium for the first time at the Division I level.This was definitely a good pick-me-up to be able to host a first-round game, UCA coach Steve Campbell told the teams official website. To be able to play at home is big. Were excited about the opportunity, understanding that Illinois State is an outstanding football team. But were excited about the opportunity to play again, and to play at home.The Bears (9-2) finished second to top-ranked Sam Houston State at 8-1 in the Southland Conference following a 59-23 road loss to the unbeaten Bearkats. UCA fell 24-16 to Georgia Southern in the second round during its last postseason appearance in 2012.Carlos Blackman (559 yards, 4 TDs) and Antwon Wells (482 yards, 8 TDs) have led a balanced running game that led the Southland with 203.1 yards per game. The Bears have four other players who rushed for at least 199 yards and two scores during the regular season.The Redbirds (6-5) might be most concerned with dual-threat quarterback Hayden Hildebrand, who has thrown for an average of 242.5 yards with 17 touchdowns while also running for 199 yards and four scores. The junior, however, has tossed five picks over his last three games after having only three over his first eight.He athletic and hes really dangerous on the run, Illinois State coach Brock Spack said. When hes scrambling, thats when he becomes a real problem because they can run at receiver and separate themselves.All-conference selection Desmond Smith has been Hildebrands top target in the passing game, racking up 61 receptions for 808 yards and six touchdowns. The senior wideout was one of the bright spots against Sam Houston with nine catches for 73 yards and a score.Illinois State has been solid defensively, ranking fourth in the Missouri Valley Football Conference in total defense (342.7 yards allowed per game) and fourth against the run (132 yards allowed per game). Defensive back Davontae Harris leads the conference with 12 pass break-ups, while linebacker B.J. Bello has team highs of six sacks and nine tackles for loss.The Redbirds are coming in with something to prove after they were considered the last team to get into the field. They finished 4-4 in the tough MVFC, but knocked off then-No. 11 South Dakota State and then-No. 19 Western Illinois during their late push.Were a nationally renowned football program and we expect to be in the playoffs, said Spack, who insists his squad is the healthiest its been all season. I think we earned it by our resume and the league we play in. We think we absolutely earned it.This is an unprecedented third consecutive postseason trip for Illinois State, which lost to North Dakota State in the 2014 national championship game and fell to Richmond in last years quarterfinals. The Redbirds are one of four MVFC teams in the postseason, joining No. 1 overall seed NDSU, No. 8 seed and MVFC regular-season champion SDSU and Youngstown State.Youre going to play a very, very sound football team every time you take on a team from that conference, Campbell said. Thats what you do know. Everyone refers to them as the SEC of the FCS, so you kind of know what youre getting when a team comes out of there.Illinois State quarterback Jake Kolbe has come into his own over the final stretch with 13 touchdowns and only three interceptions over the past five games. The sophomore had thrown seven TDs and four picks over his first six contests.Star receiver Anthony Warrum has totaled 15 receptions for 285 yards and three touchdowns in the past two games, while senior Jamal Towns has emerged as the top threat in the backfield with 349 rushing yards on 7 per carry over the last three.Since averaging 15.4 points in a five-game stretch in September and October, Illinois State has scored 32.2 per game over its past five.Central Arkansas led the Southland with 20.9 points allowed per game and topped the nation with just 67.9 rushing yards allowed, though the Bears defense was exposed in surrendering nearly 60 points against the high-powered Bearkats.The Redbirds won 18-3 at Hancock Stadium in the only previous meeting in 2006, UCAs first year at the Division I level. Cheap Clemson Jerseys Free Shipping . MORITZ, Switzerland -- Fog prevented downhill racers from getting their Olympic dress rehearsal. Throwback Clemson Jerseys . 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Zvonareva made her comeback in January in Shenzhen and played in the Australian Open but lost her first matches at both tournaments. October baseball is officially here. This is the last Saturday of the regular season, and were going out on a high note. Yes, boys and girls, this is the final Kershaw day, so lets enjoy it. Keep in mind, though, that this is a split slate, with seven early games, and the days three highest-rated hurlers all have afternoon starts. This makes the late slate harder to solve. Its also worth noting that teams that have already secured playoff berths by Saturday could pull their starters a little earlier than normal to keep them fresh for the playoffs, so thats something to at least take into consideration. With that said, lets dive in and sort it all out.PitchingEliteClayton Kershaw will close out his 2016 season with a road outing against the Giants, who are still vying for a Wild Card spot. The Dodgers ace has been better than ever this season, as his 16.8 strikeout-to-walk-ratio would be the best in baseball history -- by a mile -- if he had enough innings to qualify. He also hasnt allowed an earned run in any of his last three starts. A matchup against the Giants, who strike out less than any team in the NL, might not be ideal, but its worth noting that he fanned 13 Giants when he last pitched in AT&T Park back in June. In other words, the normal rules do not apply for the three-time Cy Young winner. This is the last time youll able to roster Kershaw this season. Dont miss it.SolidIf you just cant find a way to fit in Kershaws massive salary, Jon Lester is a worthy pivot. In fact, a case can be made that taking Lester along with the savings is the better play in cash games. The Cubs lefty has been on a different level of late. Over his last eight starts, Lester has allowed only four runs. Total. Of course, he doesnt have Kershaws strikeout upside, but he finds himself in a much, much more appealing spot, facing a Reds squad thats one of the worst in baseball against southpaws (82 wRC+) and whiffs at a healthy 23 percent clip. Kershaw is still the top play, but Lester is unhittable right now.Although he hasnt quite been on Lesters level of dominance, Masahiro Tanaka has been on a nice little roll of his own. The right-handers last seven starts have seen him post a 1.94 ERA and 1.02 WHIP. Only once in those seven outings did he allow more than two runs. A home matchup against an Orioles team that leads the AL in home runs and smashes right-handed pitching puts Tanaka in a very tough spot, which limits the cash appeal a bit. Then again, given how dominant the righty has been, he makes for a fine contrarian play on Saturday.Tanner Roark draws a favorable home start against a Marlins team thats struggled against right-handed pitching this season (91 wRC+). They do strike out just 19 percent of the time versus righties, which is the fifth-lowest mark in baseball, but whiffs arent a big part of Roarks game anyway. Although he got roughed up by Arizona his last time out, the right-hander has been a picture of consistency this season. Hes held sub-3.00 ERAs in each of the last three months, and he hasnt posted a monthly ERA north of 3.56. If youre not paying up, Roark is in the cash-game discussion.The highest-rated hurler in the evening slate is Collin McHugh, who gets a road tilt against the Angels. McHugh has been up and down this season, but hes pitching some of his best baseball right now. His September ERA sits at 3.10, and hes surrendered more than two runs just once in his last six outings. The Angels sport the lowest strikeout rate in baseball, so the upside is limited in this matchup. Of course, McHugh is whiffing nearly a batter per inning this year, so hes still a decent bet for a handful of Ks.After posting a 7.14 ERA in August and a 6.08 ERA so far in September, its understandable if you want no part of Archie Bradley on Saturday. That said, this is a perfect GPP spot for the Arizona righty. Despite Bradleys recent struggles, he owns a 10.6 K/9 over the last month, and the Padres are the perfect lineup to exploit. In addition to being the worst team in baseball against right-handed pitching (81 wRC+), they strike out 25 percent of the time. Bradley has notched only one double-digit K performance this season, but he could threaten No. 2 in this spot.Bartolo Colon was knocked around in his last start against the Marlins, which happens from time to time when youre around the plate as much as he is.dddddddddddd That said, hes generally a fairly stable option. In fact, his 19 quality starts rank top-10 in the National League. On Saturday, he finds himself in a very friendly spot, facing a Phillies team that cant hit righties (83 wRC+) and strikes out 23 percent of the time.StreamersHisashi Iwakuma is somewhat boring because of the lack of upside, but hes been a very stable fantasy hurler. The last three months have seen him post ERAs of 3.77, 3.28 and 3.68. Hes not someone to build around, but hes in an appealing spot, squaring off against an As team that poses little threat against righty pitching (91 wRC+).Eduardo Rodriguez continues to roll. Since the All-Star break, he owns a 3.10 ERA and 1.10 WHIP to go along with nearly a whiff per inning. Hes actually coming off his most dominant performance in which he fanned 13 Rays in just 5 1/3 innings. While the Blue Jays present a dangerous matchup, they are striking out at a healthy 22 percent clip in the second half, so theres nice upside here. Rodriguez is still available in nearly 75 percent of leagues.AvoidOn one hand, a matchup against the Royals, who own the worst wRC+ (82) in the American League in the second half, looks like a very nice spot for Trevor Bauer on paper. On the other hand, the Indians right-hander has allowed four or more runs in each of his last four starts, which has contributed to his 5.42 second-half ERA. Bauer could certainly find success in such a favorable matchup, but Im not going to roster him to find out.HittingJames Shields is always one of my favorite pitchers to target hitters against. It doesnt always work out (like his last start against Tampa Bay), but he carries blowup potential each time he takes the mound. When you combine a 4.1 walk rate with home run issues (his 38 homers allowed are most in baseball), bad things tend to happen. A Twins stack, anchored by Brian Dozier, who has clubbed 31 dingers off righties this year, offers plenty of upside.Chad Kuhl has been solid in the second half (3.78 ERA) and performs very well on the road (2.61 ERA), which is where hell be pitching on Sunday. However, that doesnt change the fact that hes had trouble with left-handed bats this season (.363 wOBA). With the Cardinals playing host to the Pirates on Saturday, Matt Carpenter, Brandon Moss, Matt Adams and Kolten Wong are all in play depending on whos in the lineup.Its also a good idea to target bats against the Phillies Phil Klein. The sample size is small, but hes allowing a .374 wOBA to hitters from the left side and a .390 wOBA to those who hit from the right. Im focusing on hitters with the platoon advantage here, and the Mets have a multitude of options you can throw out there, including switch-hitters Jose Reyes and Asdrubal Cabrera at the top of the lineup and lefties Curtis Granderson and Jay Bruce in the middle of the order.The lucky hurler who draws the Coors Field start is Wily Peralta. After being pummeled for a 6.68 ERA in the first half, hes rebounded with a 3.23 ERA since the break. That said, left-handed batters are still giving him trouble (.381 wOBA), and Coors Field wont be kind to Peraltas 17.8 HR/FB, which would rank third-worst in baseball if he qualified. Lefties Charlie Blackmon, Carlos Gonzalez and David Dahl are the obvious plays here, though D.J. LeMahieu and Nolan Arenado are also in play even though they lack the platoon advantage.Theres no way around it: Aaron Blair has been one of the worst pitchers in all of baseball this year. The Braves have handed him 14 starts, and hes responded with an 8.02 ERA, 1.73 WHIP, and a 4.6 walk rate thats in danger of catching his 5.1 whiff rate. Youre going to want some exposure to Tigers bats in this one.Most likely to go yard: Brian DozierI just cant get away from a 40-HR bat squaring off against James Shields, who is in danger of hitting the 40-HR mark himself, with 38 homers already allowed this season.Most likely to swipe a bag: Jose PerezaWhile Lester is one of the days top starters, his struggles at holding runners on have been well documented. Peraza, who has 18 steals in just 68 games, will be off to the races if he reaches base. 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