PEMBROKE, N.C. – The first weekly NCAA Division II Top 25 rankings compiled by the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association (NCBWA) were released on Wednesday and among the shifts in the poll that took place since the preseason rankings in late January was Southern Arkansas climbing seven spots to land inside the poll's top five at No. 4 nationally. It is the Muleriders' highest ranking in the NCBWA poll since holding the No. 2 spot in the standings released February 19, 2020.
 
The Muleriders (5-1), who have won five straight games, received four of the seven first-place votes and tallied 65 total points in the Central Region to claim the top spot. Two other Great American Conference teams round out the region's top three as Arkansas Tech and Henderson State land at No. 2 and No. 3, respectively with the Reddies garnering two of the remaining three first-place nods.
 
Nationally, Southern Arkansas is joined in the top five by unbeaten Wingate at No. 1, perennial power Tampa at No. 2, and South Central Region powers Colorado Mesa at No. 3 and West Texas A&M at No. 5.
 
SAU received 367 total points and made the fourth highest jump in the rankings among teams new to the poll's top 10. WTAM advanced ten spots from a No. 15 preseason ranking to No. 5. Point Loma, which was not ranked in the late January preseason rankings, now holds the No. 7 spot nationally after an 8-0 start. Nova Southeastern, which received votes in the preseason poll, is unbeaten through six games and is currently ranked No. 10.
 
Southern Arkansas has recorded ten or more hits in four of its six games this season and has pushed across 10+ runs in three contests. The Muleriders have outscored opponents 50-16 and the pitching staff holds a collective ERA of 2.52 with 63 total strikeouts.
 
The Muleriders are back in action this weekend and will open up the first of 19 scheduled home games from inside Walker Stadium at Goodheart Field this season with its first GAC series of the campaign. SAU welcomes Northwestern Oklahoma State to Magnolia for a three game series beginning with a doubleheader slated for a 3 p.m. start on Saturday, February 19. Sunday's series finale is set for a noon start. Live coverage links are available at www.MuleriderAthletics.com.