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Setting the Scene
- SWOSU kicks off conference play this weekend at home against Arkansas Tech with a doubleheader on Saturday and the series finale on Sunday
- The Bulldogs originally were scheduled to travel to Russellville for the conference opener, but due to rain threats across the state of Arkansas the series shifted to Weatherford
- SWOSU will look to avenge their 3-0 sweep at the hands of Tech last season where they allowed 29 runs in three games to the Wonder Boys
-  In the NCAA Div. II era, SWOSU is 8-17 all-time against ATU and Head Coach Zack Saunders holds a 7-15 mark against the Wonder Boys dating back to his first season in 2012
 
The Opponent
Arkansas Tech (5-3)
- The Wonder Boys were picked to finish third in the Great American Conference in the conference's annual preseason coaches' poll
- ATU started the season at the Airhog Classic in Grand Prairie, Texas where they went 3-1 against non-conference foes which included a win against the MIAA's projected winner this year Emporia State
- At the plate, Tech is batting .290 led by Riley Hickerson's team leading .444 average and Cody Wescott's team leading two home runs
- On the mound, Tech holds a 4.37 team earned run average, with 69 strikeouts compared to 38 walks  
 
The Coaches
SWOSU: Zack Saunders (157-133, 9th 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
 
Arkansas Tech: Dave Dawson (257-171, 9th season)
- Led Wonder Boys to eight consecutive conference tournament appearances, six 30-win seasons, and in 2014, the first outright conference title since 1992
- Dawson came to Tech after spending the four seasons (2006-09) as the head baseball coach at Kansas Wesleyan University in Salina, Kan.
- Lettered for four seasons at Ottawa University (Ottawa, Kan.) during his playing career
 
Around the GAC
- Seven teams sit above .500 coming into conference play, with Oklahoma Baptist at the top with a 5-2 mark
- Arkansas-Monticello also only has two losses at 4-2 coming into conference opening weekend
- Harding, after starting the season 1-3, has won three straight games as the league's largest win streak early in the season
- East Central has just one win coming into the weekend, sitting at 1-6 as the only team around the league without at least three wins
 
SWOSU Notes
- The Bulldogs went an even 2-2 last week by shutting out Northeastern State 6-0 at home in their midweek before taking one of three on the road against a nationally ranked Angelo State team
- In those four games, SWOSU hit .238 collectively with nine extra base hits (eight doubles, one home run)
- Alex Pimentel played in all four games last week and led the way with a .353 average, doubling twice and driving in five runs
-  Brooks Benson (.500) and Connor Duer (.429) each made two appearances in the starting lineup, combining for three extra base hits (including a Duer home run) and six hits between the two
- Bryan Miranda and Daniel Richardson each had a pair of doubles last week, rounding out SWOSU's hitters with multiple extra base hits
- Both Miranda and Pimentel had their season-long hit streaks to start the year snapped in the Angelo State series over the weekend
- Jake Cowan (1-1) and Cooper Cantwell (1-0) were both of SWOSU's winning pitchers last week, pitching a combined 14.0 innings and striking out a combined 10 hitters with only three walks
- Brooks Pond (2.0 IP) and Justin Moreno (1.0 IP) each held the opposing offense scoreless in their single appearances out of the bullpen, while Jose Laboy (2.2 IP) allowed just one run in his pair of outings out of the bullpen         


Looking Ahead
- SWOSU will travel to Edmond on Tuesday (Feb. 21) for some midweek action against Central Oklahoma set to start at 1 pm
- Next weekend the Bulldogs will welcome Harding to Weatherford for another conference three-game series set to begin Friday (Feb. 23) and conclude Saturday (Feb. 24) with a doubleheader