GAME NOTES (PDF)
LEADING OFF
Ranked #2 in the nation for the third-consecutive week and coming off of a dominant four-game road sweep of Oklahoma Baptist, Southern Arkansas (18-2, 8-0 GAC) returns to Magnolia for the first time since its season-opening tournament in early February.
The Lady Muleriders welcome Southern Nazarene (4-12, 2-6 GAC) into Dawson Field at the Mulerider Softball Complex for a four-game Great American Conference series and will play eight of their next 12 games in Magnolia. Since the start of league play last season, the Lady Muleriders are 41-8 in GAC play.
Of Southern Arkansas' league-leading 18 wins, nine have come via the run-rule as the Lady Muleriders have scored ten or more runs in 11 games this season and are leading NCAA Division II in runs per game at 9.7. SAU has claimed three one-run wins so far this season with its two losses also coming by a single run each.
A high octane offense has been the headline for the nation's second-ranked team so far this season as the Lady Muleriders are leading the GAC in batting average (.362), slugging percentage (.659), on-base percentage (.469), runs scored (194), hits (211), RBI (180), doubles (38), home runs (43), total bases (384), walks (97), and hit-by-pitch (24).
Nationally, Southern Arkansas ranks in the top 5 in four team categories: home runs per game (2.15 | 1st), scoring (9.7 | 2nd), slugging percentage (.660 | 3rd), and on-base percentage (.470 | 3rd).
Jill Roye leads Southern Arkansas with a league-best .520 batting average (39-for-75) and owns league-highs in hits (39) and RBI (37). Roye's 37 RBI are leading the nation and her 39 hits are fifth-most in the country. Roye has reached base in all 20 games for Southern Arkansas this season.
Maddie Dow is leading the GAC with the nation's sixth-highest slugging percentage at 1.130 and thirteenth-highest on-base percentage at .624. The NCAA DII's active career home runs leader leads the nation with ten home runs. Dow's .444 average is the second-highest for SAU and the senior also ranks in the league's top three in runs scored (29), walks (17), hit-by-pitch (12) and RBI (29). Dow also ranks in the nation's top 20 in seven additional categories: hit-by-pitch per game (0.60 | 4th), home runs per game (0.50 | 3rd), RBI (29 | 11th), walks per game (0.85 | 16th) on-base percentage (0.624 | 13th), RBI per game (1.45 | 14th), and runs per game (1.45 | 6th).
Preseason All-America selection
Brooke Goad leads the GAC in runs scored (32), and walks (19), while owning the third-best on-base percentage in the league at .562. Goad places in the top five in nine other offensive categories in the GAC.
In the circle,
Victoria Taylor and
Kaylee Garner have combined for 17 of SAU's 18 wins, led by Taylor's league-high ten. The freshman is the league's reining player of the week and is leading the team with a 1.78 ERA in 67.0 innings pitched and the league's third-most strikeouts with 80 (14th | NCAA). Garner owns a team-best .224 opponent batting average. SAU owns a 2.44 team-ERA, which is the second-lowest mark
in the conference.
First-pitch for Sunday's doubleheader is slated for 4 p.m. Monday's twin bill is scheduled for a noon start. Be sure to visit www.Mulerider- Athletics.com for continuing coverage of Lady Mulerider Softball.
SCOUTING SOUTHERN NAZARENE (4-12, 2-6 GAC)
Southern Nazarene enters this weekend's series having dropped their last two games and last two GAC series. SNU owns league wins over Ouachita Baptist and Arkansas-Monticello.
The Crimson Storm are hitting .204 (80-for-392) as a team, led by Hannah LeBeau's .290 average. LeBeau has hit two of SNU's three home runs and owns a .516 slugging percentage. Three players have recorded ten or more hits with Mahina Sauer and Kai Sanchez each having 11. Sauer leads the club with 10 RBI.
In the circle, SNU owns a 5.06 team-ERA in 102.1 innings. Katelyn Brown leads the team with 46 strikeouts and a staff-low .248 opponent batting average and has went the distance four times.
COACH
Tere Webber is in her 13th season as head coach of the Crimson Storm and owns a career record of 327- 339 entering Sunday's contest. SNU has made two-straight appearances in the GAC Tournament in just three years as an NCAA Division II member. In 2012, SNU went 42-18 overall and 17-5 in the Sooner Athletic Conference for a third place finish, while reaching the program's first NAIA National Tournament.
LAST SEASON
Southern Arkansas and Southern Nazarene split last year's series, with each team claiming a run-rule victory as the program's combined for 45 runs. SNU handed the Lady Muleriders their first loss of the season in the series opener and claimed a 4-3 win in the day two opener.
