MAGNOLIA, Ark. – It is postseason time in the Great American Conference as Team 26 gears up for round two of the league tournament matchup with either the fifth-seed Arkansas Tech or the eighth-seed Henderson State. The Muleriders received a bye in the opening round of the bracket due to their draw of the fourth-seed based on their performance this spring. To check out the rest of the bracket, click on the link above.
 
Notable Players
*The Muleriders enter the conference tournament with the best team strikeouts per seven average in the league with 8.02 per seven innings. The average is also the fourth-highest among the nation while also being the best in the Central Region.
 
*The same group has accounted the seventh-most shutouts within NCAA DII with 15 thus far as they are also the conference-leader for shutouts.
 
*Sydney Ward and Brinson Rogers have been the Muleriders top pitchers this season as Ward has produced an ERA of 1.58 (2^nd GAC) and averaged 6.2 Ks per seven while Rogers is responsible for an ERA of 1.88 and is leading the league in strikeouts per seven with 10.9 (7^th nationally).
 
*Ward has accounted for 151.0 innings pitched in which she struck out 133 batters and allowed a batting average of just .220. Ward has accounted for at least 100+ Ks in all three of her seasons as a Mulerider. The senior has recorded a 15-8 record while having also started in 25 of her 29 appearances this campaign. Native to Paris, Arkansas, Ward leads the staff in complete games with 12 under her belt.
 
*Rogers steps into her first league tournament with a 14-8 record throughout her 22 starts out of her 27 appearances and 126.1 innings played. The junior is second in the GAC for hits allowed per seven innings with 4.54 (16^th nationally). The Statesboro, Georgia native has also recorded the second-most Ks in the association as she has accounted for 197 and could potentially become the fourth pitcher in program history to record 200+ strikeouts in a single season.
 
*Four Muleriders have accounted for a batting average of .300 or higher in Regan Dillon, Ariana Rolle (.338), Kamryn Moctezuma (.325), and Haley Nillen (.324). Dillon leads the team with her BA of .364 as she has gone 56-154 and is second in the GAC for home runs (12) and doubles (14). The sophomore has also recorded the second-highest slugging percentage among the conference with a .688 while she leads the league for her total bases with 106. The Bryant, Arkansas native's RBI count is the best among the Muleriders as she has recorded 45 this season. Rolle is the team-leader for runs scored as the graduate student is responsible for 34 touches at the plate while also posting 50 hits on 148 at-bats.
 
Previous Tournament Champions
2023 – Southeastern Oklahoma State
2022 – Arkansas Tech
2021 – Arkansas Tech
2020 – No Champion; Covid-19
2019 – Arkansas Tech
2018 – Arkansas Tech
2017 – Harding
2016 – Southern Arkansas
2015 – East Central
2014 – Southern Arkansas
2013 – Southeastern Oklahoma State
2012 – Arkansas-Monticello
 
The Muleriders are set to face either the fifth-seed Arkansas Tech or the eighth-seed Henderson State depending on the two squads' matchup to open up the conference tournament. Southern Arkansas had very opposite outcomes against both teams as SAU was swept on the road by the Golden Suns while in Russellville during early April. Team 26 was the one doing the sweeping in Arkadelphia however as the Muleriders overwhelmed the Reddies in early March.
 
The Golden Suns and Reddies face-off at 10:30 AM, weather permitting, and will then turn around at 3:30 PM to face the Muleriders to begin the second round of action at this year's GAC Softball Tournament.