MAGNOLIA, Ark. – As a new season dawns for Mulerider baseball, the Blue and Gold get set to kick things off in Hot Springs for their fourth year in a row at the Dugan Invitational against a cast of perineal powerhouses.
After a 30-20 finish last season, the Muleriders will look to improve upon their record and win yet another Great American Conference Championship in 2025. SAU will get their season started at the Dugan Invitational for the fourth year in a row kicked-off against Missouri Southern University on Friday, January 31st at 4:00 P.M.
Majestic Park Information
The Dugan Invitational at Majestic Park is a ticketed event. Ticket prices are $8 per day for ages 13 and older, $5 per day for ages 6-12 and free for children 5 and under.
Weekend Slate
The Muleriders will play four games at Majestic Park this weekend kicked off against Missouri Southern University on Friday, January 31st at 4:00 PM. SAU will then play the University of Arkansas Fort Smith on Saturday, February 1st at 1:00 PM. The Muleriders will then end their trip to Hot Springs with two games against Washburn University on Sunday, February 2nd at 1:00 PM and Monday, February 3rd at 11:00 AM.
A Look at SAU
The Muleriders are coming off of a 30-20 season last year which saw them sweep Henderson State in the first round of the GAC tournament and advance to the final four eventually losing to both UAM and Arkansas Tech to see their season get cut short.
The 2025 team is filled with veteran's on offense such as
Clay Burrows,
Trace Shoup,
Brandon Nicoll,
Mikey McGinnis,
Grant Roosma,
Jaden Woolbright,
Carter Claerhout, and
Tyler Abrego. The eight returners totaled 302 starts last season for the Muleriders. The Mulerider's offense finished their 2024 campaign with a .275 batting average and totaled 61 homeruns while also slugging .462 as a team.
SAU also returns veteran pitcher
Jeremy Adorno for his final season in Magnolia. The Kissimmee, Florida native started 15 games on the mound last season earning a 5-5 record and collecting 100 strikeouts with a 4.19 season ERA.
A Look at Missouri Southern
The Lions are coming off of a 44-15 finish to their 2024 campaign which saw them win five games in a row in the MIAA conference tournament capped off by beating the University of Central Missouri and advancing to the Central Region regional where they eventually fell to UAM.
The Lions return five key bats to their offense and their top two pitchers for their 2025 campaign. The Missouri Southern offense boasted a .312 batting average in 2024 while belting 81 homeruns and slugged .520 as a team. The pitching staff ended their season with a 5.06 ERA collecting 464 strikeouts as a staff.
A Look at Fort Smith
The Lions finished their 2024 campaign with a 26-28 record overall and were 23-25 in Lone Star Conference play. UAFS baseball made the offseason move to the MIAA for their 2025 campaign and will look to be a force to be reckoned with in their new conference.
The Lions return six key players from 2024 including four position players and two of their top pitchers. The Lions' offense boasted a .293 batting average in 2024 along with 44 homeruns and finished slugging .445. The pitching staff ended the season with a 6.96 staff ERA and accumulated 300 strikeouts.
A Look at Washburn
The Ichabod's finished with a 32-21 overall record and 21-12 MIAA conference record in 2024. Their 2024 campaign saw the Ichabod's win their first-round games of the MIAA postseason tournament and advance to the final four where they defeated Central Missouri in their first meeting but eventually fell to both Missouri Southern and Central Missouri.
Washburn returns their top eight hitters and top three pitchers from 2024 this season. Last season the Ichabod offense finished with a .332 batting average with 100 homeruns while slugging .564. The pitching staff totaled a 6.95 staff ERA and accumulated 380 strikeouts.
Live Barn Video Stream Sign up Information
To watch this weekend's games, fans can visit
LiveBarn.com and sign up. Fans can receive a 10% discount by using promo code Maje-stic at sign up. Once you have registered fans will search for Majestic Park and click on the logo then choose Babe Ruth Field then selecting the icon for "Live" to view the current game.
Live Stats
Fans can also follow all the action this weekend through live stats at muleriderathletics.com.
