MAGNOLIA, Ark. - Postseason baseball is upon us and for eight Great American Conference teams, it matters not how you arrived to the postseason, it only matters that you're there. Perennial power Southern Arkansas, the league's No. 5 seed, is set to make its league-best 13th GAC Tournament appearance this weekend as it prepares for a best-of-3 series against Henderson State in Arkadelphia. Friday's game one is set for 6 p.m. with Saturday's game two set for a 1 p.m. first pitch and the if-necessary contest to follow. Parking at Clyde Berry Field in Arkadelphia is $10. The series winner advances to the league's final four from Dickey-Stephens Park in North Little Rock on May 9-11. Live coverage links are available at www.MuleriderAthletics.com.
 
The Muleriders (28-18) and Reddies (27-21) have met four times in 2024. Henderson State took two of three from SAU in Magnolia in early March winning the bookend contests by scores of 7-3 and 9-5. The Muleriders won the second game of the league series 5-1 and claimed a midweek tilt in Arkadelphia by a final of 9-1 on March 19. Southern Arkansas and Henderson State have played 65 times since the start of the GAC in 2012. SAU leads the series in that time with a 42-23 record. In that time, the two clubs have played 14 times in the postseason with SAU leading the overall series 9-4. All four losses were to the Reddies in Arkadelphia.
 
Southern Arkansas holds the No. 9 ranking in Central Region entering opening round action. The Muleriders are joined by fellow GAC members Arkansas Tech at No. 3, Arkansas-Monticello at No. 6 and Harding at No. 7.
 
Southern Arkansas Notables
-Leads GAC in complete games (6), strikeout-to-walk ratio (2.64; 10^th DII), walks allowed per nine (3.17; 11^th DII) and triples (15)
-Team ERA of 4.28 ranks second in GAC and 25^th nationally
-Ranks second in GAC and 24^th nationally in hit-by-pitch (84)
-Team WHIP of 1.41 is a top 30 mark in DII
-SAU is slashing .289/.398/.465
 
-Trace Shoup leads SAU in average, OPS, run scored, doubles, slugging percentage and on-base percentage and has the team's second-highest marks in hits, triples, home runs, walks and total bases
-Brandon Nicoll leads SAU in hits, doubles, home runs, RBI, total bases and at bats
-Mikel Howell leads the GAC in wins (8)
-Jeremy Adorno ranks 8^th nationally in strikeouts (89) and second in the GAC in Ks/9 (10.49)
-Tim Ruffino ranks third in the GAC and is inside the nation's top 35 in K-to-BB ratio (4.75)
-Ruffino is also 17^th nationally in BB/9 (1.33)
-Isaiah Haynes ranks second in the GAC in saves (5)
 
 
Henderson State Notables
-Holds a top 40 mark nationally in fielding percentage (.970)
-Have hit the 15^th most batters in DII (93)
-Holds a top 35 mark nationally in hits allowed per nine (8.82)
-Ranks 16^th in DII and second in the GAC in sacrifice flies (30)
-HSU is slashing .279/.392/.409
 
-Reese Weaks leads the GAC in fewest hits allowed per nine (6.45)
-Luke Carter leads the league and ranks inside the top 15 in DII in pitching appearances (23)
-Kaden Argenbright is third in the GAC with 1.53 hits per game behind the second-most hits (72)
-Argenbright's average (.389) ranks 8^th in the GAC and his 51 RBI are the fifth-most
-Henry Coppen ranks second in the GAC in saves (5)