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ALUMNI WEEKEND Southern Nazarene (3-10, 2-7 GAC) at SWOSU (8-12, 5-7 GAC) Friday, March 13, 1:00 pm Saturday, March 14, 12:00 pm (DH) Live Stats  |  Watch Live SWOSU Weekly Notes (pdf)

Setting the Scene
- SWOSU Baseball is back at home this weekend for another Great American Conference series as they welcome Southern Nazarene to the Athletic Complex for Alumni Weekend
- The Bulldogs are coming off a 1-2 series against Arkansas-Monticello, just their second league series defeat this season
- SWOSU enters the week with an 8-12 overall record, including a 5-7 record in GAC play heading into the SNU series
- Last season, SWOSU swept the Crimson Storm in a three-game series in Bethany and the Dawgs are 5-2 against SNU since the beginning of the GAC
- This weekend will be the last home series for the Bulldogs until April, when they finish off league play against Ouachita Baptist and Arkansas Tech
 
The Opponent
Southern Nazarene (3-10, 2-7 GAC)
- Enter the weekend on a seven-game losing streak after their game against Northwestern Oklahoma State on Tuesday was cancelled
- At 2-7 in league play after going 2-1 against Arkansas Monticello before suffering three-game sweeps against Southern Arkansas and Harding
- Ranked sixth in the GAC in batting with a team average of .269 that includes 111 hits, 21 doubles, six home runs and 51 RBI
- Struggles have come from their pitching staff, which ranks last in the league with a team ERA of 9.44, better than four runs per game higher than the rest of the league
- Have allowed double-digit runs in seven games this season
- Anthony Wiggins is the top hitter for SNU, ranking ninth in the league with a .367 batting average, .490 slugging percentage and 18 hits
- Mason Pinion has made a team-high nine pitching appearances, including three starts, and he's 1-2 with a 7.94 ERA in 22.2 innings of work
 
The Coaches
SWOSU: Zack Saunders (91-70, 4th season)
- In his fourth season leading the Bulldogs and his teams have earned a berth in the Great American Conference Tournament in each of the previous three seasons
- Has tutored 14 players who have earned All-GAC status, including four first-team selections, one All-Central Region honoree, one regional gold glove award winner and one MLB draftee
- Named GAC Coach of the Year in 2013 after leading the Bulldogs to a 31-16 record and a second place finish in the conference at 21-9
- Previously served as an assistant at SWOSU for six seasons under former Bulldog coaches Charles Teasley and Scott Selby
- Played collegiately at Kansas State following two seasons at Connors State playing on nationally-ranked junior college teams
- Has a record of 91-70 while leading the Bulldogs, including a mark of 5-2 against Southern Nazarene
 
Southern Nazarene: Robert Lee (59-97, 4th season)
- In his fourth season at the helm of the SNU Baseball program following seven seasons as an assistant coach working with the Crimson Storm's pitching staff
- Has led the Crimson Storm to two 20-win seasons and tutored three NAIA All-Americans and one Sooner Athletic Conference Player of the Year
- Began his coaching career at Edmond Memorial HS before being hired to the Crimson Storm coaching staff by former SNU and SWOSU Head Coach Scott Selby
 
Checking the Standings
- SWOSU dropped to eighth in the GAC standings by percentage points following the UAM series last weekend
- At 5-7, SWOSU is one of just two teams (Northwestern) that has played four complete league series and the Bulldogs are one game ahead of the Rangers
- Ouachita Baptist remains unbeaten and atop the GAC standings at 5-0 while East Central is just behind at 7-2
- This weekend's opponent, Southern Nazarene is currently 10th in the league standings at 2-7, ahead of Arkansas Tech at 1-5
 
SWOSU Notes
- Jon Chidester became the first Bulldog since 2013 to be named the GAC Pitcher of the Week when he earned the honor last Tuesday
- Chidester struck out 13 batters in his start against Southern Arkansas and he now has a league-leading 42 strikeouts on the year
- Korbin Polston led SWOSU with six hits, one home run and four RBI while hitting .500 against Arkansas-Monticello last weekend
- Polston leads the Bulldogs with 16 runs scored this season, ranking fourth in the GAC
- Austin Hilton picked up his first victory of the season by allowing five hits and one run in 5.0 innings of work in Game 2 against the Boll Weevils
- Christian Perez leads the Bulldogs with a .333 batting average for the season with 17 hits, one double, one triple and six RBI
- CJ Faddis ranks third on the team with a .283 batting average and he is second in the GAC with a perfect 8-for-8 mark on stolen bases
- Zach Barton is in the midst of a 13-game streak for reaching base safely, the longest such streak by a Bulldog this season
- Barton is hitting .254 with 13 hits, seven walks and two HBP for the year
- Taylor Weifenbach has made a team-high nine appearances on the mound and his season numbers include a record of 1-1 with a 2.77 ERA and 22 strikeouts in 26.0 innings
- Ethan Davis picked up his second save of the year against UAM and he's now 2-1 with a 2.13 ERA in seven relief appearances
- SWOSU ranks fourth in the GAC with 93 runs scored this season
 
Looking Ahead
- Next week brings SWOSU's bye week on the league schedule, setting up for four non-conference games
- SWOSU travels to Mid-America Christian on Tuesday before hosting Fort Hays State on Wednesday and going to Arkansas-Fort Smith for a weekend series