MAGNOLIA, Ark. – Head Coach Jason Anderson and his Muleriders are coming off their first Great American Conference series triumph following the group sweeping East Central at Dawson Field. The team now prepares for the Harding Bisons as the team from Searcy, Arkansas travels down to Southwest Arkansas for the second league series of 2024.
 
Southern Arkansas was just recently named the 21^st ranked team in the nation via the National Fastpitch Coaches Association on Tuesday, February 27. SAU is 12-4 heading into their second conference series of the campaign and seeks to add three more wins to the resume by the end of Saturday.
 
On the season, Sydney Ward has accounted for a 1.63 era with a 1.25 WHIP. The senior has accounted for a 5-1 record as Coach Anderson is able to share the playing time with the fairly deep pitching staff. Every game that Ward has appeared in (8) she has started in and has pitched for 47.1 innings with 33 hits, 11 earned runs, 26 walks, 44 strikeouts, and just four extra base hits.
 
The junior transfer Brinson Rogers has been Anderson's game two pitcher thus far as she has gone 4-3 in 2024 while starting seven of her nine appearances in the campaign. In all four of Rogers' wins, she has shutout the opposition while also recording 30 strikeouts in those outings with a season-high 13 in game two against East Central.
 
The Muleriders have been recording a batting average of .297 that has come from the entire lineup as the starting lineup against the Tigers have recorded 108 total hits on the season. Regan Dillon currently leads the group as the lead-off batter with a .396 batting average. The sophomore has accounted for 21 hits, six doubles, six dingers (1^st GAC | 12^th nationally), 11 runs, and 13 runners batted in. The native of Bryant, Arkansas is responsible for a current slugging percentage of .849 which is second in the Great American Conference
 
Over the last weekend, the Muleriders overcame East Central in their first league series of 2024 as SAU defeated the Tigers in all three matchups. Southern Arkansas suffocated ECU defensively for 19 innings before surrendering the Tigers their first runs of the series.

The Muleriders pitching room recorded a total earned run average of 1.71 with a pair of shutout wins and a final outing resulting in a 9-4 victory. Ward pitched 12 innings over two game and surrendered just one run that resulted in an era of 0.75. Ward started in the circled for game one and two with a complete seven inning game for the inaugural contest and a five-inning outing in the third. Rogers started and completed one game against the Tigers and earned her fourth win of the season in shutout fashion once more.

Kamryn Moctezuma put up very impressive numbers over the weekend as the senior recorded seven hits on nine at-bats along with four runners batted in and a pair of runs. Moctezuma accounted for a batting average of .778 with an equal slugging percentage. Mackensie Baldwin received her first start of the season on Friday and her second on Saturday and was responsible for four hits on seven at-bats with the RBIs along with one run and a double. Ariana Rolle led the team in total runs as she accounted for three runs along with three hits on seven at-bats and a double.
 
Harding (8-8 | 0-3 GAC)
Last spring, the Muleriders were blindsided by the vote receiving Harding Bisons as HU won their first regular season series against Southern Arkansas since 2017. The team from Searcy swept the Muleriders last season with their home crowd behind them. Prior to last season's stint, Southern Arkansas was 19-1 against the Bisons following the 2017 season. SAU met HU once more for 2023 in Bentonville as the Muleriders defeated Harding the Great American Conference Tournament Semifinals by a final of 2-1.
 
Both teams received national recognition during the preseason as SAU received the No.13 spot in the NFCA preseason poll and the Bisons began the season with votes.
 
Since the beginning of the season, Harding has gone and even 8-8 with a strong finish to their non-conference schedule as they won three-straight at the Music City Invitational (Feb. 16-18) and 4-1 overall at the invite. The Bisons defeated Davenport (1-0), Ferris State (9-2), Tiffin (17-2/5 Inn.), and Purdue Northwest (8-0/5 Inn.). HU fell too Illinois-Springfield for the second occasion this season by a final of 3-5.
 
Following the end of HU's non-conference schedule, the Bisons dropped their first three games against league opposition as they were swept by the 2023 GAC favorite Oklahoma Baptist. (2-4, 1-6, 5-6)
 
The overall series between these two Natural State foes lean heavy in the Muleriders' favor as Southern Arkansas has defeated Harding in 30 outings compared to the Bisons' 13 victories against SAU.
 
Harding currently leads the Great American Conference in total stolen bags with 40 recorded within their first 16 matches (2.50 per game | 1^st GAC | 1^st Central Region | 19^th nationally). The Bisons have not only been efficient post batting, but the group also leads the conference in triples and triples per game as they have accounted for 11 triples (1^st Central Region | 4^th nationally) and average 0.69 per outing (1^st Central Region | 5^th nationally). HU's slugging percentage currently sits at .447, which is third in the conference. The Bisons are 4^th in the league for batting average as they record a hit on 31.5% of their at-bats.
 
Riley Price has been Harding's go-to pitcher this season as she has a 7-5 record with a 3.12 era and ten total starts with 15 circle appearances. Price has competed in 58.1 innings and has allowed 70 hits and 26 earned runs. The junior has given up 17 extra base hits with seven of those being sent over the fences.
 
As the Bisons are leading the conference in stolen bases, leading the Bisons in stolen bags is their junior Macy Ham who has stolen ten bags on ten attempts and is tied for first among the nation. Ham is also the Great American Conference leader for hits as she has accounted for 24 this season and has just three more than (Regan) Dillon.
 
The Muleriders are set for their second conference series of 2024 with the single-game on Friday starting at 4:00 p.m. and the doubleheader on Saturday starting at noon. For more information on upcoming events, check out www.MuleriderAthletics.com