MAGNOLIA, Ark. – The Great American Conference Baseball schedule turns to March and the second weekend of league play puts #10 Southern Arkansas in Russellville for a three-game series with Arkansas Tech. The Muleriders and Wonder Boys open play on Saturday with a doubleheader slated for a 1 p.m. first-pitch, while Sunday's finale is also set for a 1 p.m. start. Live coverage links are available at
www.MuleriderAthletics.com.
The Muleriders (4-2, 2-1 GAC) are coming off of the program's 29
th GAC series win under fifth-year head coach
Justin Pettigrew. SAU claimed wins of 15-6 and 8-6 (7) over Southwestern Oklahoma, before falling in the finale 5-2.
This weekend, Southern Arkansas will matchup with one of the GAC's four teams that escaped the opening weekend of league play with an unbeaten record. Arkansas Tech (5-4, 3-0 GAC) is coming off of a league series road sweep of East Central. The Wonder Boys totaled 31 runs in the three games and allowed only six.
Since becoming charter members of the GAC in 2011-12, Southern Arkansas leads the series with Arkansas Tech 21-16. In games played in Russellville, the Muleriders are 7-8 and in league affairs SAU holds a 12-9 advantage. Tech has claimed four of the past five matchups and this weekend's series will be the Wonder Boys' home opener.
The Muleriders lead the GAC in team ERA at 3.35; a mark that ranks 22
nd nationally. In 48.1 innings, the staff has allowed 49 hits and 19 walks with 18 earned runs, while striking out 27.
Sophomore
Parker Abrego is 2-0 on the season, while senior
Zach Smith is 1-0 and leads the team in innings pitched with 13.0. Junior
James Janco is 1-0 with a team-leading eight strikeouts and Smith follows with seven. Five other pitchers have thrown at least 2.0 innings this season.
At the plate, six players are swinging .375 or better led by a trio of Mulerider bats that are hitting over .400. SAU's team on-base percentage of .451 ranks tenth in Division II.
In four games this season, junior
Josh Walker leads the team with a .417 average. Senior
Austin Baker and sophomore
Brett McGee are each hitting .400 with Baker's .571 on-base percentage and McGee's 1.050 slugging percentage both leading the club. Both players have recorded eight hits, while junior
Jacob Martinez's nine hits and three doubles are team bests.
Six players have recorded at least five hits and seven players have recorded at least four RBI as 39 of the team's 51 runs have been batted in. McGee leads SAU in extra base hits with five, including four home runs which ranks 15
th in Division II and his 21 total bases rank second in the GAC. Martinez follows with four extra base hits.
Arkansas Tech is one of four teams in the GAC hitting above .300 as a team. The Wonder Boys are swinging a collective .305 and are averaging ten hits and just under seven runs per game.
Jonathan Arrieta leads the team with a .429 average and a 1.357 OPS. He currently holds the team lead in runs scored (10), RBI (11) and home runs (3). His dozen hits are tied for the GAC lead with teammates Evan Hafley and Trace Maddux. Both Hafley and Maddux have recorded six RBI and have combined for seven runs scored. The team's 17 stolen bases ranks 11
th nationally.
On the mound, Tech owns the third-best team ERA in the GAC at 4.11. The staff averages over nine strikeouts and just under seven hits per game. Tech ranks 23
rd in Division II in hits allowed per nine innings and 21
st in WHIP at 1.24.
Collectively, the group has recorded 84 strikeouts to just 29 walks. In three games, Hayes Cox is unbeaten with a 2.37 ERA in 19.0 innings of work and 18 strikeouts. Patrick Miner leads the team with 20 strikeouts in 15.0 innings of work over three starts. Miner holds a 1-1 record as does Riyan Rodriguez who has tossed 13.2 innings in three starts.
