MAGNOLIA, Ark. – On Friday afternoon at 1 p.m. from Clyde Berry Field on the campus of Henderson State University, it will come full circle for head coach Justin Pettigrew's Southern Arkansas Baseball team as the Muleriders, which last walked off the field on March 10 in Arkadelphia following a 13-5 nonconference victory, will hit that same field once again for two seven-inning games against the Reddies to open the 2021 season. On Saturday, Southern Arkansas will play a single nine inning game at Ouachita. First pitch for both days is scheduled for 1 p.m. Live coverage links are available at www.MuleriderAthletics.com.
 
The Muleriders, which finished the pandemic-shortened 2020 campaign with a 19-4 record overall and an 8-4 mark in Great American Conference play, have won nine consecutive games against Henderson State, including four games last season with two decided by a single run. Last spring, the Muleriders became the first team in the program's storied history to start 11-0 which came courtesy of those two one-run wins which ran the season-opening win streak to 11 and helped the Muleriders sweep Henderson State to open Great American Conference play.
 
SAU and Ouachita did not meet last season, but in 2019 the Muleriders took three of four from the Tigers including two of three in the league series.
 
In just 23 games a season ago, the Muleriders hit the seventh-most home runs in the country (32), broke the program's single-game home run record with eight dingers in a 19-7 rout of Northwestern Oklahoma on March 1, recorded the second-best fielding percentage in the nation (.980) and ranked ninth in stolen bases nationally (52).
 
The page turns on a new chapter of Mulerider Baseball as the 2021 season features a six-player senior class in infielders Austin Baker and Kobe Morris, outfielder Mason Peterson, starting pitcher Zach Smith, relief pitcher Matt Kortendick and catcher Zach Muldoon along with a bevy of returners, 25 from last year's squad, and newcomers that will aid Southern Arkansas in its quest for the program's sixth GAC title.
 
Southern Arkansas was ranked preseason No. 2 in the GAC Coaches Poll released on January 12. The Muleriders received 110 total points and a pair of first-place votes. In terms of national rankings, Southern Arkansas appeared in the preseason poll of the three major Division II baseball outlets. The Muleriders highest ranking was from Perfect Game who slotted SAU No. 14 nationally. Southern Arkansas appeared at No. 18 in the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association (NCBWA) and ranked No. 28 in the Collegiate Baseball Top 40.
 
ON THE MOUND
 
Southern Arkansas return eight of the ten pitchers that saw action a season ago, including Smith who owned a 1.40 ERA in six appearances with a clean 5-0 record. In 38.2 innings of work, Smith struck out 35 batters and walked only nine as opponents managed just a .180 average. Sophomore Parker Abrego returns after going 2-2 with two complete games in six starts last spring. He pitched 34.1 innings and fanned 28 batters.
 
A season ago, Kortendick produced a 2.70 ERA in a bullpen-high seven appearances. He notched four saves (10^th nationally) and four strikeouts in ten innings pitched. Additionally, Kade Garmany (3-0, 12 Ks), Remy Bilodeau (22.2 IP, 24 Ks), Jack Liddell (2 XBH allowed, 12.1 IP), Dakota Frachiseur (3 APP), and Jacob Womack (4 starts) all return to the Mulerider bullpen for 2021.
 
As a staff, Southern Arkansas ranked 26^th nationally in WHIP last season with a mark of 1.26; the second-best effort in the GAC. Smith led the league in WHIP at .88.
 
AT THE PLATE
 
Mulerider fans that witnessed Southern Arkansas employ the nation's 25^th best slugging percentage (.494) a season ago to go along with 225 hits and 170 runs scored both of which ranked 21^st nationally will be pleased to know that that entire lineup returns. All of them including six players that played and started all 23 games in 2020.
 
The Muleriders were led by five players that hit .300 or better a season ago with sophomore Brett McGee's .424 average pacing the lineup. With a slugging percentage of .879 which ranked 11^th nationally, McGee's nine homeruns were the third-most in DII baseball for an offense that saw eight players leave the yard at least once last spring with six players hitting three or more home runs.
 
Six players scored at least 15 runs led by Baker's 23. His six doubles trailed only Peterson and Ty Manning's team-lead of seven. Peterson led SAU with 34 hits (24^th nationally) and Manning followed with 31. Five additional players collected at least 20 hits. Morris and McGee each recorded 22 RBI and junior Jacob Martinez followed with 20.
 
McGee ranked third nationally in base on balls as he drew 25 freebies last spring. He averaged over one walk per game and was hit by pitch six times; one back of Manning's team-high seven as SAU ranked 13^th in Division II in HBP with 36. McGee's on-base percentage of .596 ranked third nationally and his 58 total bases placed 25^th. Baker finished 15-of-17 for a team that swiped a collective 52 bags last season. His 15 steals ranked seventh in Division II.