Mulerider Softball set to begin 2026 campaign at Lone Star College Classic

MAGNOLIA, Ark. – It's that time again. Mulerider Softball is back in action, and the Great American Conference preseason favorites are kicking off the 2026 campaign at the Lone Star College Classic in Mansfield, Texas. Head Coach Jason Anderson and his Muleriders will take on five opposing groups while in the Lone Star State, which will take place over three days (Jan. 30 – Feb. 1).

Broadcast Information
All coverage for the Lone Star College Classic is provided at www.MuleriderAthletics.com/coverage.

To begin the weekend, Southern Arkansas will face Metropolitan State University of Denver from the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference (RMAC) at 10:00 AM on Friday (Jan. 30). To wrap up competition on Friday, the Muleriders will go against Texas A&M-Kingsville of the Lone Star Conference (LSC) with a 12:15 PM start time.

Moving on to Saturday (Jan. 31), Team 28 will have just one contest at 2:00 PM, as the Muleriders will take on Central Region foe Augustana, from the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference (NSIC), marking the two units' first meeting since the Central Region Tournament last Spring.

Southern Arkansas will then shift its focus to Sunday (Feb. 1), as the Blue and Gold will start with an 11:15 AM outing against Mid-American Intercollegiate Athletics Association (MIAA) foe Emporia State. SAU will then cap off opening weekend with a 1:30 PM matchup against Drury of the Great Lakes Valley Conference (GLVC).

SAU vs. MSU-Denver
Jan. 30 | 10:00 AM
First Meeting

SAU vs. TAMU-Kingsville
Jan. 30 | 12:15 PM
21^st Meeting: TAMUK leads series 12-8
First Meeting: 2/9/2002 | TAMUK wins 12-0 (Magnolia, Ark.)
Last Meeting: 2/2/2024 | TAMUK wins 2-1 (8) (Youngsville, La.)

SAU vs. Augustana
7^th Meeting: series tied at 3-3
First Meeting: 5/11/2018 | SAU wins 4-1 (Magnolia, Ark. | Central Region Tournament)
Last Meeting: 5/9/2025 | Augie wins 4-2 (Magnolia, Ark. | Central Region Tournament)

SAU vs. Emporia St.
8^th Meeting: ESU leads series 4-3
First Meeting: 2/20/2004 | ESU wins 1-0 (Magnolia, Ark.)
Last Meeting: 2/9/2025 | SAU wins 6-0 (Bentonville, Ark.)

SAU vs. Drury
5^th Meeting: SAU leads series 4-1
First Meeting: 2/16/2008 | SAU wins 2-1 (Cleveland, Miss.)
Last Meeting: 2/7/2025 | SAU wins 3-0 (Bentonville, Ark.)

SAU Notables
The Muleriders come into 2026 as the Great American Conference's favorites to win the league title for the second year in a row. Of the groups on Southern Arkansas' Lone Star College Classic schedule, the Muleriders face just one opponent who received preseason recognition nationally in the ninth-ranked Augustana Vikings.

Southern Arkansas brings back multiple all-league performers from a year ago, as the Blue and Gold sees the return of All-GAC First Teamer Regan Dillon, All-GAC Honorable Mention America Rubio, and All-GAC Honorable Mention Kassie Rhodes.

Including the three mentioned, Coach Anderson brings back 14 Muleriders from last season, while adding 19 members to Team 28.

To cap off last season, the Muleriders finished 43-10 overall with a 28-4 record in the Great American Conference, as the unit earned the titles of GAC Regular Season and Tournament Champions for the first time in the program's history.

In the GAC, Southern Arkansas led in statistical categories such as ERA (1.60 | 5^th DII), fielding percentage (.976 | 7^th DII), shutouts (22 | 3^rd DII), strikeout-to-walk ratio (3.63 | 8^th DII), strikeouts per seven innings (7.37 | 6^th DII), WHIP (.97 | 5^th DII), and walks (175).

MSU-Denver Notables
The Roadrunners come off a 2025 season that saw the group finish 41-17 overall with a 34-9 record in the RMAC. MSU-Denver's season got wrapped up in the postseason, as the Roadrunners made it to the South Central Regional in Tyler, Texas, falling to the eventual national champions (UT-Tyler) 4-1 and Oklahoma Christian 4-1. In the preseason for the RMAC, MSU-Denver was voted as the third-place team in the league.

TAMU-Kingsville Notables
The Javelinas enter 2026 as the tenth-place team in the LSC preseason coaches poll, as the unit finished with a 24-31 record last season, while going 19-25 in the LSC. TAMU-Kingsville came up shy of the LSC tournament.

Augustana Notables
The Vikings once again begin their season as the NSIC's preseason favorites, as the unit came off a 2025 season, in which the group finished with a 50-11 record overall and a 25-3 record in the NSIC. The Vikings made a run for the World Series last year, as the group won the Magnolia Central Region Tournament and eventually played Central Oklahoma in the Central Super Regional Championship game, which they fell 5-1 to the Bronchos.

Emporia State Notables
The Hornets begin 2026 as the MIAA's eighth-place group in the league's preseason coaches poll. Last season, Emporia State finished with a 31-23 record, while going 10-14 in MIAA play. The Hornets made it to the MIAA Tournament and pulled out a 7-1 victory over Fort Hays State prior to falling to the eventual MIAA champions, Central Oklahoma, by a final score of 8-1.

Drury Notables
The Panthers begin the season at second place in the GLVC, following a campaign in which the group finished the 2025 regular season as the GLVC Regular Season Champions. Overall, the Panthers capped off their season at 35-23, while going 22-6 in the GLVC. Despite dropping the conference tournament, the Panthers made it to the NCAA DII postseason, as the group's season concluded in the Saginaw Midwest Regional.

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Players Mentioned

#1 America Rubio: OF; 5' 9"; Graduate Student

#4 Kassie Rhodes: LHP; 6' 0"; Senior

#65 Regan Dillon: C/UTL; 5' 7"; Senior

Players Mentioned

#1 America Rubio
: 5' 9"; Graduate Student
: OF

#4 Kassie Rhodes
: 6' 0"; Senior
: LHP

#65 Regan Dillon
: 5' 7"; Senior
: C/UTL

Players Mentioned

#1 America Rubio

#4 Kassie Rhodes

#65 Regan Dillon

Players Mentioned

#1 America Rubio

#4 Kassie Rhodes

#65 Regan Dillon