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Setting the Scene
- SWOSU Baseball (6-8, 2-4 GAC) looks to continue the momentum it built in Searcy, Ark. last weekend with another GAC series against East Central this weekend at the Athletic Complex
- The Dawgs took two of three from Harding after being swept by Arkansas Tech the previous weekend to kick off conference play
- Last season, the Bulldogs took two of three from the Tigers to win the series but allowed East Central to collect their first win of the season with a 13-7 victory over SWOSU
- Since becoming a Division II school, SWOSU leads the overall series with ECU 42-30 dating back to 1998
- Since Head Coach Zack Saunders has been at the helm the Bulldogs lead the series 8-7 dating back to 2012
 
The Opponent
East Central (3-10, 3-3 GAC)
- Despite a lackluster overall record through the season's first 13 games, East Central sits tied for fourth place in the GAC with an even 3-3 league mark
- The Tigers took two of three from Monticello on the opening week of conference play and avoided getting swept last weekend against Southern Arkansas by winning the final game of the series  
- Brandon Dussenberry has logged the most innings on the mound for ECU so far this season with 30.2, holding a 2-2 record with a 4.99 ERA in five starts
- The Tigers are hitting .239 as a team, led by Jake MeKeel who has started and played in 12 of the team's 13 games and holds a .317 batting average 

 The Coaches
SWOSU: Zack Saunders (142-110, 6th season)
- Two-time Great American Conference Coach of the Year, winning the award in 2013 and 2016
- Inducted into the Muskogee Athletic Hall of Fame on October 13, 2016
- Earned his 100th career victory at SWOSU against Northwestern Oklahoma State on April 24, 2015
- 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
 
East Central: Dino Rosato (153-225, 9th season)
- Over eight seasons, Rosato's squads have produced 14 all-conference members and over 65 academic honorees
- In 2016 ECU advanced to the Great American Conference Championship tournament for the first time, falling in the opening round to arch rival Southeastern in a best-of-three series
- Since 2012, ECU has had an increase in output and produced three winning seasons, including the first time since 1996 that the Tigers had two-straight winning seasons when they did so in 2014 and 2015

Checking the Standings
- Arkansas Tech remains the last unbeaten in GAC play, making it two weekends without a loss and sits atop the standings at 6-0 followed by Southern Arkansas a game behind at 5-1
- Henderson State, Oklahoma Baptist and Arkansas-Monticello all hold 4-2 marks
- Ouachita, Harding and East Central stay even with 3-3 slates
- SWOSU sits with a 2-4 record, in front of Northwestern and Southern Nazarene with 1-5 records and in front of Southeastern who still is winless at 0-6
SWOSU Notes
- Gunnar Cook had his best outing of the season against Harding last Saturday, going the distance while striking out 11 to earn his first win of the season
- Jeremy Smith had another successful appearance on the mound after pitching 1.2 innings without giving up a run and striking out two
- The Dawgs now have three .300 hitters or better led by Jason Nichols (.373), Rogelio Sanchez (.320) and Rafael Otero (.317)
- Sanchez was the only Bulldog to record a hit in every game of the three-game series
- Otero hit another home run against Harding in the opening game and now has a team best five long balls this season
- SWOSU was shutout for the second time this season in the final game of the Harding series

Looking Ahead
- The Dawgs will play a non-conference midweek game against USAO in Chickasha on Tuesday beginning at 4:00 pm
- Friday-Saturday March 10 and 11 SWOSU will be in Durant to play in a three-game GAC series against Southeastern