MAGNOLIA, Ark. – The DII softball season rolls on for the Muleriders and ninth-year head coach Jason Anderson and an early to mid-February weekend in-state slate can only mean one thing: Southern Arkansas is headed to Bentonville. The Muleriders make the familiar jaunt up through the Natural State to Northwest Arkansas for four games at the Alvy Early Memorial Classic. (RV) Southern Arkansas will matchup against Truman State (11 a.m.) and William Jewell (1:30 p.m.) on Saturday and will play Pittsburg State (11 a.m.) and Southwest Baptist (1:30 p.m.) on Super Sunday.
 
SAU heads to Bentonville for a regular season tournament for the second straight season, fourth time in the past five years and for the eighth time since becoming a charter member of the Great American Conference in 2011-12. In regular season games in Bentonville, the Muleriders are 20-9 all-time and 18-5 under Anderson. Add in the postseason trips (GAC Tournament has been held there annually since 2012), and the Muleriders overall record jumps to 42-24 with a 22-15 mark in postseason play.
 
However, the only record that currently matters is the Muleriders' unblemished 5-0 mark which was acquired last weekend at the Mardi Gras Invitational. SAU dispatched five in-region opponents including (RV) Drury and No. 6 Texas A&M-Kingsville. Anderson's squad currently sits at +21 in scoring margin with a team ERA of 1.60.
 
Last weekend's offensive output was highlighted by junior Alyssa Miller's hot-hitting efforts that resulted in her being named the Great American Conference's Player of the Week. Miller hit .786 (11-for-14) with an OPS of 1.943 and she recorded a triple, an inside the park home run, scored three runs and registered six RBI.
 
Four other Muleriders hit north of .375 on opening weekend. Seven players scored at least three runs with grad transfer Ariana Rolle leading with five. She was one of four players with seven or more base knocks. Sophomore Emily Shipman matched Miller's RBI output and led the team in doubles with three. True freshman Regan Dillon left the yard twice as Anderson's lineup cranked six homeruns in five games. Sophomore Gracie King collected eight hits, three for extra bases, and delivered five RBI and four runs scored with two walks.
 
In the circle, sophomore Sydney Ward was nearly lights out posting a 3-0 record with two complete games. She allowed just two earned runs, struck out 16 and walked only three in 19.0 innings pitched. Sophomore Morgan McAlexander totaled 9.1 innings in a pair of starts, won her first game as a Mulerider and struck out eight to just two walks. Grad transfer Baylie Thornhill appeared in relief twice over 5.2 innings striking out seven with no walks issued. True freshman Maci McJunkins allowed just one earned run in her lone inning of work.
 
Southern Arkansas opens the second weekend of play against Truman State of the Great Lakes Valley Conference (GLVC). Saturday morning's 11 a.m. first pitch will be the fourth meeting all-time between the two programs and the first since a Valentine's Day matchup in Bentonville in 2015. TSU won the first two meetings in shutout fashion, while SAU claimed the most recent matchup 10-7. The Bulldogs were picked 12^th in the GLVC Preseason Poll and the matchup with SAU will be their first action of 2023. Last spring, TSU went 8-35 with three league wins and enters this season with a new head coach in Ron Ferrill. The Bulldogs' top returning offensive player in Cameryn Patterson hit .345 in 2022 and started 43 games. Four of the team's five arms are back including Breianna Klein who won three games last spring.
 
The Muleriders meet William Jewell for the first time ever and the Cardinals will open their season on Saturday morning against Northeastern State before the 1:30 p.m. first pitch against SAU. The Cardinals posted a 17-31 mark last spring with nine wins in GLVC play and were most recently picked 11^th in this season's GLVC Preseason Poll. The Cardinals' Sabrina Olmo is the team's top returner in average (.280), runs scored (16), and steals (10). Ella Hoffman is the top returner in RBI (13) and home runs (6). Aliyah Santiago is the returning leader in innings pitched (72.2), ERA (4.20) and strikeouts (49).
 
Sunday's action begins with Pittsburg State in an 11 a.m. first pitch. It will be the ninth time the two programs have met with the series locked at 4-4 and the Muleriders having won two straight via run-rule. It marks the second-straight meeting in Bentonville after the two teams squared off in 2020. Preseason No. 9 in the MIAA poll, PSU opened its 2023 season at the DII Spring Invitational in Conroe, Texas where it posted a 1-4 record against Lone Star Conference competition. Its lone victory came against No. 18 Angelo State. Heather Arnett paces a Gorilla offense with a .412 average. Kianna Pellegrino has recorded five RBI. The PSU pitching staff owns a collective 2.79 ERA and opponents are hitting .246.
 
The Muleriders close out its stay in Bentonville with a 1:30 start against Southwest Baptist. SAU holds a 6-0 record against SBU with shutout victories coming in their last four meetings. It will be the first matchup in NWA since 2013. The Bearcats, who were picked 13^th in the GLVC Preseason Poll, open their season in Bentonville under new head coach Tripp Swisher. Last spring, Southwest Baptist won eight games with two of those victories coming against GLVC competition. Four of the team's top five hitters from a season ago return led by Meadow Vassar who hit .294 with 25 hits, eight RBI and ten runs scored in 33 starts. Margo Frossard returns after posting a team-leading 32 hits, 17 RBI and 15 runs scored in 2022. Of the six arms that threw for SBU last season, only Emma Wood returns to the circle. She posted a 6.96 ERA in 53.1 innings pitched with 26 strikeouts and 24 walks over 17 appearances with 11 starts.
 
Fans can follow along via Facebook Live: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100063474639989. Final box scores of all games will be available at www.MuleriderAthletics.com.