Henderson State will attempt to end a five-game conference losing streak as the Reddies play host to Southwestern Oklahoma in a key three-game Great American Conference series beginning with a double-header on Friday at 3 p.m. at Clyde Berry Field. The two teams will play the finale on Saturday at 1 p.m.
The Reddies, fourth in the GAC standings, have lost five of their last six conference games to the top teams in the league. Henderson was swept by first-place Southern Arkansas, but battled in all three games scoring their most runs in a series since their opening GAC series against Southern Nazarene.
Southwestern Oklahoma is right behind the Reddies at 11-11 in league play and 15-19 overall. The Bulldogs six of their last seven GAC contests.
The top eight teams in the league will advance to the GAC Tournament, with the top four seeds hosting a best of the series May 5-6, with the four winners advancing to the double-elimination portion of the tournament May 11-13 in Arkadelphia at Clyde Berry Field.
The Reddies rank sixth in the GAC offensively having a .258 team average while averaging 5.5 runs per contest.
Hayden Lessenberry has been Henderson's hottest hitter as of late having a .462 average in the last five games. The senior from Bryant, Ark. has a .338 average for the season and a .380 average in GAC play.
Parker Jones has also been productive at the plate as of late going 8-for-19 in the last five games. The senior from The Colony, Texas is hitting .315 for the season which includes seven doubles and 18 runs batted in.
Luke Tebbetts will pitch Friday's opener. Tebbetts is 6-2 on the year with a 3.32 ERA. The senior from Winnsboro, Texas has fanned 43 batters in 65 innings.
Bryant Haralson is set to start game two of the double-header. Haralson leads the Reddie pitching staff with a 5-3 record overall and a 2.23 ERA. The junior from Atkins, Ark. leads the team in strikeouts with 69 while walking just eight batters. Opponents are hitting just .183 against the right-hander.
Chris Hunt will pitch the finale and will be searching for his first win in three weeks. Hunt enters with a 5-4 record and a 4.50 ERA. The senior from Greenwood, Ark. is second all-time in HSU history in career strikeouts with 203. Hunt needs 27 mores punch outs to set the HSU career record.
Southwestern Oklahoma sports a .250 team batting average which ranks ninth in the GAC.
First baseman Jason Nichols leads the SWOSU offense with a .341 average which includes a team-best 10 doubles and 22 runs batted in.
The Bulldog power-hitters include Rogelio Sanchez and Rafael Otero. Sanchez has a .269 average but has belted four home runs to go along with five doubles and 20 RBI. Otero leads the team in home runs with five, while driving in 21 runs and sporting a .260 average.
The SWOSU pitching staff enters with a team earned run average of 6.34 with opponents having a hefty .299 team batting average.
Brendan Peitsmeyer, Devin Ring and Jeremy Smith make up SWOSU's weekend pitching rotation.
Peitsmeyer is 5-4 with a 6.71 earned runs average. The junior right-hander from Aurora, Colo. has won his last two outings including a complete-game win over Southern Nazarene.
Ring has a 5.54 earned runs average with a 3-3 record. The senior right-hander from Clinton, Okla. posted a win earlier this year against Arkansas-Monticello in a game where he allowed just three hits.
Smith leads SWOSU in strikeouts having 48 on the season. The senior from Houston, Texas is 2-2 on the year with a 4.40 ERA. Smith has won his last two starts against Southern Nazarene and Oklahoma Baptist.
Live stats and live webcast will be available for the entire three-game series via the HSU Athletics web site at
www.hsusports.com.
