SOUTHERN ARKANSAS MULERIDERS 32-15, 17-10 GAC	ARKANSAS-MONTICELLO BOLL WEEVILS 17-17, 12-13 GAC
Saturday, April 25 |  6 p.m. - Sunday, April 26 | DH | 1 p.m. Walker Stadium at Goodheart Field - Magnolia, Ark. LIVE STATS | LIVE VIDEO

 

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SERIES NOTES | SAU | UAM

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Leading Off
The Southern Arkansas baseball team enters play this weekend with a 32-15 overall record and are 17-10 in the GAC. The Muleriders are coming off of a 2-1 series win over East Central this past weekend as well as a 7-2 mid-week, non-conference victory over Harding. At 17-10 (.630) in the GAC, SAU has clinched a berth in the upcoming GAC Tournament in Enid, Okla.

The Arkansas-Monticello baseball team enters play this weekend with a 17-17 overall record and a 12-13 mark in the GAC. Currently, the Boll Weevils are in eighthplace
in the GAC standings and are in a percentage-point battle with Arkansas Tech, East Central, and Southeastern Oklahoma for the final two spots in the upcoming
GAC Tournament. This past weekend, UAM took two of three from Southeastern Okla. to keep their tournament hopes alive.

Statistically, the Muleriders are hitting .299 as a team and have five starters hitting .300 or better. Carver Rademacher currently leads the team in average at .336 (50-for-149). Billy Germaine leads the team in RBIs with 55 and homeruns with 10.

In terms of pitching, SAU has a 3.63 team ERA. Landon Simpson, Hunter Mayo, and Preston Gray lead the staff in wins with six victories each. Simpson also has the
lowest ERA among starters at 2.57 and has thrown a GAC-best four shutouts. Among relievers, Travis Johnson sports the lowest ERA at 2.20. In 28.2 innings pitched, Johnson is limiting opponents to a .233 batting average against and has 19 strikeouts.

For UAM, they hit .261 as a team and have three starters over .300. Kevin Fitzpatrick leads the team in hitting at .360 (32-for-89). Corey Wood leads the team in homeruns with five and in RBIs with 31.

In terms of pitching, UAM has a 4.54 team ERA. Austin Braddock leads the team in wins with six and also paces the starters in ERA at 2.57. In 10 starts, Braddock has gone the distance in seven games. Additionally, Braddock's ERA and opponents batting average of .219 rank in the top-five of the GAC.

Who's Hot (Last 10 Games)
Individual

• Billy Germaine and Carver Rademacher have combined to hit .382 (29-for-76) with eight doubles, six homeruns, and 45 RBIs...The 45 runs driven in are more than half of SAU's 87 total RBIs in the last 10 games.
• Hunter Mayo has appeared in five games (two starts) and logged 17.2 innings going 2-0 with a save and sporting a 1.53 ERA.

Team

• Getting Offensive | The Muleriders are averaging 10.0 runs/game and 10.7 hits/game, having scored 100 runs and racked up 107 hits
• Stealing is a Good Thing | SAU has swipped 14-of-18 bases
• Freebies | The Muleriders have gotten on-base 75 times without the benefit of a hit or error as they have drawn 54 walks and been hit by 21 pitches

Rucker Wrecking Crew
Last season Trevor Rucker was nearly a one-man wrecking crew as he burst onto the scene for the Muleriders in his GAC Freshman of the Year campaign. In that first year, Rucker would hit .342 (64-for-187) with 15 doubles, two triples, six homeruns, and 37 RBIs. While the numbers were certainly impressive at the conclusion of the year, they are even more stout when you consider the fact Rucker was hitting .261 with four doubles, one triple, one homerun, and 19 RBIs on March 25. But, over the final 26 games of the year, Rucker would hit .414 (41-for-99) with 11 doubles, one triple, five homeruns, and 18 RBIs. This season, Rucker is hitting .308 (52-for-169) with seven doubles, two triples, six homeruns and 33 RBIs. Additionally, Rucker is a basestealing threat with 19 successful swipes in 23 tries this season. For his career to this point, Rucker is 54-of-61 in stolen bases.

Stingy Simpson
SAU junior right-hander Landon Simpson has been one of the top pitchers in the Great American Conference all season long as he ranks in the top-10 in the GAC in seven pitching categories. Currently, Simpson leads the GAC in Shutouts (4), Games Started (13), and Innings Pitched (84.0). He also ranks third in strikeouts (61) and is tied for thrid in wins with six. Additionally, Simpson is tied for fourth in ERA (2.57) and complete games (4).

Backend Bullpen Strength
The Muleriders have received some strong outings out of the backend of their bullpen and in particualr from junior transfer Travis Johnson. On the year, Johnson has appeared in 18 games, is 2-3 with seven saves, has a 2.20 ERA, and is limiting opponents to a .233 batting average with 19 punchouts in 28.1 innings pitched.