Magnolia, Ark. - The SAU Baseball team enters their second weekend of conference competition and their conference home opener this Sunday and Monday as the Muleriders host the Bisons from Harding in a three-game series that was moved back due to weather.

The Muleriders enter this weekend 7-3 on the season, winners of four straight games, including a sweep in Arkadelphia of Henderson State last weekend under their belt. The Bisons enter this weekend 9-3 on the season, having swept Arkansas-Monticello last weekend in Searcy. The Muleriders have had three different players named as GAC Player of the Week so far this season - Cooper King, Brett McGee and Jansen McCurdy. On the other side, Harding pitcher Tanner Smith was named conference pitcher of the week for his six-inning, one-hit shutout performance against Truman State.

As a team, the Bisons rank near the top of most of the categories in the conference, while the Muleriders overall numbers are on the rise following a slow offensive performance opening weekend against Washburn. Both teams have a player ranked in the top ten in batting average - Conner Kelly for Harding currently sits eighth at .381, and SAU's King sits ninth at .378; also, both teams have a reliever who are currently tied for the ERA title, having not given up a single run so far. Matt Kortendick has thrown 13 shutout innings for the Muleriders, picking up three wins and a save in four appearances. Ryder Yakel has thrown 12 shutout innings for the Bisons, picking up two saves in three appearances. Harding's Smith ranks third in ERA with a 1.35 mark in 20 innings on the bump for the Bisons. 

After this series, the Muleriders travel to Clinton to take on Mississippi College before going to Northwestern Oklahoma State for a three-game conference series.