MAGNOLIA, Ark. - Mulerider Baseball returns to Walker Stadium at Goodheart Field on Friday. #17/16 Southern Arkansas welcomes in (RV) Maryville for a three-game series pitting a pair of NCAA tournament participants from a season ago. The Muleriders (3-1) and the Saints (0-0) meet for the first time ever in a doubleheader scheduled for 1 p.m. with Saturday's finale set for noon. Live coverage links are available at www.MuleriderAthletics.com.
 
The Muleriders have won three straight games in impressive offensive fashion after dropping the season opener to #23 Missouri Southern 7-2. In the 19 innings that followed the opening day loss, SAU pushed across 50 runs on 37 hits, 23 walks and 11 HBP, while allowing just eight runs on 14 hits, seven walks and two HBP. The 52 total runs are the most by the Muleriders through the first four games of a season since the 2008 team scored 73 runs.
 
Reigning Great American Conference Player of the Week Will Richardson and fellow Dugan Invitational All-Tournament Team selection Trace Shoup each recorded six-hit weekends for Southern Arkansas at the Dugan Invitationa. Fourteen of the Muleriders' 37 hits went for extra bases, including nine doubles with Shoup and senior Chris Sutton each notching a pair. Richardson led four other players with at least five RBI as he delivered seven with Sutton and junior Brandon Nicoll following with six each. Seven players scored five or more runs led by Richardson's seven.
 
The Muleriders received multiple solid outings over the weekend from several pitchers both in starting and relief roles. Tim Ruffino (4.0 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 7 K) and Mikel Howell (4.2 IP, 5 H, 4 R, 3 K) earned wins in starting efforts. Jeremy Adorno struck out nine batters over 5.1 innings in the season opener allowing just one extra base hit. Cy Murphy tossed 2.1 innings working around a hit and two walks in a starting role. Sean Sieve allowed just one walk in 1.0 inning of relief, while Nate June fanned three and allowed just one base runner in 1.1 innings. Stetson Bishop and Hayden Hable each struck out a pair in an inning of relief. Eight arms allowed just a single hit or less in at least one inning of action and seven arms appeared for the Muleriders for the first time.
 
Under eighth-year head coach Justin Pettigrew, the Muleriders are 17-5 in home-opening series dating back to 2017. SAU is 116-41 overall at home in Pettigrew's first seven seasons.
 
Maryville is coming off of a program-record 36 wins and its first trip to the NCAA DII Midwest Regional in 2023. The Saints were tabbed seventh in the NCBWA Midwest Region preseason top 10, while MU was voted second with three first-place votes in the Great Lakes Valley Conference (GLVC) preseason coaches poll.
 
Three All-GLVC performers from last spring's historic team return for sixth-year head coach Pat Evers. Michael Gould (.405 AVG, 87 H, 60 R, 18 2B, 10 HR, 66 RBI, 32 BB, 12 SB), a 2024 NCBWA preseason All-America Third-Team honoree, as well as Elias Stevens (.313 AVG, 67 H, 54 R, 18 2B, 17 HR, 64 RBI, 34 BB, 8 SB) and Drake Downing (21 APP, 31.0 IP, 1.35 WHIP), are all back for the Saints after earning all-league plaudits last spring.