COVERAGE LINKS
 
ARKADELPHIA, Ark. – Henderson State softball hosts nationally ranked No. 22 Southern Arkansas for a three-game GAC series on Saturday and Sunday. HSU and SAU will play a doubleheader on Saturday, starting at 2 p.m., followed by the series finale on Sunday at 2 p.m.
 
REDDIES REPORT
Henderson State remains 10-10 overall and 2-4 in conference games after its midweek doubleheader at Delta State was canceled due to weather. In the Reddies' first two conference series this season, they have both gone to a rubber match, but HSU has been unable to find that series-clinching win.  

After playing two GAC series, the Reddies rank second in batting with 172 hits on a .319 batting average. Leading the efforts at the plate is freshman Lily Warren with a league-best 30 hits and the third-highest batting average (.469). In addition, the New Braunfels, Texas native leads the conference with 17 stolen bases on 19 attempts from her lead-off role.

Brooke Johnson, Meagan Allen and Savannah Carrigan have seen the bulk of the starts in the circle this season, with a combined 14 starts in 20 games. Allen got her second win of the year in game two versus Arkansas Tech, pitching the final 2.0 frames and striking out five of the seven batters faced. As a unit, the Reddies rank ninth across the league in pitching with a team ERA of 4.51.

Fast starts have been key to the Reddies success this season, as they are outscoring their opponents 43-20 in the first two innings. More times than not, when HSU opens the scoring, they go on to win, with a 9-4 record when plating the first run of the contest. The Henderson offense, who has scored the third-most runs this season, will be put to the test against a strong SAU pitching staff.  

Henderson State and Southern Arkansas will meet for the 99th time in Saturday's series opener at 2 p.m. from Dee White Field. The Muleriders lead the series 60-38 and have had the upper hand the last few years. HSU is in search of its first series win over SAU since 2012 when they swept the Muleriders back when they played a four-game series.

SCOUTING SOUTHERN ARKANSAS
Southern Arkansas is the number 22 team in the nation coming into this weekend's series. The Muleriders dropped a spot in the NFCA poll after falling in a series to Harding last weekend. SAU opened the series with a 5-1 win but would fall 3-1 and 4-2 in the next two contests. SAU is 4-2 in conference play, having swept East Central at home earlier this season.

In the early goings of GAC action, SAU leads the league from the circle with a 2.34 ERA, led by Sydney Ward. Ward leads the conference with a 1.53 ERA and has 51 strikeouts in 59.1 frames of work. The senior has surrendered just 13 earned runs all season, and batters are hitting .213 against the right-hander. Along with Ward, Brinson Rogers has 57 punch outs for the Muleriders to just 16 walks and a 2.24 ERA.

Regan Dillon leads the SAU bats with 25 hits, including a team-high seven doubles and six home runs. Dillon is one of two players batting .385, while Kamryn Moctezuma leads the team with a .387 batting average. Southern Arkansas is hitting .301 as a team, which is fourth best in the GAC, and has recorded 151 hits and 90 runs.