The Henderson State softball team is looking to clinch its first ever Great American Conference regular season title as the Reddies play host to Southeastern Oklahoma in a four-game series.
Due to heavy rain in the Arkadelphia area, Saturday's double-header has been pushed back to a 2 p.m. start at Dee White Field. The two teams will play another twin bill on Sunday beginning at Noon.
HSU (34-10, 24-6 GAC) must win two in the four-game series in order to finish atop the conference standings, as the Reddies hold a one game lead over the second-place Savage Storm (29-18, 23-7 GAC).
Southeastern Oklahoma has won the regular season conference title the last two years, and advanced to the World Series before falling to Valdosta State a year ago.
Both teams lie first and second in the conference offensively, as the Savage Storm is hitting .349, while the Reddies are hitting at a .343 clip.
Sarah Gipson leads the GAC in batting average, hits, and RBI as the senior bolsters a .444 average and has 67 hits to lead the Reddies.
Gipson has also cranked out eight homers this year and has driven in 56 RBI. She has totaled 151 RBI for her career and needs five more to break Kelcie Glidden's all-time HSU RBI record of 155.
Kiersten Seahorn is second on the team behind Gipson in total RBI with 45, and has contributed 51 hits on the season to go along with seven home runs, while
Amy Halter is third in hits with 53.
Tricia Hock (52) and
Taylor Daniels (50) have both eclipsed the 50-hit mark on the season.
The Reddies picked up three key wins last weekend against Arkansas Tech, as
Ashlyn White improved her record to 11-2 on the season from the circle and was awarded GAC Pitcher of the Week honors.
The sophomore from Longview, Texas has a 2.69 ERA on the season, while freshman standout
Michelle Sorensen leads the pitching staff with a 2.22 ERA and holds a 15-8 record from the circle.
White has also done work from the plate, as she's blasted eight homers on the season, while also accumulating 49 hits and 40 RBI.
Southeastern Oklahoma is led by Haley Strawn, who holds a .436 batting average and has 65 hits to go along with 40 RBI on the season.
Sydney Kramer and Arianna Jones are second and third in batting average on the team, and both have 57 hits apiece this year.
From the circle, Jessica Seay has a 13-6 record and a 3.79 ERA, while Jacee Bennett holds a 14-9 record with a 5.07 ERA.
The Savage Storm leads the GAC in RBI with 281, while HSU is third with 269.
HSU will honor four seniors for their time as Reddies on Saturday. Those being recognized are Halter, Gipson,
Alicia Zack, and
Tricia Hock.
Zack has contributed 36 hits and has started every game at shortstop this season with a .939 fielding percentage, while South has 34 hits and 29 RBI, and has done a solid job at third base holding a .956 fielding percentage.