MAGNOLIA, Ark. – Southern Arkansas is now in the heart of conference competition as they prepare for the Oklahoma Baptist Bison to enter the Dr. Margaret Downing Softball Complex this coming Saturday. The Muleriders are now at 20-9 for the season with a 9-5 Great American Conference record.  
 
Despite the recent losses, Southern Arkansas still ranks near the top of the GAC statistical rankings as the Muleriders are the league-leaders for hit by pitches (23), home runs (28), home runs per game (0.97), shutouts (10 | 4^th nationally), and walks (96).
 
SAU also sits at second amongst the conference in many categories such as earned run average (2.19), fielding percentage (0.976 | 14^th nationally), slugging percentage (0.443), K-to-Walk ratio (2.58), Ks per seven innings (0.52 |12^th nationally), sacrifice flies (10), and walk and hits per inning pitched (1.19). The Muleriders currently hold the second-best overall winning percentage in the GAC at 0.690.
 
Last Time Out
At Southern Nazarene (L, 2-3 | L, 0-9 (5) | L, 0-1) • At Delta State (W, 15-3 (5) | W, 9-0)
The Muleriders last two meetings came on the road as the team started the stretch Southern Arkansas met the Crimson Storm of Southern Nazarene in Bethany, Oklahoma and fell in their three outings against the group. SAU then took on the Lady Statesmen of Delta State in Cleveland, Mississippi for a much-needed bounce back doubleheader that ended up being just that.
 
Senior Sydney Ward started both the first and last outings against the Crimson Storm as she finished the series having surrendered four runs, two earned, four walks, and just five hits. The Paris, Arkansas native's time in the circle was enough for the Muleriders to have taken two of the three games, but SNU's pitching staff proved to be quite resilient against the SAU lineup.
 
In need of a rebound, the Muleriders got just that on Tuesday with a couple of victories added after dominating Delta State on the road. Ward once again started game one and delivered a fairly good outing before being relieved for Corie Byrd. The senior pitched 4.0 innings, allowed three hits, runs (all earned), and three walks. She also struck out four of the 19 batters faced. For Byrd in the fifth, she faced five batters and conceded just one hit and one walk while accounting for a fly out and two ground outs. SAU's lineup was responsible for nine hits that resulted in 15 runs batted in. The Muleriders walked on seven occasions with only five runners left on base.
 
Brinson Rogers and Morgan McAlexander saw the circle in game two as the two were responsible for a shutout and Rogers receiving the win after pitching for 5.0 innings. The Peach State native surrendered just four hits and three walks in her tenure. The junior retired nine batters of the 23 she faced. McAlexander allowed a single hit while walking a pair of runners, but also struck out three of the nine batters she faced. SAU's lineup was responsible for 11 hits that resulted in nine runs batted in. The Muleriders walked on eight occasions, but allowed 15 runners left on base.
 
HISTORY
Southern Arkansas vs. Oklahoma Baptist All-Time Series (SAU leads 22-5)
Oklahoma Baptist claimed the first two meetings in the series before the Muleriders defeated the Bison for 18 consecutive outings. Oklahoma Baptist defeated Southern Arkansas for the first time as GAC affiliates in 2021 in the final game of that series. Since then, SAU has overcome OBU on four occasions while falling to the group just twice. Those pair of losses came last season as the Bison won the series against the Muleriders for the first time since joining the league.  
 
Oklahoma Baptist (19-8 | 12-1 GAC | 1^st GAC)
The Bison are the current leaders of the Great American Conference as they have only fallen in one of their 13 league outings with a series loss to Arkansas-Monticello (3-8) while in Shawnee. The Cotton Blossoms did not allow more than three runs in a game against Oklahoma Baptist, but were prevented another victory due to the Bison's superb defensive play.
 
The Bison are coming off a midweek battle with fifth-ranked UT-Tyler in which OBU split the doubleheader with the Patriots (L, 2-6 | W, 3-2). Other significant victories for Oklahoma Baptist came against No. 3 Central Oklahoma (2-1), No. 19 Rogers State (5-3), (RV) Washburn (3-2), swept Harding, and defeated Southern Nazarene 10-0 in five innings.
 
In statistical rankings, the Bison lead the Great American Conference in earned run average (2.18), Ks-to-walk ratio (4.76 | 6^th nationally), Ks per seven innings (8.17 | 7^th nationally), sacrifice flies (11 | 20^th nationally), walk and hits per inning pitched (1.00 | 9^th nationally), and lead the league in winning percentage (0.720).
 
Oklahoma Baptist has four batters that have been primary starters in the lineup with a .300 batting average or more. Ally Ryan has accounted for a batting average of .406 as she leads the team in hits (28), home runs (9), on-base percentage (1.358), runs batted in (29), total bases (58), and slugging percentage (.841).
 
The Bison pitching staff has been among the top of the league as they are led by Kayleigh Jones. Jones leads the conference for complete games with ten as she has an earned run average of 2.04 after allowing all six runs to UT-Tyler in the first contest. Jones has recorded 142 strikeouts with a WHIP of 0.91. She has surrendered 58 hits, 32 runs, 29 earned, 32 walks, and 20 extra base hits including six home runs. The fifth-year pitcher is 10-3 this season having started in all 16 of her appearances.
 
The Muleriders prepare for the Bison with the chance to elevate themselves in the Great American Conference standings. Games one and two are set for a doubleheader on Saturday starting at 2:00 p.m. The final game of the series has been scheduled for Sunday at 1:00 p.m. Live coverage of the events can be found at www.MuleriderAthletics.com/coverage