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ARKADELPHIA, Ark. — Henderson State heads to Magnolia this weekend for its biggest test of the season, as the Reddies face first-place and No. 8 Southern Arkansas in three-game series on Friday and Saturday.
REDDIES REPORT
- The Reddies (21-8, 12-6) are in a tie for second-place in the GAC standings after dropping two of three games last weekend on the road at Southwestern Oklahoma State. HSU got back on track by winning the final game of the series 10-8 in extra innings, and then run-ruled Lyon College 12-1 on Tuesday in a midweek game.
- Henderson sports the best team ERA in the conference (4.07) and is holding opponents to a league-low .224 batting average through 29 games. Ryan Galvan leads the starters with a 3.26 ERA, while ace Spencer Taack carries a 3.59 ERA and 6-1 record in 47.2 innings. Cade Tucker has a team-high 44 strikeouts and all three weekend starters are limiting opposing hitters to averages .235 or lower.
- The top two relievers for the Reddies have been senior Brayden Bebee and sophomore Andrew Howard. The two bullpen arms have combined to pitch 42.1 innings for HSU with 47 strikeouts compared to just 17 walks. Opponents are hitting just .117 against Bebee, who pitched four hitless innings for Henderson last weekend against SWOSU.
- At the plate, HSU is batting .291, a mark which ranks sixth in the GAC. Henderson has a league-best 68 doubles and also hit 33 home runs — 17 of which have come from David Vilches and Greyson Stevens. Vilches has 11 home runs on the year and has a team-high 29 RBIs. Stevens is batting .360 with 41 hits, 11 doubles, six home runs and 27 RBIs. Transfer infielder Dillon Thomas has also come on strong with the bat in recent weeks for HSU. Thomas is hitting .500 in his last seven games with 13 hits and 10 RBIs.
- Southern Arkansas has had the upper hand in the series between the teams over the last several years and has won 16 of the 22 meetings since the start of the 2017 season. The Reddies got a big win in the rivalry last spring, however, when they defeated No. 2 seed SAU 9-6 in Magnolia to knock the Muleriders out of the GAC Tournament. The win was Henderson's first in Magnolia since 2013. HSU is 3-12 against Southern Arkansas on the road since 2012 and has not captured the season series with SAU since 2018.
SCOUTING SOUTHERN ARKANSAS
- SAU enters the big weekend series 23-5 overall and an impressive 17-1 in GAC play. The Muleriders are ranked No. 8 nationally in the latest NCBWA DII Poll and No. 7 by the Collegiate Baseball Newspaper. Southern Arkansas is in sole possession of first-place in the conference standings and is up five games on HSU. The Riders are 9-2 at home this year and have not lost a weekend game in Magnolia this season.
- Southern Arkansas boasts perhaps the top offense in the GAC and is hitting .318 as a club to lead the conference in average. SAU has hit 46 home runs and is slugging .560 as a team. The Muleriders have out-scored their opponents 281-121 and have seven everyday players hitting above .300. Brett McGee, Brandon Nicoll and Tucker Burton have combined to do serious damage for SAU at the plate, with the three sluggers accounting for 23 doubles, 23 home runs and 107 RBIs.
- As strong as the Muleriders have been at the plate, their pitching staff may be the strength of the team. Southern Arkansas carries a 4.33 staff ERA and features one of the top pitching rotations in the country in Jeremy Adorno, Jacob Womack and Wyatt Marr. Adorno has been the breakout player of the year in the GAC and boasts a 1.58 ERA in 51.1 innings of work. He has struck out 74 batters, walked just 23, has an 8-0 record, a WHIP of .92 and is limiting opponents to a .138 average. Adorno has been named conference Pitcher of the Week four times already this season.
