SERIES INFORMATION
ARKANSAS TECH GOLDEN SUNS 23-15 (12-7 GAC)	(rv) SOUTHERN ARKANSAS MULERIDERS 26-10 (14-6 GAC)
Saturday, April 8 | 1 p.m. | DH Dawson Field at the Dr. Margaret Downing Softball Complex | Magnolia, Ark. LIVE STATS | LIVE VIDEO Monday, April 10 | 2 p.m. Dawson Field at the Dr. Margaret Downing Softball Complex | Magnolia, Ark. LIVE STATS | LIVE VIDEO

RUSSELLVILLE, Ark. - The Arkansas Tech softball team heads to Magnolia, Ark. this weekend for a Great American Conference series matchup against Southern Arkansas. This weekends series in Magnolia against the Muleriders is scheduled to start on Saturday with doubleheader action with first pitch set for 1 p.m. that afternoon. Then, the series will wrap up on Monday with the third and final game, which is set for a 2 p.m. first pitch.

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Tech Tidbits
The Golden Suns enter this weekends Great American Conference series with a 23-15 overall record and a 12-7 record against GAC opponents. 

Last season, the Golden Suns took the GAC series against SAU at home 2-1 at the Chartwells Women's Sports Complex. The Golden Suns also took down the Muleriders in the final round of the Great American Conference Tournament and eliminated them from the NCAA Division II Softball Regional Tournament. 

Offensively, the Golden Suns are hitting .273 at the plate this season as a team (267-for-977) with 166 runs scored, 47 doubles, 10 triples and 18 total homeruns. Entering the weekend conference series, the Golden Suns own two players hitting .300 or better on the year with at least 95 at-bats. Leading the Golden Suns at the plate is Makenzie Goins who owns the team best .333 batting average (38-for-114). Following right behind Goins is Jessica Williams who is averaging .305 at the plate this season (29-for-95).

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 eight long bombs. Behind Addis in total homeruns on the season is Goins with four and Brooke Prewitt with three homers. Rounding out the list of homerun hitters for Tech is Williams with two bombs on the year, while Shelby Chavers has hit one. Leading the team in RBI's is Addis with 33. Goins is next with 16, while Prewitt has 15 and Williams and Chavers have 24 on the year. 

In the circle, the Golden Suns have a team ERA of 2.61 and have struckout 157 hitters in 249.2 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 21, while Bradi Basler has 15 starts on the year. 

Buffington is 14-6 in the circle this year with a team best 1.56 ERA. She has pitched 13 complete games so far this year and has eight total shutouts. Six of the shutouts were by herself, while two have been through a combined effort. The senior has recorded a team-high 73 strikeouts in 116.1 innings of work and currently holds opposing batters to a .245 average at the plate.

Basler is 7-6 in the circle this season with a 3.87 ERA. She has pitched seven complete games with two shutouts and has 56 strikeouts in 79.2 innings of work. 

In relief, Kaila Cartwright leads the Golden Suns with 17 total appearances, that includes one start, and Lexy Taylor has made five total appearances with one start. 

Cartwright was apart of both combined shutout efforts alongside Buffington and also helped to throw a combined no hitter in one of those games as well. The senior has struckout 24 total batters in 43.2 total innings pitched and has a 2.73 ERA on the season thus far as well as one save on the year.

Taylor has posted a 4.20 ERA so far this season and has struckout four opposing hitters in 10.0 innings of work. 

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Scouting the Muleriders
Entering this weekends GAC series, the Muleriders own a 26-10 overall record and currently have a 14-6 record against GAC opponents.

SAU has picked up GAC series wins against East Central, Henderson State, Arkansas-Monticello, Southern Nazarene and Ouachita Baptist this season. 

Statistically this season, the Muleriders are hitting .304 overall at the plate as a team (303-for-998) with 195 runs scored, 58 doubles, eight triples and 35 homeruns. Coming into the weekend, the Muleriders have four players averaging .300 or better at the plate on at least 60 at-bats. Leading the hitters is Alyssa Miller with a .387 batting average (46-for-119). Behind Miller is Ariana Rolle with a .369 average at the plate this season (41-for-111). 

In terms of power hitters, Gracie King leads the team in homeruns with seven on the season. Behind King is Jaxynn Dyson with six. Closing out the list of homerun hitters for Southern Arkansas is Haley Nillen and Kamryn Moctezuma with five on the year. In terms of RBI's, Moctezuma leads the Muleriders with 30, while King follows behind with 27 RBI's. 

In the circle, the Muleriders have a team ERA of 3.64 and have 220 strikeouts in 244.2 total innings. 

Five total pitchers have made at least one appearance in the circle this season for Southern Arkansas. Sydney Ward leads the team in starts with 20, while Baylie Thornhill has started 11 games in the circle. Ward is 13-5 on the year with a 3.30 ERA and has a team-high 91 strikeouts in 106.1 innings pitched. She has also thrown eight complete games, two shutouts and has one save on the year for the Muleriders. Thornhill is 10-2 with a 3.56 ERA and has recorded 77 strikeouts in 78.1 innings. In terms of complete games, Thornhill has thrown four alongside two shutouts and four saves.

In relief, Morgan McAlexander has 14 total appearances on five starts. She is 2-2 on the year with a 4.14 ERA and has struckout 35 hitters in 37.0 total innings. Opposing bats are hitting .237 when McAlexander is in the circle.