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ARKADELPHIA, Ark. - Henderson State returns to GAC competition this weekend in what will be the biggest three-game series of the season at Clyde Berry Field as the Reddies square off against the first-place Harding Bisons beginning Friday, Mar. 29 at 6 p.m.

REDDIES REPORT (17-15, 11-7 GAC)
The last time out on the diamond, Kaden Argenbright and Luke Rice extended their hitting streaks to 10 and eight games, respectively, in a 4-2 win over Mississippi College. Argenbright's longest hit streak of his career is 12 games while Rice is currently tied with his longest hitting streak since joining the Reddie baseball program last year. Among the current GAC leaders this season, Argenbright is Top-5 in hits (42), RBI (35) and doubles (11).

Argenbright has established himself atop more than just the HSU records books, but also the Great American Conference's best. The senior infielder now holds the GAC's all-time hits record and doubles record, despite still having 18 regular season games remaining in his collegiate career. Argenbright is currently third on the conference's all-time RBI list with 179, needing 36 more to pass Arkansas-Monticello's Jordan Johnson's mark of 214.  

In conference play only, Reese Weaks and Kyle Williams have each started six games, carrying a 4.18 and 5.01 ERA, respectively. Behind Weaks and Williams, HSU's bullpen in GAC action has served admirably with key relievers Andrew Howard, Owen Vanthillo and Baylor Brumley all holding sub-4.35 ERAs. Howard leads the bullpen with 17 strikeouts in 14.2 innings of work while Henry Coppens has given the Reddies 12.2 frames of closing work, recording 10 strikeouts to just three walks while also picking up two saves.

Five GAC series' remain between now and the beginning of the league tournament. Three of those five series opponents are currently tied for first in the conference standings, though two of those three-game bouts will be played at Clyde Berry Field, where the red-and-gray are 5-4 in GAC competition this season. One of those three first-place teams is the Harding Bisons, who make their way to Arkadelphia this weekend.

The last four meetings between Henderson State and Harding have been decided by two runs or fewer, with both sides splitting such meetings. Prior to that, however, HSU sported a five-game winning streak in the series. When playing at Clyde Berry Field, the Reddies have held the distinct advantage, only dropping one game to the Bisons on the red-and-gray's home turf since 2017. In what will be the 183rd, 184th and 185th all-time meeting, Henderson leads the overall series against HU, 109-72-1.

SCOUTING HARDING 19-10, 12-6 GAC)
Harding is off to its best 18-game GAC start since the conference began in 2012 at 12-6. Despite the 12-6 start, HU has only won four league series', thanks to back-to-back weekend sweeps over Southern Nazarene and Oklahoma Baptist to open the year. The Bisons were swept at home to then-No. 11 Southern Arkansas before dropping 2-of-3 on the road at Arkansas-Monticello. Harding has won six of its last seven GAC contests.

Leading the Bisons' strong start is their GAC-fourth ranked pitching, which owns a 4.77 team-ERA. In conference games, that number drops to 4.03. Spearheading the effort from the mound is starting pitchers Davis Welch and Maddox Long, who have a 2.16 and 2.66 ERA, respectively. Welch's ERA drops to 1.97 in GAC contests with a league-best 45 strikeouts to just nine walks in such games.

The Bisons are batting just .269 in conference play this season while plating 103 runs, both of which rank 10th in the league. Individually, Michael Dewald leads the clubhouse with an overall .358 batting average and a team-high 38 hits, including 23 in GAC action. Five Bisons have recorded 30-plus hits on the year, which is tied for the second most in the conference.