Softball | 2/1/2019 10:19:00 AM

MAGNOLIA, Ark. – After the most productive campaign in program history, #2 Southern Arkansas is set to begin the 2019 season this weekend at the Ronnie Hawkins Memorial Invitational. The Lady Muleriders, fresh off of a 60-11 campaign, which resulted in a third-place finish nationally, begin a potential run back to a familiar stomping ground in Denver, Colorado, for the 2019 Division II College Softball World Series where unfinished business awaits.
 
Southern Arkansas, preseason favorites in the Great American Conference, holds their highest preseason ranking in program history and will matchup with a trio of formidable MIAA opponents this weekend in Arkadelphia, Arkansas. SAU opens the slate on Friday, February 1 with a 3 p.m. first-pitch against Southwest Baptist at Ouachita's Sully Anderson Field and returns to action on Saturday, February 2 with a split doubleheader against Rogers State and Missouri S&T beginning at 3 p.m. Live coverage links are available at www.MuleriderAthletics.com.
 
The Lady Muleriders meet Southwest Baptist and Rogers State both for the third time since 2015. SAU topped the Bearcats 9-0 in five innings in 2016 and 3-0 at last year's Ronnie Hawkins Memorial Invitational. In the two previous meetings with the Hillcats, Southern Arkansas claimed an 8-0 win in five-innings in 2016 and a 12-7 win in a back-and-forth affair at last season's Ronnie Hawkins Memorial Invitational.
 
Head coach Jason Anderson, who enters his fifth year at the helm of the Lady Mulerider Softball program, is eight wins away from 500 for his career and is currently second on Division II's Winningest Active Head Coaches list. Anderson has claimed a GAC Tournament Championship (2016), a GAC Regular Season Championship (2018), a pair of Central Region Tournament titles (2016, 2018), three trips to the NCAA Regional Tournament (2016-2018) and two World Series Semifinal appearances (2016, 2018).
 
The Lady Muleriders will look to replace several potent bats lost to graduation from a high-powered lineup that helped carry Southern Arkansas to Salem, Virginia. Junior Faith Otts returns after an All-America campaign as a sophomore and is joined by classmate and All-GAC selection Rachel Miller and sophomores Sarah Pitre and Hallie Saintignan. Several new faces, such as Chelsea Fagan and Laina Suesue, will impact early for the Muleriders as Anderson has reloaded his lineup from top to bottom with heavy hitters: a staple during his tenure in Magnolia.
 
In the circle, Southern Arkansas returns its top two arms from a season ago in junior preseason All-America honoree Victoria Taylor and All-GAC performer Brooke Ford-Nelson. SAU has added several key pieces to its pitching staff in transfer juniors Sydney Wader, Elisa Favela, Savannah Martinez, and Kimberly Abundis as well as freshman MacKenzie Downs.

About the Ronnie Hawkins Memorial Invitational
Ronnie Hawkins was a long-time friend and mentor to Ouachita Softball head coach Mike McGhee. The tournament was started after Hawkins was diagnosed with cancer and was only given a short time to live. Ronnie lived through four tournaments and passed away before the start of last year's tournament. He was a high school coach at Sheridan (Ark.) and Jessieville (Ark.) High Schools and was a long time Division II umpire. Through the tournament, Ouachita gives a $500 scholarship to a female student-athlete at Jessieville High School.