#14 Southern Arkansas is set to host their final regular season conference series this weekend with a 4-game matchup with Southeastern Oklahoma. The Savage Storm is currently tied for last place in regular season conference standings with GAC opponent Southwestern Oklahoma.
The Lady Muleriders boast the second best offense in the Great American Conference and own league-bests in eight offensive categories: slugging percentage (.524), on-base percentage (.414), runs scored (332), hits (450), RBIs (303), home runs (74), total bases (740), and walks (203).
The lineup responsible for that high offensive production features five players that have played and started in almost all 52 games and are hitting .325 or better with all having 53 or more hits. Three of those five players have 41 or more RBI, with a pair of players owning 55 or more. A Lady Mulerider boasts the best mark in ten offensive categories within the Great American Conference. Three Lady Muleriders have double-digit homeruns and combined make up for over 50 percent of SAU's 74 total homeruns with a total of 45.
A relatively unheralded pitching staff possesses both a youth and veteran presence in starters freshman
Victoria Taylor (1.80 ERA) and senior
Kaylee Garner (1.58 ERA). The duo has combined for 34 of SAU's 38 wins, 261 strikeouts to just 58 walks and 19 complete games, while Garner has tossed a no-hit performance. The bullpen has been solid as well as
Jill Roye has three wins and three saves in 18 appearances and sports a 1.31 ERA with a 29-to-8 strikeout-to-walk ratio.
Peyton Jenkins is 1-3 on the season with a save and owns a 2.20 ERA in 13 appearances. Opponents are hitting just .226 against the Lady Mulerider pitching staff.
For Southeastern, starting pitcher Emily Cudd sports the team's lowest ERA at 3.45 wiht a 14-14 win-loss record in 40 appearances and a team-best 64 strikeouts. Offensively, the Savage Storm hits .269 as a team with three hitters batting over .300. SE's top hitter leads the team in batting average (.344), hits (54), RBI's (31), slugging percentage (.484), and total bases (76).
A breakdown of SAU's first 52 games includes fourteen games with 10 or more runs, thirteen run-rule victories, eight one-run wins, four extra-inning affairs with three reaching the tenth inning, and 14 losses.
First-pitch for Friday's doubleheader is slated for 3 p.m. with Saturday's double feature scheduled for noon. Saturday's games will recognize seniors in playing their final series at home. Live coverage links and game-by-game recaps of all of this weekend's action will be available at www.muleriderathletics.com.
