MAGNOLIA, Ark. – Longtime conference rivals Southern Arkansas and Delta State will renew one of the most tradition-filled matchups at the Division II level today as the No. 27-ranked Muleriders will host the No. 6-ranked Statesmen in an in-region game starting at 2 p.m. out at Walker Stadium at Goodheart Field.
 
The Muleriders will come into the game 19-8 overall and are coming off of an impressive weekend sweep of Northwestern Oklahoma State. The Statesmen, once the top-ranked team in DII, enter the Tuesday afternoon tilt at 20-6 overall. Delta went 1-2 last weekend after dropping the final two games of their weekend series against Shorter University.
 
As a team, the Muleriders are currently hitting .279 with 195 runs scored, 48 doubles, seven triples, and 34 home runs. In the other dugout, the Statesmen are hitting .312 as a team with 227 runs scored, 45 doubles, four triples and 39 home runs.
 
In terms of pitching, SAU has posted a GAC-best 3.65 team ERA and has struck out 254 batters in 221.2 innings. Opponents are also hitting .225 off of the Mulerider pitching staff, which is also the best in the league. For the Statesmen, their pitching staff has a 4.83 ERA and totaled 204 strikeouts in 220.0 innings of work. DSU's opposition is hitting .265 against their pitching staff.
 
The leading hitter for the Muleriders in terms of average is Jake Tisevich at .386 (32-for-83). Jacob Richardson leads the team in home runs with eight and RBIs with 29. Dakota Wright is next in RBIs with 24. For the Statesmen, they have five batters in their regular lineup hitting over .300 with Zach Shannon leading the way at .447 (46-for-103). Shannon is also the top deep threat for Delta with a DII-leading 19 home runs. His 53 RBIs also lead the team and country.
 
Last year, the Muleriders and Statesmen played twice with each team notching a win on their home field. The Statesmen took the first meeting of the season back in late February with an 8-4 final in Cleveland. SAU evened the score in late March with a thrilling 3-2 win in 11 innings.