---

 
Setting the Scene
- SWOSU Softball will look to build off their first win of the season against a stiff conference opponent this weekend when they travel to No. 8 Southern Arkansas for a four-game GAC series
- This weekend will be the third road conference series SWOSU has played in the last four weeks
- The Bulldogs haven't won a game against the Muleriders since the 2015 season, having been swept by SAU in each of the last two seasons  
 
The Opponent
#8 Southern Arkansas (21-3, 10-2 GAC)
- Southern Arkansas, having made back-to-back NCAA Tournament appearances the last two seasons, comes into the weekend ranked in the Top 10 in the country with just three losses
- The offense is averaging 7 runs per game and is batting .340 as a collective unit with three starters hitting above the .400 mark
- In the circle, SAU holds a 2.24 team ERA led by Victoria Taylor who is 8-0 with a 1.68 ERA
 
The Coaches
SWOSU: Kim Maher (19-52, 2nd season)
- Enters year two of her time at the helm of SWOSU Softball looking to continue the rebuilding process of the program
- Named the fourth head coach in SWOSU Softball history on June 2, 2016, bringing with her a wealth of experience from the collegiate, professional and international levels of softball
- Spent eight seasons as the head coach at Purdue University, leading the Boilermakers to 240 victories and two NCAA Tournament appearances from 2006-13
- Previously coached at California-Berkeley as an assistant coach from 2000-05 following a playing career with USA Softball and the Women's Professional Softball League (WPSL)
 
SAU: Jason Anderson (146-56, 4th season)
- Enters into his fourth season as the head coach of the Southern Arkansas softball program and in his short time at SAU, has helped the Lady Mulerider softball program reach new heights
- The 53 victories in 2016 with SAU marked the fourth time in Anderson's nine-year head coaching career that his team has surpassed the 50-win mark
- Anderson, a native of Sheridan, Ark. has amassed an outstanding career coaching record of 386-108 (.781)
 
SWOSU Notes
- Rileigh Ricken has found herself into the lineup midway through the season after collecting five hits in the last three games for the Bulldogs
- Ricken, having made just three starts in the lineup this season, has hit a home run in three consecutive games and is 5-for-9 overall since appearing in the batting lineup
- Kinsey Skroh continues to have success at the plate by holding a .400 average in 18 games played for SWOSU
- Sidney Kirk, who leads the lineup in extra-base hits, currently is riding an 11-game on-base streak
- Allyson Gafford ranks third on the team in batting average at .395 and is one of three players who have a three-game hitting streak (active leaders) coming into the weekend
- Jacquelyn Lovelace, batting .364, is coming off of back-to-back games of collecting multiple hits for her only two multi-hit games of the season
 
Looking Ahead
- SWOSU takes a step out of conference play to travel to Lawton on Wednesday (March 21) where they will battle Cameron in a doubleheader starting at 1 pm
- The Dawgs will then return home to host Arkansas-Monticello in another GAC series on Friday and Saturday (March 23-24)