RUSSELLVILLE, Ark. – After finishing runner-up in the 2023 Great American Conference tournament and knocking off the previous reigning national champions Rogers State in the NCAA Central Region Tournament, the Southern Arkansas Muleriders enter the preseason as the second ranked team in the GAC, according to the league coaches, with 111 total points (just six behind Oklahoma Baptist and ten or more ahead of the remainder of the conference).
 
Among the 12 first-place votes, the Muleriders received two of the votes as well as Harding receiving the identical number of votes. Oklahoma Baptist ensured their first-place position as the Bison received the remainder of the top-place votes with eight in total.
 
PREVIOUS FIRST-PLACE MEMBERS IN GAC PRESEASON COACHES POLLS

• 2024 GAC Coaches Poll Preseason Favorite – Oklahoma Baptist
  • 2023 GAC Regular Season Champions – Oklahoma Baptist
  • 2023 GAC Tournament Champions – Southeastern Oklahoma State
• 2023 GAC Coaches Poll Preseason Favorite – Southern Arkansas
  • 2022 GAC Regular Season Champions – Southern Arkansas/Arkansas Tech
  • 2022 GAC Tournament Champions – Arkansas Tech
• 2022 GAC Coaches Poll Preseason Favorite – Southern Arkansas
  • 2021 GAC Regular Season Champions – Southern Arkansas/Arkansas Tech
  • 2021 GAC Tournament Champions – Arkansas Tech
• 2021 GAC Coaches Poll Preseason Favorite – Southern Arkansas
  • 2020 GAC Regular Season Champions – Southern Arkansas
  • 2020 GAC Tournament Champions – N/A
• 2020 GAC Coaches Poll Preseason Favorite – Southern Arkansas
  • 2019 GAC Regular Season Champions – Southern Arkansas
  • 2019 GAC Tournament Champions – Arkansas Tech
• 2019 GAC Coaches Poll Preseason Favorite – Southern Arkansas
  • 2018 GAC Regular Season Champions – Southern Arkansas
  • 2018 GAC Tournament Champions – Arkansas Tech
• 2018 GAC Coaches Poll Preseason Favorite – Southern Arkansas
  • 2017 GAC Regular Season Champions – Harding
  • 2017 GAC Tournament Champions – Harding
• 2017 GAC Coaches Poll Preseason Favorite – Southern Arkansas
  • 2016 GAC Regular Season Champions – Arkansas Tech
  • 2016 GAC Tournament Champions – Southern Arkansas
• 2016 GAC Coaches Poll Preseason Favorite – East Central
  • 2015 GAC Regular Season Champions – Henderson State
  • 2015 GAC Tournament Champions – East Central
• 2015 GAC Coaches Poll Preseason Favorite – Southeastern Oklahoma State
  • 2014 GAC Regular Season Champions – Southeastern Oklahoma State
  • 2014 GAC Tournament Champions – Southern Arkansas
• 2014 GAC Coaches Poll Preseason Favorite – Southeastern Oklahoma State
  • 2013 GAC Regular Season Champions – Southeastern Oklahoma State
  • 2013 GAC Tournament Champions – Southeastern Oklahoma State
• 2013 GAC Coaches Poll Preseason Favorite – Arkansas-Monticello
  • 2012 GAC Regular Season Champions – Arkansas-Monticello
  • 2012 GAC Tournament Champions – Arkansas-Monticello
• 2012 GAC Coaches Poll Preseason Favorite – Arkansas-Monticello/Southeastern Okla.

 
With Oklahoma Baptist receiving its first preseason favorite among the coaches' poll, this marks the first time since 2016 that one the GAC Oklahoma schools receives the preseason honor since East Central. It is also the first time since 2017 that the Muleriders are not the league's preseason favorite, just narrowly behind the Bison.
 
RETURNING ALL-CONFERENCE PLAYERS
Back for her senior season, Sydney Ward makes her return as the Muleriders sole 2023 All-GAC First-Team member after she recorded a 2.88 ERA while also starting 36 games with 38 appearances. Ward finished 2023 with a 24-7 record with 200 innings pitched.
 
Returning off an All-GAC Second Team season, Ariana Rolle and Regan Dillon make their return as Rolle continues her journey at SAU as a graduate student and Dillon returns as a sophomore. Rolle comes back as the Muleriders most efficient batter as she recorded a hitting average of .372 on 183 at-bats. She accounted for 39 runs and 68 hits, just one shy of 2023 leader Alyssa Miller. As a freshman, Dillon made an immediate impact on the Mulerider batting average as she started in all 60 contests, had 196 at-bats, and a .352 hitting average.
 
As of right now, Southern Arkansas looks to open up the regular season soon after February comes upon us as they plan to travel to Youngsville, Louisiana for the Mardi Gras Invitational beginning with Delta State on February 1 at 3:00 p.m. The Muleriders will begin GAC play with the East Central Tigers coming to Magnolia during the final weekend of February.