SOUTHERN ARKANSAS MULERIDERS 26-14 (18-9 GAC)	ARKANSAS TECH WONDER BOYS 26-17 (18-10 GAC)
vs. Arkansas Tech Friday, April 20 | 3 p.m. | DH  Dawson Field - Magnolia, Ark. LIVE STATS | LIVE VIDEO | SAU RADIO vs. Arkansas Tech Saturday, April 21 | 1 p.m. Dawson Field - Magnolia, Ark. LIVE STATS | LIVE VIDEO | SAU RADIO

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GAME NOTES (PDF)

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Leading Off
Southern Arkansas (26-14, 18-9 GAC) is set to host its final GAC series of the regular season with Arkansas Tech (26-17, 18-10 GAC) beginning with a twin bill on Friday at 3 p.m. and a single game on Saturday scheduled for a 1 p.m. start. 
    
The Mulerider offense has plated nine or more runs in 16 games this season and is collectively slashing .283/.388/.464 in 40 games this season. 
    
Four players are swinging at .300 or better led by a pair of seniors in Jacob Richardson and Jake Tisevich. Richardson owns the top average at .357 and is leading the team with 55 hits, 10 home runs, 51 RBI, and nine hit-by-pitch. Tisevich ranks in the top three on the team in hits, doubles, RBI, total bases and stolen bases, and is top five on the team in slugging percentage (.515) and on-base percentage (.395).
    
Sophomore Austin Baker leads the team with 39 runs scored and is second on the club with 48 hits, while also being one of five players with six or more doubles. His fourteen stolen bases lead the team. Redshirt sophomore Zach Muldoon (.315) rounds out the Muleriders hitting over .300. Muldoon owns a team-leading .485 on-base percentage.
    
The Mulerider pitching staff has proved to be one of the best in the region as the unit leads the Great American Conference in team-ERA (4.22), saves (9), strikeouts (362), and opposing batting average (.236), has allowed the fewest runs (185) and earned runs (148), and is top-3 in the conference in fewest hits allowed (288) and walks allowed (131).
    
Seniors Kenneth Tabor and Hunter Vasquez have been largely responsible for the staff's success this season as the duo ranks 1st and 2nd respectively in ERA. Tabor (2.43 ERA) and Vasquez (2.48 ERA) have combined for a 13-3 start to the season, while fellow weekend starter Jacob Stroder has tallied a 6-2 start. Vasquez leads the league in strikeouts with 83 and Stroder is second with 73 punch outs.
     
Junior Eric White has been dominant in relief this season. The hard-throwing righty owns almost a 4-to-1 strikeout-to-walk ratio and has allowed just three earned runs in 12 appearances over 20.2 innings. White has tallied a pen-best six saves and opponents are hitting just .159 against him. Classmate Nick Starr has picked up three saves this spring and a win, and his 30 strikeouts this season is tied for a team-best from the bullpen along with White's 30 K's. 
    
Arkansas Tech is currently slashing .310/393/.449 and its offense is top five in the league in nine different offensive categories including: batting average (.310), slugging percentage (.449), on base percentage (.393), runs scored (308), hits (434), RBI (268), doubles (80), triples (10), and total bases (630). 
    
The Wonder Boys' pitching staff holds a 5.79 team-era, which ranks in the top five in the GAC, along with top-five marks in nine other pitching categories including: opposing batting average (.286), innings pitched (354.1), batters struck out (321), wins (25), hits allowed (410), runs allowed (268), earned runs allowed (228), walks allowed (164), and doubles allowed (52).
    
Britt Stroth,  Mark Vaughn, and Riley Hickerson are among the three players in the lineup who are hitting .325 or better and have played and started in atleast 36 games this year. Stroth owns the best batting average on the team (.377) and on base percentage (.482) with a team-best 26 walks. Both Vaughn and Hickerson combine for 12 home runs, 86 RBIs, 166 total bases, 21 stolen bases, 71 runs scored, 111 hits, 12 doubles, and four triples to lead the team.      
    
On the mound, Hayes Cox is the team-leader in ERA at 3.20 with a team-best 7-2 win-loss record and lowest opponent batting average (.266) among the starters, and has allowed the fewest hits (68), runs (26) and earned runs (23), and walks (20) among pitchers with 60 or more innings pitched, while Michael Mueller (5.35 ERA) leads the staff in strikeouts (67).   
    
Since 2012, when the two programs became charter members of the Great American Conference, Southern Arkansas owns a 18-11 record against the Wonder Boys, including a 10-3 advantage in Magnolia. The two programs have met in the postseason twice where they have posted an even record, 1-1.