MAGNOLIA, Ark. – The tomorrows are dwindling when it comes to the NCAA Division II Baseball season. For No. 30 Southern Arkansas, the league's two seed, tomorrow evening's opening round matchup with seventh-seeded Henderson State in the Great American Conference Tournament will serve as the final home game of the '21 campaign for the Muleriders. First pitch from Walker Stadium at Goodheart Field is scheduled for 6 p.m. and live coverage links are available at
www.MuleriderAthletics.com. Regional tournament implications are heavy in the single elimination affair with Friday's winner advancing to the round of four in Arkadelphia on Monday, May 17.
The Muleriders, led by fifth-year head coach
Justin Pettigrew, are highlighted on the field by six All-GAC performers which includes first team selections
Austin Baker (2B),
Brett McGee (C), and
Jacob Womack (SP), second team honoree
Zach Smith (SP) and honorable mention recipients
Tucker Burton (DH) and
Ty Manning (OF). Southern Arkansas has compiled a 27-13 record overall, while its 23-10 conference mark earned the club a share of the GAC Regular Season Title; the program's first since 2017 and fifth overall dating back to year one (2011-12) of its GAC charter membership.
The stakes are all too familiar for SAU as the Muleriders are set for the program's ninth appearance in the GAC Tournament. Southern Arkansas has tallied a 23-11 record all-time in the GAC Tournament with championships in 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015 and 2018. SAU won its first 15 tournament games when facing elimination and as a top three seed the Muleriders are 23-9.
In addition to the stakes, Friday evening's opponent is very familiar to the Muleriders. It will be the sixth meeting between Henderson State and Southern Arkansas this season, the first in Magnolia, and the 50
th overall since the two programs joined the GAC with the Muleriders owning a 34-15 record during that time. It will be the tenth matchup in the GAC postseason between the league foes with SAU holding a slim 5-4 advantage in the series.
The Muleriders and Reddies split a season-opening, seven-inning doubleheader in Arkadelphia on February 12 with HSU claiming a 4-3 win in eight innings, while SAU took the second game 7-2. In the GAC series, which sent Southern Arkansas back to Clark County, the Muleriders won two of three with a 9-6 win in the opener and an 8-5 victory in the finale.
Southern Arkansas enters postseason play with a team slash of .293/.418/.504, while Henderson State owns a team slash of .311/.403/.498. On the mound, SAU's 4.32 team ERA is second in the league, while the Reddies are third at 5.15. SAU owns a team fielding percentage of .973; the second-highest mark in the league, while HSU fields at a clip of .965.
For the Muleriders, five players are hitting .300 or better led by Baker's clip of .409. Six players have scored at least 30 runs for SAU this spring, while eight players have at least 35 hits with four having recorded more than 40. Southern Arkansas has registered 166 extra base hits this season with Baker's 16 doubles and three triples and McGee's 12 home runs leading each category. Senior
Kobe Morris leads the team in total bases with 95, is one of four players with a slugging percentage above .600 and is one of three players with double digit steals joining Baker's 20 and Manning's 14.
Three players have played and started all 40 games for SAU this season: Baker, Morris and sophomore shortstop
Riley Orr, who over the last half of the season has exploded offensively as he has raised his average to .314 with 15 of his 43 hits going for extra bases.
The team's All-GAC pitching honorees, Womack and Smith, have combined for 11 wins and 144 strikeouts in 152.1 innings pitched. Sophomore
Remy Bilodeau is 5-1 in 12 appearances with seven starts totaling 45.1 innings pitched. Out of the bullpen, freshman
Santos Sosa is 5-3 with a 2.94 ERA in 14 relief efforts. He has totaled 33.2 innings pitched with 32 strikeouts.
Sophomore
Maddux Solomon and junior
James Janco have combined for 35.2 innings of work with 18 strikeouts each. In ten appearances, sophomore
Parker Abrego has tallied 27 strikeouts over 32.0 innings of work.
Four Reddies earned placement on All-GAC teams. Starting pitcher Spencer Taack joined Womack as a first team pitcher, while outfielder Danny Mitchell was named the second team and relief pitcher Taylor Langston and shortstop Joe Myers claimed GAC Honorable Mention recognition.
Taack owns a 4.30 ERA with a 6-1 record in 11 starts totaling 58.2 innings pitched. He has tallied 63 strikeouts, while opponents are hitting .265 off of him. Langston owns a 1.19 ERA in 14 relief appearances over 22.2 innings pitched with 33 strikeouts. Four other Reddie pitchers have appeared in at least a dozen games.
At the plate, Kaden Argenbright leads the team with a .383 average, 13 doubles and a .617 slugging percentage. Greyson Stevens' 56 hits pace the club, while Myers' 11 home runs and 48 RBI are tops for the team this spring.
