MAGNOLIA, Ark. – A long 280 days away from home will soon come to an end on Saturday as #4/5 Southern Arkansas will be back in action inside Walker Stadium at Goodheart Field to open up Great American Conference play with a three-game series against league foe Northwestern Oklahoma State. First-pitch for the February 19 doubleheader is scheduled for 3 p.m. Sunday's series finale is slated to start at noon. Live coverage links are available at
www.MuleriderAthletics.com.
The Muleriders (5-1) have won five straight games after dropping its season opener with a pair of wins over both Northwest Missouri and Missouri Western and a single victory against Pittsburg State. The Rangers (3-4) lost two of three at home to Minnesota Crookston to start the year and twice defeated New Mexico Highlands.
Since first matching up in late February of 2013, the Muleriders hold a favorable lead in the series at 22-5. SAU has won all nine series against NWOSU, but the Rangers claimed the final game of the most recent three-game matchup: a 19-18 slugfest in the 2021 series finale played in Alva that saw a combined 45 hits with 24 of those going for extra bases. Under sixth-year head coach
Justin Pettigrew, Southern Arkansas is 3-2 in home openers and 11-4 in GAC home-opening series.
Pitching has been key for the Muleriders through the early going of the season. SAU's team ERA of 2.52 ranks 12
th nationally, while the staff's 6.12 hits allowed per nine innings is the fifth-best mark in the country. The Muleriders own a staff WHIP of 1.10 (12
th) and holds top 25 rankings in strikeouts per nine at 11.3 (19
th) and in strikeout-to-walk ratio at 3.00 (23
rd).
Freshman transfer right-hander
Jeremy Adorno, a two-time GAC Pitcher of the Week two weeks into the season, has allowed one base hit in 13 innings pitched this season. His 17 strikeouts are just two back of junior right-hander
Jacob Womack's team-leading 19. Junior transfer
Wyatt Marr has fanned 11 in two starts. Sophomore relievers
Kade Garmany and
Santos Sosa have each recorded a save and combined for seven strikeouts in 5.1 innings out of the bullpen.
Southern Arkansas has recorded ten or more hits in four of its six games this season, has pushed across 10+ runs in three contests and has outscored opponents 50-16. SAU's 8.3 runs per game rank 35
th in the country and the Muleriders hold top 40 marks nationally in batting average (.307), hit-by-pitch (14), home runs (7), on-base percentage (.434) and slugging percentage (.475).
Five Muleriders own a batting average north of .300 with junior
Riley Orr's .429 clip leading the team. His nine hits are the most and his seven RBIs are matched by freshman transfer
Brandon Nicoll and sophomore
Will Richardson. Nine players have at least five hits and eight players have recorded at least three RBI. Five players have scored at least five runs with junior
Brett McGee, sophomore
Chris Sutton and Nicoll all crossing seven times.
SAU has drawn 32 free passes, been hit 14 times and is 12-of-13 in stolen base attempts through six games. McGee is averaging an HBP each game which leads the country and Manning paces the team on the base paths with four stolen bags.
Northwestern Oklahoma is averaging 7.4 runs per game and will bring a good amount of power to Magnolia this weekend. The Rangers 14 home runs this season rank 9
th nationally, while the team's .526 slugging percentage is the 23
rd best mark in the Division II. Hayden Priest and Shaughn Kelly are both hitting over .400 with the former's hitting clip of .438 pacing the squad. Kelly's 13 hits lead an offense that has nine players with at least four hits and six with seven or more. Blake Hoffman's nine RBI and 22 total bases are a team-high.
On the mound, Edwin Colon has appeared in four games, all in relief, and has recorded two saves, while allowing only three hits and two walks to go along with seven strikeouts in four innings or work. Emilio Lovato has two starts totaling 15 innings with 13 hits to 17 strikeouts and four earned runs allowed.
