ARKADELPHIA, Ark. – Reddies set for three-game series versus the #16 Harding Bisons in one of the biggest series of the early season for HSU.
 
The series is set to begin with a double header on Friday at 4 p.m. and 6 p.m. at Dee White Field. The series will close on Saturday with just one game, beginning at 12 p.m.
 
REDDIE REPORT
Henderson State (12-4,4-2 GAC) is off to one of its best starts in years. To begin GAC play Reddies won three straight and four of their first five games.
 
HSU began the season with its first sweep of Southeastern in GAC history and its first sweep of any GAC opponent in several season. The Reddie pitching has remained atop of the conference in several categories. HSU pitchers have a team era of just 1.75 and a lead the conference with just 77 hits allowed. Brooke Johnson is one of just seven pitchers with an era of .30 or less. Batters are batting just .137 against Johnson and she has just one earned run so far this season.
 
Henderson State has four batters batting .300 or better. Justine Burch and Hilary Akers lead the pack. Burch is batting .378 with 10 runs and 17 hits while Akers is batting .327 while leading the team in doubles (6), home runs (2) and RBIs (13). This season the Reddies have stolen 27 bases on just 30 attempts.
 
Last season the Reddies won the series versus the Bisons, winning the second and third game of the series. In the final game of the series Burch went 3-5 with three RBIs and a run scored, in the 12-inning game to clinch the series victory. Makenna Keeton pitched nine innings in the game, allowing just five hits and two runs while picking up the win.
 
Before the series win last season the Reddies had lost nine straight games going into the 2024 series.

SCOUTING HARDING
The Harding Bisons (17-3, 5-1 GAC) have been dominant in the early going of the season. The Bisons swept the Ouachita Baptist Tigers last weekend. The Bisons outscored the Tigers 15-9 and held the Tiger offense to just three runs during the Saturday double header.
 
The Bisons midweek series was canceled due to whether, the Bisons were originally set to play Christian Brothers.
 
Last season the Bisons finished third in the conference with a 22-11 record in conference. The Bisons returned one of their best bats from a season ago, Kaya Lee. Lee batted .347 a season ago with eight RBI's, this season Lee is off to a scorching hot start, batting .475 with 22 runs scored. As a team the Bisons lead the conference in batting average, hits and RBIs.
 
The Bisons leading bat Zoey Neal is leading the conference in batting average (.524), hits (33), RBIs (30), total bases (49) and slugging (.778). Neal ranks fifth in the country in total RBIs this season
 
The Harding pitching rotation is just as good as their bats. The Bisons rank second, just behind HSU in team ERA (2.11). The pitching staff is a combined 17-3 with six complete games and teams are batting just .241 against Harding.

LIVE COVERAGE
To access live stats and additional live coverage of this weekend's games, please visit hsusports.com/coverage.