RUSSELLVILLE, Ark. — The Arkansas Tech baseball team heads back to Tech Field for the first time in three weeks, hoping to dodge some winter weather in its Great American Conference home opener against Henderson State, with a doubleheader set for 5 p.m. Saturday and the series finale at noon Sunday.

The Wonder Boys (4-7, 0-3 GAC) suffered a rough three-game sweep at the hands of Ouachita Baptist in their first conference series last weekend. Tech scored eight runs on 14 hits — including six extra-base knocks — in the middle game of the series, nearly pulling off a comeback in a 10-8 defeat, but could only muster five total hits and a lone run in 10-0 and 4-1 losses in the other two. Bryan Heward had a five-game hitting streak snapped in the final game of that series, but still leads the team with a .395 average and 10 RBIs. Patrick Castleberry and Kris Ayers are each batting .333, with Castleberry adding three homers, three doubles, a triple and seven RBIs in the early going. The Tech bullpen continues to produce some good results, led by Ryan Vruggink's 0.00 ERA in 5 2/3 innings, with seven strikeouts.

The No. 13 Reddies (6-1, 2-1 GAC) dropped their first GAC game of the season last weekend, but rebounded with 10-3 and 4-1 wins over Harding Saturday. Henderson leads the conference with a .305 team batting average and a stellar 1.48 staff ERA, allowing just 13 total runs and 10 earned over its first seven games. The Reddies already own an 8-3 victory over the Wonder Boys at the Houston Winter Invitational, where a five-run third inning proved to be too much. HSU sports four pitchers with at least three innings pitched still carrying a spotless ERA, including starter Cody Jones, who has two wins in 12 1/3 innings with nine strikeouts and a single walk. Conner Brackhahn leads the team with a .429 average, while Claude Johnson has been on fire to start the season, posting a .406 average with 10 RBIs, a pair of homers and four doubles, good enough for a slugging percentage of .781.

Live statistics will be available for all three games at www.arkansastechsports.com.