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Setting the Scene
- SWOSU Baseball (2-2) faces their toughest test of the season when they battle No. 20 Angelo State on the road in Texas in a three-game series over the weekend
- The Bulldogs are coming off of a 6-0 midweek shutout of MIAA foe Northeastern State at home which moved their overall record back to an even .500
- This is the first meeting between the two teams since 2011 when SWOSU competed in the Lone Star Conference with ASU
 
The Opponent
#20 Angelo State (4-0)
- Was picked to win the Lone Star conference in the 2018 Preseason Coaches Poll, having won the previous two LSC Regular Season Championships
- Has started the season undefeated including three wins over Great American Conference opponents Southern Arkansas, Arkansas Tech, and Southeastern
- The Rams have made the NCAA Division II World Series in two of the previous three seasons, making appearances in back-to-back years in 2015 and 2016
 
The Coaches
SWOSU: Zack Saunders (156-131, 7th 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
 
Angelo State: Kevin Brooks (493-268, 14th season)
- Has been the only coach in ASU baseball history dating back to 2005, holding a 261-150 Lone Star Conference record and a 20-15 record in seven trips to the NCAA postseason
- Never been below .500 in a season in 13 years at the helm of Rams Baseball including five 40-win seasons
- Coached 48 players since 2005 who have made it to the professional level
 
Around the GAC
- Northwestern and Oklahoma Baptist remain unbeaten and are the only two teams without a loss in the conference
- Arkansas Tech and Southern Arkansas hold one loss records at 3-1 coming into the second weekend of the season
- Four teams, including SWOSU, hold even 2-2 marks in non-conference action
 
SWOSU Notes
- The Bulldogs collected the second win of the season on Wednesday afternoon in Weatherford courtesy of their first shutout of the season
- Cooper Cantwell continues to hold a 0.00 ERA after pitching seven scoreless innings as Wednesday's starter and now has a team-leading 8.0 IP on the year
- Brooks Benson picked up his second multi-hit game against NSU, going 3-for-4 at the dish with an RBI and two runs scored
- Bryan Miranda has now gotten a hit in every game this season after also having his second multi-hit game with a 2-for-4 performance
- Alex Pimentel continues to lead the batting lineup in average, hitting right at .500 on the season and just like Miranda has picked up at least one hit in all four games to start the year
- 50% of SWOSU's runs through the opening four games have been scored in the first two innings of the game (12 runs in innings one and two, 24 total)
- Jake Cowan will look to improve upon his first start this weekend after allowing three runs and four hits in 3.1 innings of work as the starter in the season opener    

Looking Ahead
- Great American Conference play is set to begin the week following SWOSU's series with Angelo State
- The Bulldogs will kick off league play in Russellville, Arkansas against Arkansas Tech on Feb. 16-17