MAGNOLIA, Ark. – Playing on the road for the first 21 games of the season, the Southern Arkansas University softball team will return home to Magnolia for the first time this season as they are set to take on Arkansas-Monticello inside Dawson Field at the Dr. Margaret Downing Softball Complex in a Great American Conference double-header tomorrow afternoon. This will be the first home game for SAU in 313 days.

The Muleriders currently hold an 11-10 record overall and are 4-2 in GAC play. SAU took on Arkansas-Tech last weekend and lost their first conference games of the year as they dropped the series 2-1, one week after sweeping Southwestern Oklahoma State to open GAC play. Head softball coach Jason Anderson picked up his 600^th career victory last Friday in the win over ATU.

SAU will take on a Weevil team that is currently (10-9, 5-1 GAC). UAM swept Northwestern Oklahoma State to start GAC play and then took two out of three from Henderson last weekend. UAM senior first baseman Haley Cornell took home GAC player of the week for her efforts against HSU as she went 5-for-8 with eight RBI in the series.

UAM picked up big non-conference wins to start their 2022 campaign over Southwest Baptist, Emporia State, Missouri Western State and Lincoln University. The Weevils have been led this season by Grace Neal, who leads the team in hits (21), RBI (22), runs (15), and homeruns (six). Madison Morrissey ranks second on the team with 20 hits, while Cornell is second on the squad with 16 RBI. UAM carries a .317 team batting average (157-for-495) and have outscored their opponents 119-113. Jamie Franks leads the Weevils pitching staff with a 2-0 record in 14.1 innings pitched. Sam Stephens leads the team in innings pitched (27.2) and strikeouts (14).

The Muleriders will look to wake up their bats as they return to Magnolia as they hold a team batting average of .238. SAU continues to see grad transfer Jade Miller sit at the top of the offensive leaderboard, as she leads the squad in hits (30), runs (15), homeruns (six), batting average (.375), slugging (.663) and OPS (1.038), while also being tied for the team lead in RBI with 13.

 Alese Casper ranks second on the team with 14 hits, while Senior utility player Sarah Evans has 13 base knocks and is tied for the team lead in RBI with 13. Jaxynn Dyson has totaled 12 hits and is tied with Evans with four homeruns, which is second on the team. Division one graduate transfers in Taylor Murphy and Madison Miller both have 10 hits for SAU.

SAU has combined for 10 wins in the circle between their top two JUCO transfer pitchers in Sydney Ward and Kiana Pogroszewski. Ward leads the Muleriders with a 6-3 record while Pogroszewski sits at 4-2. Memphis transfer Macie Welch picked up the other win for SAU in the circle.

Ward leads the team with 58.2 innings pitched to go along with a team lead 54 strikeouts and four complete games. She has allowed 45 hits and 18 runs (12) earned and holds a 1.43 ERA which is the team lead. Pogroszewski had pitched 46.0 innings and has struck out 44 batters and allowed 33 hits. The Utah native carries a 1.52 ERA after allowing 14 runs (10 earned).

First pitch of tomorrow's double-header is set for 3:00 p.m. with the second game set to begin 30 minutes after the conclusion of game one. You can find live stat and video links to tomorrow's double-header here.