MAGNOLIA, Ark – The #11/9 Southern Arkansas University baseball team will take their show on the road for a Great American Conference series for the first time in two weeks, as they are set to travel to Searcy to take on Harding University this weekend. The league leading Muleriders 26-7 (19-2 GAC) will take on a Bisons 21-12 (12-9 GAC) team that is in fifth place in the GAC. The series will get started on Friday night at 6:00 p.m. while the double-header will be played on Saturday afternoon with the first pitch of game one at 1:00 p.m.
 
The Muleriders come into this weekend's matchup having won all seven of their GAC series, which includes five GAC series sweeps. The Muleriders took two of three from Henderson State University last weekend. SAU took down #25/RV Delta State University 5-2 last night, as they saw great production on the mound from starter Jonny Vesevick who picked up his first win in a Mulerider uniform and Isaiah Haynes who was solid in relief.
 
The Bisons have won four of the seven GAC series they have played in, while picking up sweeps over East Central and Oklahoma Baptist. HU took two of three from Arkansas-Monticello last weekend, and are coming off of a 12-4 win over NAIA member Central Baptist College on Tuesday evening.
 
The Muleriders will come into this weekend looking to add more runs to their league leading 318, as the squad is outscoring its opponents 318-154. SAU has scored 10+ runs in 13 of their games. Brandon Nicoll ranks second in the GAC in runs scored with 41, While Ty Manning and Riley Orr are tied for third in the GAC with 38 runs scored. Chris Sutton is not far behind as he has crossed home plate 37 times.
 
In addition to runs, Nicoll also leads the team in hits (47), RBI (45), total bases (91), and doubles (15). The Muleriders have seven players with 30 or more hits. Orr is second on the team with 41, followed by Manning (40), and Jakob Machuca and Tucker Burton who both have 34. Brett McGee has collected 33 base hits, while Sutton has 32.
 
McGee ranks second on the team with 41 RBI, followed by Orr (37) and Burton (33). Burton has left the yard a team high 10 times while, Nicoll has collected nine home runs, followed by McGee (7), and Machuca and Conner Allen who both have five. The Muleriders have four players batting .360 or better. Orr leads the team with a .398 average, followed by Machuca who is hitting .370. Manning holds a .367 batting average, while Chris Lyles who has been swinging the stick well holds a .362 average.
 
The weekend pitching staff of Jacob Womack, Jeremy Adorno and Wyatt Marr continue to be a bright spot on the Mulerider team. The three starters have combined for a 19-1 record in 26 combined starts. Adorno leads the GAC in every major category as well as the team. The junior college transfer leads in wins (9), strikeouts (80), innings pitched (58.2), opposing batting average (.162), lowest runs allowed (16), lowest earned runs allowed (15), and ERA among starters (.230). Adorno also leads NCAA DII in wins and is second in strikeouts.
 
Womack (5-1) and Marr (5-0) have both collected five wins on the season. Womack ranks second on the squad with 57.0 innings pitched and hold a 3.79 ERA, while Marr has thrown 43.0 innings with a 3.98 ERA. Womack also ranks second in the GAC in strikeouts with 71 and second on the team. Marr has struck out 35 batters on the season.

Chance Bolter has been solid out of the pen has he has picked up three wins and one save in 8.0 innings of work. Bolter carries a team low ERA of 1.13 and has struck out four batters. Parker Abrego has strung together a few solid outings in recent games and picked up his first win of the season against Henderson State last weekend. The Texas native carries a 1.98 ERA and has pitched 13.2 innings, while striking out 19 batters and only allowing three runs.
 
Harding comes into the weekend outscoring its opponents 211-173 and outhitting opponents 301-277. The Bisons have three players with 40+ hits, as Chris Witzke leads the team with 47. Michael Dewald has collected 43 base hits, while Cody Smith has 40. Coulton Doyle leads the team with 40 RBI and 11 home runs, while Witzke has collected 24 RBI.
 
Joel Barker leads the HU pitching staff with a 6-2 record. Barker has pitched 46.2 innings and carries a 4.05 ERA to go along with 22 strikeouts. Carter McCall has 41 K's and holds a 5-2 record with a 3.94 ERA in 48.0 innings of work. Maddox Long leads the team with 49.2 innings pitched, and holds a 3-3 record. Long has struck out a team high 51 batters, but holds a 5.07 ERA.

You can find live links to this weekend's series here.