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GAME NOTES (PDF)

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Leading Off
The Southern Arkansas baseball team is set to open up its highly-anticipated 2018 season this weekend at the Ballpark in Grand Prairie as part of the fourth-annual Air Hogs DII Classic.

The Muleriders will once more serve as the host of the preeminent regional gathering with the likes of Angelo State, Arkansas Tech, Central Oklahoma, Emporia State, Oklahoma Christian, Southeastern Oklahoma State, and Washburn comprising the remainder of this
year's field.

Of the eight teams competing in this year's classic, Angelo State, Central Oklahoma, Emporia State, and SAU competed in a NCAA Regional Tournament a year ago. Additionally, each of those programs enter the 2018 season preseason ranked according to Collegiate
Baseball Newspaper (UCO - #28, ESU - #29, ASU - #30, SAU - T-#35).

Picked to win the Great American Conference in the preseason coaches' poll, the Muleriders return four hitters from their everyday lineup in 2017 as well as two starting pitchers from the weekend rotation.

Among the position players returning, three were All-GAC performers with Mark Fontenot (1B), Cortland McPherson (DH) and Jacob Richardson (3B) all being first-team picks. Additionally, Fontenot and McPherson added all-region honors from the National Collegiate
Baseball Writer's Association (NCBWA).

In the rotation, Kenneth Tabor (SP) was an All-GAC Honorable Mention selection as well an all-region pitcher through the D2CCA and the NCBWA and Conner Wells also returns after starting 14 games last spring.