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Setting the Scene
- SWOSU Baseball plays their fifth straight GAC series in Weatherford this weekend when they host Southern Arkansas on Friday (March 16) and Saturday (March 17)
- The series will feature two of the top teams in the conference, as SWOSU currently sits second in the standings and one game ahead of the Muleriders who are tied for third
- The Bulldogs are 7-12 against SAU since joining in the Great American Conference and were swept a year ago in Magnolia after falling to the Muleriders by scores of 4-2, 6-3, and 7-1
 
The Opponent
Southern Arkansas (14-7, 8-4 GAC)
- SAU will be coming off of their first GAC series loss of the season after winning just one-of-three against Southern Nazarene last weekend
- Their offense ranks eighth in the league in batting average at .265 as a team
- On the mound, the Muleriders lead the league in team ERA of 3.95
 
The Coaches
SWOSU: Zack Saunders (168-138, 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
 
SAU: Justin Pettigrew (53-23, 2nd season)
- Enters into his second year as head baseball coach at Southern Arkansas University after being promoted from associate head coach following the conclusion of the 2016 season
- Prior to becoming the head coach, Pettigrew accrued over a decade of coaching experience with the Muleriders as he first joined the program in August of 2005 as the team's pitching coach, a role he served in for 11 years

SWOSU Notes
- SWOSU's .317 team batting average ranks the Dawgs third in the GAC in that category
- Bryan Miranda (.449) and Alex Pimentel (.424) rank first and second respectively in the league in batting average between every-day players with at least 10 games started
- Miranda also continues to lead the GAC in triples with six, three more than Riley Hickerson from Arkansas Tech who is next best
- Miranda also extending his hitting streak to 14 games against UCO when he went 1-for-5 against the Bronchos
- Daniel Richardson hit his eighth home run of the season against UCO on Wednesday, tying him with Oklahoma Baptist's Zane Gelphman atop the GAC's home run list 
- Brady Burtner continues his hot streak while holding a .417 average at the plate, having collecting at least one hit in 11 of the last 12 games for SWOSU
- The Bulldog pitching staff ranks eighth in the GAC in earned run average with a 5.95 collective ERA
- Brendan Peitsmeyer continues to be consistent for SWOSU on the bump, holding a team best 2.57 ERA in 14.0 innings of work out of the bullpen and with three saves to his credit   
 
Looking Ahead
- SWOSU hosts Oklahoma Christian on Tuesday (March 20) in midweek action before hitting the road to face Arkansas-Monticello next weekend