at Southern Nazarene CRIMSON STORM (18-27, 11-19)
Friday, April 18 @ 2 p.m. | DH
Saturday, April 19 @ Noon | DH
Bethany, Okla. (Cypert Athletic Facility)
)
Leading Off
The Southern Arkansas softball team is back to conference play after they took a brief four-game break from GAC opponents as they took on former conference foe Delta State in a home-and-home four-game series. The Lady Muleriders would come away 1-3 in the series. Despite the series loss, the Lady Muleriders continued to put their power on display as they launched eight homeruns, helping set a new team single-season record. As a team, the Lady Muleriders have hit 55 homeruns and three players
have hit 10 or more homers.
Entering play this weekend, the Lady Muleriders are 25-21 overall and 19-13 in the GAC. Meanwhile, the Crimson Storm will enter play this weekend with an 18-27 overall record and a 11-19 mark in the GAC.
Statistically, the Lady Muleriders are led by a duo of outstanding Freshmen. Shelby Miller currently leads the team in average at .439 (68-of-155) while Maddie Dow leads the team in RBIs with 44. Upperclassmen Sarah Higginbotham and Audrey Farfan have been contributors offensively as well as both are hitting over .300. In terms of pitching, the Lady Muleriders are likely to use a three-pitcher rotation with Miller, Hanna Gill, and Miranda Cuff all seeing time in the circle. Miller leads the staff in wins (8), innings
pitched (155.2), and strikeouts (99).
For the Crimson Storm, they are led offensively by Kylie Lang. On the year, Lang is hitting .351 (54-for-154). Hannah LeBeau is heir leading run-producer with 26 RBIs. In terms of pitching, SNU is paced by Kayla Wyatt. Wyatt is 12-9 with 160 Ks in 153.0 IP. She also has 17 complete games.
Slugging it Out
Through 46 games of the season, the Lady Muleriders have showed their lineup has some potent power potential as they have clubbed out 108 extra-base hits. 55 of those left the yard while 55 have gone for doubles and two have gone for triples. As a team, the Lady Muleriders have a .476 slugging percentage.
Youth Movement
So far this season, head coach Corey Lyon has penned a familiar lineup each game and it is one that features a lot of young and talented players. Through 46 games, three true freshmen and three sophomores have seen regular action.
Gill returns as SAU's Ace
Having pitched just two seasons at SAU, junior starting pitcher Hanna Gill has already set nine school records and is on the cusp of adding several other records
to her name in 2014. Last year, Gill anchored the Lady Mulerider pitching rotation and her outstanding year in the circle landed her All- GAC First-Team honors.
It's Miller Time
Freshman utility player Shelby Miller has had a tremendous start to her collegiate career. A native of Brazoria, Texas, Miller currently leads the pitching staff in
strikeouts (99), wins (8), and has a single-season record seven saves. While Miller has been good in the circle, she has been even better in the batter's box as she is
first on the team with a .439 average (68-for-155). 20 of those hits have gone for extra-bases as she is second on the team in slugging% (.703).
Powered by Goad
Freshman outfielder Brooke Goad was the Lady Muleriders' leadoff hitter in all 36 games she played in his this season. A recent knee injury has sidelined Goad for the remainder of the year, but when she was in the lineup she was one of the top power threats in the GAC. In her time this season, Goad had belted a SAU single-season record 15 homeruns, ranking her first in the GAC and seventh in NCAA Division II. Goad's 15 bombs is just one homerun shy of tying the GAC single-season record.
Runs, Runs, Runs
Through 46 games this season, it has been evident that when the Lady Muleriders score more than two runs in a game, they have a great chance of winning. So far, in games in which they have two or fewer runs, they are 1-11. When they have scored three or more runs in a game, they are 24-10, When they score 10 or more runs, they are 5-0.
Milestone Win #350
The Lady Muleriders' 4-1 win over Ouachita Baptist in the series finale on March 1 not only gave SAU a series win, but it also gave the program their 350th win. The program started at SAU in 1999.
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