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Southern Arkansas University Athletics

Official Athletics Site of the Southern Arkansas University Muleriders
Conner Allen vs. NWOSU (2-19-22)
Andrew Schreiner

Baseball By: Jacob Pumphrey

#8 Muleriders, Arkansas Tech ready for three games in Magnolia

Southern Arkansas carries 12-game winning streak, unbeaten league record into third league weekend of season

MAGNOLIA, Ark. – An early season test awaits #8 Southern Arkansas this weekend from inside Walker Stadium at Goodheart Field. The Muleriders, unbeaten in Great American Conference play through two league series for the first time under sixth-year head coach Justin Pettigrew, play host to Arkansas Tech in a three-game conference set that begins with Friday's opener slated for a 6 p.m. first pitch with Saturday's doubleheader scheduled for a 2 p.m. start. Live coverage links are available at www.MuleriderAthletics.com.

Southern Arkansas (12-1, 6-0 GAC ) has won 12 straight games which is its longest streak since the 2017 season. The Muleriders are coming off of a three-game series sweep at Southwestern Oklahoma and a midweek win at the Gulf South Conference's Mississippi College. Arkansas Tech (9-3, 4-2 GAC) enters the weekend having won four straight games which includes a GAC series sweep of East Central and midweek win over the GSC's Union.

Since the 2012 season, the GAC's first, the Muleriders hold a 26-18 lead in the series. Tech has won seven of the past ten meetings, while seven of the past eight matchups have been away from Magnolia. At home, Southern Arkansas is 12-5 against the Wonder Boys.

Through 13 games, the Muleriders are hitting .317 and slugging .519; both marks rank in the top 40 in Division II. SAU's on-base percentage of .456 is currently the 14th-highest clip in the country and the team's 82 walks drawn this campaign rank 13th and the 32 HBP ranks 10th. With the plate production and the busy base paths, the Muleriders are scoring an average of 9.8 runs per game which ranks 18th nationally. SAU has scored ten plus runs in a game seven times this season.   

Southern Arkansas has been just as impressive on the mound so far this spring. SAU holds top 25 statistical rankings in hits allowed per nine (10th, 6.7), WHIP (11th, 1.12), ERA (15th, 2.94) and strikeout-to-walk ratio (22nd, 3.10). The marks in WHIP, ERA and K-to-BB ratio lead the GAC, while hits allowed per nine ranks second.

Tech holds a .297 team batting average and comes to Magnolia scoring 7.4 runs per game. The pitching staff currently has an ERA of 3.96 and the group's 3.33 walks allowed per nine is the lowest mark in the GAC.
 
 
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