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#5 SOUTHERN ARKANSAS
LADY MULERIDERS
34-4 (23-3 GAC) |
HENDERSON STATE
REDDIES
24-13 (16-10 GAC) |
vs. Henderson State
Sunday, April 8 | 2 p.m. | DH
Dawson Field at the Mulerider Softball Complex - Magnolia, Ark.
LIVE STATS | LIVE VIDEO
vs. Henderson State
Monday, April 9 | 4 p.m. | DH
Dawson Field at the Mulerider Softball Complex - Magnolia, Ark.
LIVE STATS | LIVE VIDEO
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GAME NOTES (PDF)
LEADING OFF
The No. 5- ranked Southern Arkansas (34-4) begins a 10-game GAC homestand this weekend starting with a twin-bill on Sunday against Henderson State (24-13) at 4 p.m. followed by a doubleheader on Monday slated for a 2 p.m. first pitch.
The Lady Muleriders went 22-2 in both months of March and April combined and currently find themselves in first place in the conference standings in the final month of regular season action.
For the ninth-straight week, the Lady Mulerider softball team has been one of the top-15 nationally ranked teams in the NFCA DII coaches poll, and has been tabbed in the top-10 for the last four weeks, with
its highest rank this season coming this week after being tabbed in the 5th-spot.
Powering the hot start to the season for the Lady Muleriders is an offense that leads the GAC in batting average (.343), on-base percentage (.424) and slugging
percentage (.610), which also ranks fourth in the nation. Additionally, the SAU bats own top five marks in seven other offensive categories including runs scored, hits, RBI, walks, and home runs. The team's 75
dingers leads the league and its per game home run average of 1.97 is the second-most in the nation.
In the circle, the Lady Muleriders own the league's lowest team-ERA at 1.78 and opponent batting average at .221 As a staff, SAU has struck out 221 batters, ranking
them first in the league in that category, and has allowed the fewest runs, earned runs, hits, and walks in the GAC.
Henderson State heads into the weekend with a 16-10 record in GAC play that currently ranks them fifth in the league standings. The Reddies own a team slash of .304/.456/.382, all of which rank in the top-5 in the
GAC. Additionally, the Reddies rank fifth in the league in stolen bases at 40.
The HSU pitching staff, through 37 games, holds the third-best team-ERA in the GAC at 3.22 with 99 strikeouts and has allowed the third-fewest runs (135) runs and the second-fewest hits (252) in 246.0 innings
pitched. In that, the Reddies hold opponents to the second-lowest batting average in the league at .265 behind SAU.
Defensively, HSU ranks third in fielding percentage at .968.
