MAGNOLIA, Ark. — Mulerider Softball hits the road for a neutral site doubleheader in Paris, Texas, in which the Blue and Gold will face the Midwestern State Mustangs (4-24 | 2-18 LSC).
Series History
SAU vs. MSU | Mar. 25
13th Meeting: MSU leads series 8-4
First Meeting: 2/28/2004 – MSU won 7-5 (Wichita Falls, Texas)
Last Meeting: 2/4/2023 – SAU won 7-2 (Youngsville, La.)
SAU Notables
>>> The Muleriders come off another weekend series win, in which the group took two of three games from the Southwestern Oklahoma State Bulldogs with 4-3 and 9-0 wins. SAU dropped its first contest since the first weekend of GAC action, as SWOSU took game one of the series with a 4-3 final in eight innings. Currently, Southern Arkansas sits at 28-3 overall and 13-2 in the Great American Conference, as the unit is also ranked eighth in the latest NFCA/GoRout DII poll.
>>> Team 28 currently leads the GAC in multiple team statistical categories, such as batting average (.366 | 5th DII), doubles (60 | 10th DII), doubles per game (1.94 | 16th DII), earned run average (2.26 | 22nd DII), hit batters (9), hits (315 | 7th DII), hits allowed per seven innings (5.57 | 15th DII), on-base percentage (.449 | 5th DII), RBIs per game (6.77 | 6th DII), runs batted in (210 | 6th DII), scoring offense (7.39 | 7th DII), shutouts (7 | 14th DII), slugging percentage (.573 | 4th DII), strikeout-to-walk ratio (2.27), total runs (229 | 8th DII), total sacrifice flies (13 | 17th DII), triples (8), and WHIP (1.16 | 18th DII).
>>> Still at the top of the batting leaderboards for the Muleriders, Maddie Leal has accounted for a .495 batting average with a team-high 47 hits. Leal also leads the group in walks drawn with 25. Leading the unit in runs scored, Sophia Luetticke has come across the plate 39 times this season. With the second-best batting average (.440), America Rubio leads the group in runs batted in with her 36 RBI.
>>> Southern Arkansas lead pitcher in the staff, Emma Duncan, has accounted for an ERA of 1.61. The Canadian has completed ten games with 108.2 innings under her belt. This season, the grad student leads the staff with 114 strikeouts and five shutouts. Allowing the fewest runs this season has been Kassie Rhodes, as the senior has allowed 27 runs over her 65.0 innings pitched. Rhodes has also completed four games with one shutout.
MSU Notables
>>> The Mustangs come into the midweek after falling in their last seven contests, which included a pair of losses to the top-ranked West Texas A&M Lady Buffs. Midwestern State is in search of its fifth win of the season, as the group holds a 4-24 record overall with a 2-18 record in the Lone Star Conference.
>>> The group is led by Chipper Mayorga at the plate, as the freshman is recording a .391 batting average with a team-high 34 hits and tied for a team-high 16 RBI. The San Antonio local leads the group in slugging percentage with .460. Leading the unit in scoring has been Erika Ibarra-Subia, as the junior has scratched across the plate 18 times.
>>> While not having the lowest ERA, Kayleigh Bowers leads the Mustangs in innings pitched with 74.1. Bowers has also accounted for the most completed games, with five this season. Bowers' ERA sits at 4.05, but is led by Isabella Cornell, as the junior has recorded an ERA of 3.80 with 42.1 innings pitched.
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