vs. Southwestern Oklahoma LADY BULLDOGS (12-36, 8-28 GAC)
Friday, April 25 @ 1 p.m. | DH
Saturday, April 26 @ 11 a.m. | DH
Magnolia, Ark. (Lady Mulerider Field)
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Leading Off
The Southern Arkansas softball team is set to close out the 2014 regular season at home against Southwestern Oklahoma. A lot is at stake for the Lady Muleriders as they contiune to jockey for seeding in the upcoming GAC Tournament. A successful weekend combined with other GAC action could vault SAU to the No. 2-seed by weekend's end.
Entering play this weekend, the Lady Muleriders are 29-22 overall and 22-14 in the GAC. With one more win, the Lady Muleriders will have eclipsed the 30-win mark for the first time since 2005. Meanwhile, the Lady Bulldogs enter play this weekend with an 12-36 overall record and a 8-28 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 .422 (73-of-173) while Maddie Dow leads the team in RBIs (52) and homeruns (17). 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 (12), innings pitched (174.2), and strikeouts (118).
For the Lady Bulldogs, they are led offensively by Adrianne Martinez. On the year, Martinez is hitting .401 (61-for-152) with five homeruns and 34 RBIs. In terms of pitching, SWOSU is paced by Julianne Martinez. Martinez is 7-18 with a 4.40 ERA.
Slugging it Out
Through 51 games of the season, the Lady Muleriders have showed their lineup has some potent power potential as they have clubbed out 125 extra-base hits.
63 of those left the yard while 62 have gone for doubles and two have gone for triples. As a team, the Lady Muleriders have a .482 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 51 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 (118), wins (12), 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 .422 average (73-for-173). 23 of those hits have gone for extra-bases as she is third on the team in slugging% (.688).
Powered by Goad
Freshman outfielder Brooke Goad was the Lady Muleriders' leadoff hitter in all 36 games she played in this 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 51 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 28-11, When they score 10 or more runs, they are 6-0.
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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