MAGNOLIA, Ark. – For the second time in the previous three weekends, Great American Conference-leading #8/10 Southern Arkansas meets a league foe sitting second in the conference standings. The Muleriders play host to Southeastern Oklahoma State which is tied for second in the GAC at 11-4 and three games back of SAU's 14-1 mark. The three-game series gets going on Friday, March 25 at 6 p.m. from inside Walker Stadium at Goodheart Field. Saturday's doubleheader is scheduled for a 1 p.m. first pitch. Live coverage links are available at
www.MuleriderAthletics.com.
SAU (20-4, 14-1 GAC) is coming off of a three-game sweep of East Central in a series that saw the Muleriders average two runs an inning as neither of the non-seven inning matchups made it past seven innings. SOSU (21-6, 11-4 GAC) most recently edged Southern Nazarene in a midweek affair, but in conference play suffered a series loss to Arkansas-Monticello last weekend.
This weekend's series marks the first between the two programs in Magnolia since the 2018 season. Since first matching up as GAC foes in 2012, the Muleriders hold the series advantage 19-9 and enter Friday night's opener having won five straight against the Savage Storm.
In 24 games, the Muleriders are averaging 10.1 runs per game (11
th D2) and while the team's 247 hits this season sit just outside the national top 50, SAU has had no trouble putting base runners on. The Muleriders rank third nationally in walks with 154, rank seventh national in HBP with 52 and own an on-base percentage of .454 which ranks seventh in Division II. All of that leads to the ninth-most runs produced in the country at 242.
Freshman
Jakob Machuca and junior
Riley Orr are both hitting north of .400 this season. Orr is one of six players that has played and started all 24 games. Junior
Ty Manning leads the team in runs scored (33), doubles (10), hit-by-pitch (14) and stolen bases (10). Freshman
Brandon Nicoll's 33 hits and 33 RBI are the most for the Muleriders as are senior
Tucker Burton's nine home runs. Sophomore
Chris Sutton has drawn a team-leading 24 walks.
As a pitching staff, the Muleriders' 3.99 ERA ranks second in the GAC and is a top 40 mark nationally. SAU holds top 25 rankings nationally in strikeouts per nine innings at 10.6 and in hits allowed per nine at 7.98.
Jeremy Adorno's 67 strikeouts lead the team and fellow weekend starter
Jacob Womack's 57 follow closely behind. The two starters have tossed nearly half of SAU's 191.2 innings pitched this season.
If you like power and runs, this weekend's series is for you. The Savage Storm enter the weekend averaging just over 8.5 runs per game. The team's .531 slugging percentage ranks 21
st nationally as does its 223 runs plated this season. SOSU has hit 36 home runs, a league-leading 61 doubles. and ranks just above SAU in total hits with 248. Reid Rice leads the GAC in home runs with 13 which are the second-most in the country, while his 35 RBI rank 15 and are second in the GAC.
SOSU holds a team ERA of 5.39, averages 8.9 strikeouts per nine and 8.8 hits per nine. Additionally, Southeastern Oklahoma leads the GAC and ranks seventh in the country in fielding percentage at .978.
