MAGNOLIA, Ark. – The Southern Arkansas University softball team will open up Great American Conference play this weekend as they are set to take on Southwestern Oklahoma State University in a three game series. Due to SWOSU travel issues, the three game series will be played in Paris, Texas at Chisum High School, with SAU being the home team. The two teams will play a double-header on Sunday at 2:30 p.m. followed by the series finale on Monday afternoon at noon.

Head Coach Jason Anderson has never lost a GAC opener in his eight years at the helm and the Muleriders have never lost a GAC opener dating back to the conferences start in 2011-2012.

In their first 15 games this season, the Muleriders picked up seven wins over the course of three different tournaments against tough competition. Of those 15 games, 14 were considered in-region contests. SAU picked up a rank win over No. 15 Oklahoma Christian last Saturday, and that was the first of three straight wins for SAU heading into GAC play this weekend.

Utah Valley transfer Jade Miller has helped pace the Mulerider offense this year as she leads the team with 23 hits, which is tied for the second most in the GAC. Miller also leads the team in homeruns with five, runs with 12, stolen bases with two and ranks second on the team with nine RBI. Sarah Evans holds the team lead with 10 RBI and is second on the team with 11 hits, three of which have cleared the fence.

Jaxynn Dyson and Alese Casper have both collected nine hits, while Tiare Lee and Emma Gill have eight apiece. Lee is third on the team with eight RBI. Dyson has homered three times on the year while Gill and Lee have homered twice.

Junior College transfer Sydney Ward leads the Muleriders with a 5-3 record in the circle. Ward has pitched 48.2 innings and has gone the distance three times with one shutout. She has struck out 42 batters which ranks third in the GAC. Ward's 1.58 ERA is also the third best in the conference as she has just allowed 11 earned runs on 41 hits. The five wins in the circle is tied for the most in the GAC with Lily Tanski of Henderson State.

Kiana Pogroszewski has picked up two wins in the circle for SAU as she has tossed 28.0 innings in seven appearances. Pogroszewski has struck out 28 batters and has allowed 22 hits while only giving up seven earned runs.

SAU will take on a Bulldog squad that has only won one game in five tries. SWOSU's lone win came against Missouri Southern State as they took down the Lions 9-7. The four losses came against Cameron, Rogers State, Midwestern State and Central Oklahoma. SWOSU has been outscored 40-14 in their five games.

Breanna Simmons leads SWOSU with seven hits while Maddie Rahon ranks second with four. Hannah Franklin leads the Bulldogs with four RBI. Brianna Cryer picked up the lone Bulldog win in the circle as she is 1-2 on the year, and leads the team in innings pitched with 15.0. She has struck out nine batters and has allowed 12 earned runs.

You can find live links to all three of this weekend's games here.