SERIES INFORMATION
ARKANSAS TECH GOLDEN SUNS 11-5	#18 PITTSBURG STATE GORILLAS 18-2
Tuesday, March 5 | Noon | DH Chartwells Women's Sports Complex | Russellville, Ark. LIVE STATS | LIVE VIDEO

FIRST PITCH
The Arkansas Tech softball team will finally make their long-awaited 2024 home debut at their own newly-turfed facility on Tuesday as they are slated to play a pair of games against No. 18-ranked Pittsburg State.
 
The mid-week doubleheader is scheduled to start at Noon from the Chartwells Women's Sports Complex.
 
The Golden Suns and Gorillas have met 21 times historically in a series that started in 2006. In terms of the all-time series record, Arkansas Tech holds a 12-9 lead over Pitt State.
 
The two teams met earlier this season during the opening weekend of action at the DII First-Pitch Invitational in Conroe, Texas. The game was a one-run contest with Pitt State winning 4-3.
 

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TECH(NICALLY) SPEAKING
The Golden Suns enter Tuesday's mid-week doubleheader against Pittsburg State with an overall record of 11-5. This past weekend, the Golden Suns open picked up their first conference series victory of the season winning two-of-three against Henderson State. The Golden Suns would win the opener, 7-3, and the rubber game, 5-2.
 
Entering play against Pittsburg State, the Golden Suns are hitting .276 as a team (111-for-402) with 91 runs scored, 26 doubles, three triples and six home runs.
 
Shelby Chavers currently leads the team in batting average at .387 (12-for-31). Dani Lindsey has provided the most power production thus far with a .656 slugging percentage thanks to five doubles and two triples. Lexi Gorniak leads the team in RBIs with 11 while Kaylyn Aguirre leads the team in runs scored with 12.
 
Sydney Keaton leads the team in home runs with two while the other five have come from a different source with Gorniak, Savannah Snow, Aidan Gorton and Maycie Hardy all having left the yard.
 
In the circle, the Golden Suns have a team ERA of 3.54 and have struck out 78 batters in 99.0 innings of work.
 
Bradi Basler, Aiden Dayberry and Alexis Findley have made multiple starts this season with Basler having the most with eight and Dayberry and Findley with four apiece. Jaycee McKee and Ella Thornley have also made appearances in relief for Tech as part of their five-person pitching staff.
 
Basler is currently 6-1 and has posted a 2.39 ERA and struck out 38 in 41.0 innings of work.
 
Leading the Golden Suns is Jordon Jones. In her second season as head coach of the Golden Suns, Jones is looking to build off her first year in which Tech posted a 28-24 overall record and were 17-15 in the Great American Conference. Prior to coming to Tech, Jones had head coaching stops at the NAIA level at Central Baptist in Conway and MidAmerica Nazarene in Kansas. Overall, her career record is 193-108.
 

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SCOUTING PITTSBURG STATE
Pittsburg State enters Tuesday's mid-week doubleheader with Tech with an 18-2 overall record and are ranked No. 18 nationally in the most-recent National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) Top-25 rankings. The Gorillas are also on an eight-game winning streak that started on February 24.
 
Entering play on Tuesday, the Gorillas are hitting .363 as a team (196-for-540) with 135 runs scored, 34 doubles, 10 triples and 16 home runs.
 
Heather Arnett currently leads the team in batting average at .595 (44-for-74) and is tied for the team-lead in runs scored with 31.
 
Maddie Fernandez has been the biggest power threat thus far for the Gorillas and leads the team with a .902 slugging percentage thanks to two doubles and six home runs. Fernandez also leads the team in RBIs with 23. Three other batters have at least 15 RBIs as well.
 
In the circle, the Gorillas have a team ERA of 2.19 and have struck out 145 batters in 128.0 innings of work.
 
The top-two starters for the Gorillas have been Ava Laurent and Kiana Pogroszewski. Both have made at least eight starts and have won six games apiece. They have also combined for four of the team's five shutouts this season. Laurent is currently 6-0 with a 1.75 ERA and 69 strikeouts in 52.0 innings of work while Pogroszewski is 6-1 with a 2.78 ERA and 35 strikeouts in 45.1 innings of work. Laurent also has one of the team's saves.
 
The Gorillas are led by Jenny Fuller, who in her third season as head coach at Pitt State and her ninth overall. With previous head coaching stints at Cardinal Stritch and Northern State, Fuller has a career record of 214-165.