MAGNOLIA, Ark. – Coming off a successful six-win opening weekend, the Southern Arkansas Lady Mulerider Softball team will take to the road for the first time in 2016 as they are scheduled to play six games over the course of three days at the UAM 8-State Classic in Bentonville, Arkansas, beginning February 12.
 
The Lady Muleriders (6-0) enter this weekend's action having not played a full seven-inning contest after run-ruling their first six opponents of the season in last weekend's SAU Softball Invitational. Southern Arkansas will matchup with six quality in-region opponents beginning with Fort Hays State of the Mid-American Intercollegiate Athletic Association on Friday, February 12 at 9 a.m. SAU will conclude play on the classic's opening day with a 3 p.m. tilt with Wayne State (Neb.) of the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference.
 
Hosted by the University of Arkansas-Monticello, the classic consists of 31 teams from four conferences across eight states. The tournament page with a full 92-game schedule as well as a map of the Bentonville area can be located here: http://www.uamsports.com/sports/2016/2/10/2016-8-State.aspx?path=softball.
 
After one weekend of play, SAU is batting .385 as a team with 52 hits, 53 runs scored and 48 runs batted in. The Lady Muleriders used the home run early and often in their season-opening invitational by belting 15 through six games, while tallying a slugging percentage of .815 as a team. SAU has reached base 49% of the time as they have also drawn 27 walks and reached via hit-by-pitch three times.
 
Leading the offensive charge at the plate for SAU is senior first baseman Darian Harris, who received Great American Conference and Louisville Slugger/NFCA Player of the Week honors for her six-game performance last weekend. Harris is currently hitting .571 with eight hits, seven hits for extra bases, while accounting for 10 runs scored and a dozen runs batted in.
 
Four other Lady Muleriders hold averages over .410, including senior catcher Tyler Casada's clip of .471, while sophomore outfielder Brooke Goad leads the team in hits with nine. Senior outfielder Ashton Atwell, junior designated player Maddie Dow and Goad join Harris as the only players with multiple homeruns as the four Lady Muleriders have combined for 12 round-trippers.
 
As explosive as the offensive was a week ago, the pitching may have been even better. Two players, junior right-hander Kaylee Garner and senior left-hander Kimmy Beasley, dominated in the circle for SAU only allowing a combined three runs on 11 hits in 31.0 innings of work, while striking out 46 batters and walking only five in holding their opposition to a batting average of just .110
 
For her efforts, Garner joined Harris as she received the nod for GAC and Louisville Slugger/NFCA Pitcher of the Week as the duo swept the weekly accolades. Garner tossed the third perfect game in program history in an 8-0 win over Lincoln before allowing only three hits in her next ten innings of work. Beasley scattered a combined eight hits in three games, while recording a team-leading 25 strikeouts as she kept her ERA at zero in 16.0 innings.
 
For complete team and individual offensive, defensive and pitching statistics through SAU's first six games of the season, follow this link: http://muleriderathletics.com/custompages/Current%20Statistics/Softball/teamcume.htm.
Southern Arkansas' first opponent on Friday, Fort Hays State, will be opening their season against the Lady Muleriders after going 26-27 (14-12 MIAA) a year ago, while making an appearance in the MIAA Softball Tournament.
 
Wayne State (Neb.) will begin their season at 11 a.m. against Great American Conference-member Southeastern Oklahoma State, before taking the field against SAU at 3 p.m. The Wildcats are coming off a 34-21 year where they finished 18-12 in the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference, while making a trip to the NSIC-US Bank Tournament.
 
The Lady Muleriders' final four games in northwest Arkansas will be against No. 16 Missouri Western (36-21), Minnesota State-Mankato (38-23), RV Central Missouri (49-16), and Northwest Missouri State (26-24). Northwestern Missouri made a trip to the MIAA Conference Tournament and also began last season with a 12-4 win over Southern Arkansas at the 8-State Classic. MSU-Mankato made a deep run in the NSIC Tournament a year ago. Missouri Western is coming off a trip to the 2015 NCAA Central Region Tournament, while Central Missouri represented the Central Region in the NCAA Division II Softball World Series last year in Oklahoma City.  
 
Be sure to visit muleriderathletics.com for pregame and postgame recaps, coach's shows with head coach Jason Anderson and other information and news regarding the 2016 Lady Mulerider Softball team.