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#7 SOUTHERN ARKANSAS
LADY MULERIDERS
25-3 (14-2 GAC) |
NORTHWESTERN OKLAHOMA
RANGERS
7-15 (6-10 GAC) |
at Northwestern Oklahoma
Friday, March 23 | 2 p.m. | DH
Alva Rec Complex - Alva, Okla.
LIVE STATS | LIVE VIDEO
at Northwestern Oklahoma
Saturday, March 24 | 11 a.m. | DH
Alva Rec Complex - Alva, Okla.
LIVE STATS | LIVE VIDEO
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GAME NOTES (PDF)
Leading Off
The No. 7- ranked Southern Arkansas (25-3) is set for its longest road trip of the season as they will travel to Northwestern Oklahoma (7-15) this weekend for a four-game GAC series beginning with a twin-bill on Friday at 2 p.m. followed by a doubleheader on Saturday slated for an 11 a.m. first-pitch.
The Lady Muleriders enter the weekend having won 15 of their last 16 games on the schedule, which includes a conference sweep at home last weekend over Southwestern Oklahoma in SAU's first GAC series in Magnolia this season.
For the seventh-straight week, the Lady Muleriders have garnered GAC Athlete of the Week honors and has been one of the top-15 nationally ranked teams in the NFCA DII coaches poll in that time span.
The Lady Muleriders currently hold a 11-7 series advantage over the Rangers in GAC play since 2013 which includes a 6-4 advantage in Alva.
Powering the hot start to the season for the Lady Muleriders is an offense that leads the GAC in batting average (.346), on-base percentage (.427) and slugging percentage (.637), which also ranks third in the nation. Additionally, the SAU bats own top five marks in eight other offensive categories including runs scored, hits, RBI, walks, and home runs. The team's 59 dingers leads the league and its per game home run average of 2.11 is the top mark in the nation.
In the circle, the Lady Muleriders own the league's lowest team-ERA at 2.05 and opponent batting average at .228 As a staff, SAU has struck out 172 batters, ranking them first in the league in that category, and has allowed the fewest earned runs, hits, and walks in the GAC.
Northwestern Oklahoma heads into the weekend with a 6-10 GAC record with all six of those wins coming in their last 10 games. The Rangers own a team slash of .263/.436/.329 and ranks in the top-five in the league in home runs and slugging percentage.
The Ranger pitching staff, through 22 games, holds a 4.59 team-ERA with 82 strikeouts and has allowed 116 runs in 149.1 innings pitched, and the third-fewest hits in the GAC with 179. Defensively, NWOSU ranks seventh in the GAC in fielding percentage at .962.
