SERIES INFORMATION
ARKANSAS TECH GOLDEN SUNS 13-7 (4-1 GAC)	#1 ROGERS STATE HILLCATS 18-1 (0-0 MIAA)
Tuesday, March 7 | 2 p.m. | DH Diamond Sports Complex | Claremore, Okla. LIVE STATS | LIVE VIDEO

RUSSELLVILLE, Ark. - Fresh off their 2-1 Great American Conference series win at Henderson State, the Arkansas Tech softball team will hit the road for a quick mid-week trip over to Oklahoma to take on No. 1 Rogers State in a nonconference doubleheader on Tuesday afternoon. The doubleheader action will begin with first pitch at 2 p.m. at the Diamond Sports Complex in Claremore, Okla., with the second game of the afternoon to begin shortly after the conclusion to the first. 
 

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Tech Tidbits
The Golden Suns enter the mid-week matchup against the Hillcats with a 13-7 overall record. 

Last season against Rogers State, the Golden Suns split their doubleheader at Chartwells taking a game from the eventual national champions in a thrilling 2-1 win in eight innings. 

Offensively, the Golden Suns are hitting .276 at the plate this season as a team (140-for-507) with 87 runs scored, 23 doubles, eight triples and 14 total homeruns. Entering the weekend, the Golden Suns own three players hitting .300 or better on the year with at least 45 at-bats. Leading the Golden Suns at the plate is Jessica Williams who owns the team best .378 batting average (17-for-45). Following right behind Williams is Makenzie Goins with a .344 batting average (21-for-61), while Brooke Prewitt is hitting .333 at the plate this season (19-for-57).

In terms of power numbers, the Golden Suns boast five total players who have notched at least one total homerun on the 2023 season so far. Leading the charge in homeruns this season for the Golden Suns is Makenzie Addis with five long bombs, while both Prewitt and Goins follow her with three homers each. Rounding out the list of homerun hitters for the Golden Suns is Williams with two and Shelby Chavers who has hit one on the year. Leading the team in RBI's is Addis with 17. Prewitt and Goins both come in behind Addis with ten RBI's each this season.

In the circle, the Golden Suns have a team ERA of 2.56 and have struckout 79 hitters in 131.0 total innings pitched.

Four total pitchers have made at least once appearance in the circle so far this season for Arkansas Tech. Bailey Buffington leads the team in starts with 11, while Bradi Basler has seven starts on the year. 

Buffington is 8-2 in the circle this year with a team best 0.94 ERA. She has pitched eight complete games so far this year and has five total shutouts. Four of the shutouts were by herself, while one was through a combined effort. The senior has recorded a team-high 38 strikeouts in 66.2 innings of work and currently holds opposing batters to a .208 average at the plate.

Basler is 3-3 in the circle this season with a 3.77 ERA. She has pitched four complete games and has 29 strikeouts in 39.0 innings of work. 

In relief, Kaila Cartwright leads the Golden Suns with eight total appearances, that includes one start. Cartwright was apart of the combined shutout effort alongside Buffington and also helped to throw a combined no hitter in that very same game. The senior has struckout 12 total batters in 23.2 total innings pitched and has a 4.14 ERA on the season thus far.

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Scouting the Hillcats
Entering this weeks nonconference doubleheader, Rogers State holds an 18-1 overall record.

Statistically this season, the Hillcats are hitting .327 overall at the plate as a team (163-for-498) with 133 runs scored, 36 doubles, no triples and 19 homeruns. Coming into the doubleheader, the Hillcats have five players in their order averaging .300 or better at the plate on at least 40 at-bats. Leading the hitters is Bridgett Morales with a .462 batting average (24-for-52). Behind Morales is Nicole Price with a .383 average at the plate this season (18-for-47). 

In terms of power hitters, Jaylan Gibson leads the team in total homeruns on the season so far with four, while Marissa Smith, Lana Gass and MaKayla Jackson have hit three bombs each on the year. Morales and Ashtyn Barrett have each hit two on the year to make up the rest of the leading homerun hitters for Rogers State. Morales leads the team in RBI's with 19, while Gibson follows with 16. 

In the circle, the Hillcats have a team ERA of 1.92 and have 127 strikeouts in 126.2 total innings. 

Five total pitchers have made at least one appearance in the circle this season for Rogers State. Sara Llamas-Howell and Jade Sanders lead the team in starts with seven. Llamas-Howell is 8-0 on the year with a team-best 0.92 ERA and has team-high 50 strikeouts in 49.0 innings pitched. Sanders is 5-0 with a 3.41 ERA and has recorded 36 strikeouts in 37.0 innings.

In relief, Harley Culie leads the Hillcats with nine total appearances on five starts and holds a 5-1 record. In the circle, Culie sits at a 1.67 ERA and has struckout 30 hitters in 32.1 total innings pitched.