GAME COVERAGE LINKS: Games 1 & 2 Video | Game 3 Video | Game 1 Stats | Game 2 Stats | Game 3 Stats

***NO FANS ALLOWED***

ARKADELPHIA, Ark. — Henderson State opens Great American Conference play this weekend when it takes on Southern Nazarene in a 2 p.m. doubleheader on Saturday and a single game at 1 p.m. on Sunday in Oklahoma City.

REDDIES REPORT
- Henderson (2-1) put together an impressive opening weekend by going 2-1 against two strong opponents. The Reddies defeated No. 16 Southern Arkansas 4-3 in walk-off fashion on opening day and then rallied to defeat Arkansas Tech 8-5 on Saturday. HSU hit four home runs in the three games and scored eight of its 14 runs on the weekend in the sixth inning or later.

- Senior shortstop Joe Myers got off to an excellent start and finished 4-for-9 with six RBI, two walks, a home run and a team-best .583 on-base percentage in three games. Myers was 3-for-4 in the win over the Muleriders, hit a three-run home run and recorded the walk-off RBI single in the eighth. Myers leads the club with a .444 batting average.

- Greyson Stevens came through for the Reddies in a big way in the win over Arkansas Tech. After starting the season 1-for-9 at the plate, the Pottsville, Arkansas native launched a two-run homer and a grand slam in his final two at-bats against the Wonder Boys to help Henderson win it 8-5. Stevens had six RBI in the game and also hit a double on opening day against SAU.

- Reddies pitching held opponents to a .274 batting average in the first three games and struck out 21 batters in 24 total innings of play. Matthew Baker had the longest outing of any one pitcher, as threw 5.2 innings of relief in the win over Arkansas Tech. Baker carries a team-best 3.18 ERA after allowing four runs on eight hits.

- Austin Cross, Spencer Taack and Brayden Bebee each earned starts on the hill on opening weekend. Taack struck out seven batters and held SAU to a .214 average against him. Blake Patterson earned both wins for the Reddies in 1.1 innings of relief work against SAU and Arkansas Tech. Cade Tucker earned the first save of the year for HSU against Tech, while Taylor Langston and Ethan Perry combined to pitch 3.1 innings of scoreless relief in the weekend.

- HSU will not get to play its first GAC "home" series at home. Weather forced the Reddies to move the series to Oklahoma City, where Henderson will still serve as the designated home side against the Crimson Storm.

SCOUTING SOUTHERN NAZARENE
- SNU is 0-1 on the year entering the weekend series in Oklahoma City. The Crimson Storm fell 6-4 to Northeastern State on Feb. 8 and has yet to play again since after seeing its series against Ouachita Baptist last weekend fall victim to inclement weather. Southern Nazarene was 6-17 overall and 1-11 in GAC play last season before the year was cut short by the pandemic.

- Infielder Clay Lockett was the most consistent hitter for the Storm in 2020 with a .367 batting average, 29 hits and seven doubles. Lockett got off to a good start against NSU and recorded two hits and a RBI in the opener for Southern Nazarene. Patrick Hine got the start in SNU's only game this season and gave up three runs on four hits in four innings pitched. Payne Maga did excellent work out of the pen for the Crimson Storm against Northeastern State and pitched three scoreless innings allowing no hits and striking out five batters.

- Opponents had little trouble with SNU pitching last season and hit a combined .358 against the Storm. SNU had a team ERA of 10.17 in 2020 — the highest mark of any pitching staff in the GAC. Southern Nazarene hit just eight home runs last year but had a .277 batting average as a club. The Crimson Storm are 19-118 in conference play in the last five seasons.