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***Admission is free for Friday's tournament opener in Magnolia, but Mulerider Athletics kindly asks for donations with 100% of the proceeds going to benefit the #BeLikeCJ Foundation. For more information on the mission and to support the movement, click here.***

ARKADELPHIA, Ark. — Henderson State begins its quest for a GAC Tournament title on Friday night when it travels to Magnolia, Arkansas to face No. 2 seed and co-regular season champion Southern Arkansas at 6 p.m.

The winner of Friday night's matchup will advance to the GAC Tournament semifinals on Monday, May 17 at Clyde Berry Field in Arkadelphia.

REDDIES REPORT
- Henderson won three of its last four GAC weekend series to secure the No. 7 seed in the GAC Tournament with a league record of 18-15. The Reddies are making their first conference tournament appearance since 2018 when they won a game before bowing out in the semifinal round.

- Four Reddies were named to the 2021 All-GAC teams on Thursday afternoon: Spencer Taack (First Team), outfielder Danny Mitchell Jr. (Second Team), shortstop Joe Myers (Honorable Mention) and reliever Taylor Langston (Honorable Mention).

- Taack will get the ball for Henderson on Friday night against the Muleriders and will look to replicate his regular season efforts versus SAU. In two starts against Southern Arkansas this season, Taack pitched a combined 10.2 innings and surrendered four runs on six hits while striking out 16. The junior from Dallas, Texas is 6-1 in 11 starts, boasts a 4.30 ERA and has not taken a loss since Feb. 12. HSU is 9-2 on the year when Taack takes the hill.

- The Reddies finished the regular season sixth in the GAC in team batting average (.306) and third in team ERA (5.48). HSU hit 47 home runs this year and was second in the conference with 15 triples.

- Wins against SAU in Magnolia have been tough to come by for HSU. The Reddies have lost 10-straight meetings with the Muleriders at their home field and have not won on the road against Southern Arkansas since Mar. 9, 2013.

- HSU went 2-3 against Southern Arkansas this season. The Muleriders won the GAC weekend series between the schools two games to one, and the two programs split two games to open the year back in February. All five of those contests were played at Clyde Berry Field in Arkadelphia.

- Friday will be the 10th GAC Tournament meeting all-time between Henderson State and SAU. The Reddies are 4-5 against the Muleriders in postseason play, but are 4-1 in the last five GAC Tournament matchups. SAU has eliminated HSU three times and the Reddies have eliminated the Muleriders twice.

SCOUTING SOUTHERN ARKANSAS
- SAU enters the GAC Tournament 23-10 in league play and as the No. 2 seed in the field. The Muleriders nearly won the outright GAC regular season title, but fell 19-18 to NWOSU in the final game of the year to split the championship with Arkansas Tech. Southern Arkansas is 11-6 at home this season.

- The Muleriders will likely start 2021 First Team All-GAC selection Jacob Womack on Friday to duel against HSU's Spencer Taack. Womack has a 7-1 record and 3.80 ERA in 13 appearances and nine starts. The sophomore has struck out 75 batters and walked just 22 on the year. In his only start against Henderson this season, Womack gave up just two runs on seven hits in 6.1 innings of work.

- SAU is a dangerous hitting team and is led by a duo of 2021 First Team All-GAC selections in second baseman Austin Baker and catcher Brett McGee. Baker, who was the 2018 GAC Tournament MVP, bats .409 and has an OPS of 1.126 for the season. McGee leads the Muleriders with 39 RBIs and 12 home runs this spring and is slugging .656.

- Southern Arkansas has won the GAC Tournament a record five times, which included the first four titles in a row from 2012 to 2015. The most recent title for the Muleriders came in 2018 in Enid, Oklahoma.