Setting the Scene
- SWOSU Softball closes out the 2018 season at home on senior weekend against Arkansas Tech in a final four-game conference series
- The Bulldogs will honor lone senior pitcher/outfielder Rileigh Ricken who will be playing her final games in a SWOSU uniform
- Dating back to 2014 season, the Dawgs are just 1-12 against Arkansas Tech including suffering 11-straight defeats at the hands of the Golden Suns coming into the weekend
 
The Opponent
Arkansas Tech (36-16, 27-13 GAC)
- Tech has already clinched a spot in the GAC Tournament next week and is still in a battle for a potential No. 2 seed in the bracket (currently sit third)
- The Golden Suns rank second in the league in batting average with a combined .329 team average and are led by nine day-in and day-out players hitting above the .300 mark individually
- In the circle, Tech has two players who have logged more than 100 innings on the year in Megan Goodnight (1.56 ERA, 103 IP) and Kristen Dempsey (3.33 ERA, 119.2 IP)
 
The Coaches
SWOSU: Kim Maher (30-68, 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)
 
ATU: Kristina McSweeney (220-121, 6th season)
- Was the 2016 GAC Coach of the Year after finishing 49-11
- Before joining the Tech program, McSweeney spent the previous four seasons (2008-12) as the head softball coach at Seminole State College
 
SWOSU Notes
- The Bulldogs have had four players bat above the .300 mark in 37 conference games so far this season
- Allyson Gafford leads the team in conference hitting at .388 and has a team high 10 doubles
- Sidney Kirk, named the Team MVP Wednesday night at the Awards Banquet, is next with a .346 average (conference games only) and a team high seven home runs
- Amanda Moreno is hitting .342 and is a perfect 7-for-7 on stolen base attempts as well
- SWOSU's leading base stealer this season is Hannah Morris who has swiped 13 bags in 15 attempts
- Kinsey Skroh, named the team's Offensive MVP at the Awards Banquet, rounds out the .300 hitters in conference games with a .310 mark and 11 extra-base hits
- In the circle, Miranda Grover and Rileigh Ricken enter the final weekend tied for the team lead in wins with five apiece on the season – all of which have come against teams in conference