Setting the Scene
- SWOSU Baseball will host William Jewell at the Athletic Complex for a non-conference series this weekend in Weatherford
- The Bulldogs and Cardinals will play a three-game series, with a doubleheader slated for Saturday beginning at noon prior to the series finale at noon on Sunday
- SWOSU opened the season by going 2-1 at the Edmond First Pitch Classic last weekend, defeating Pittsburg State (7-4) and Emporia State (15-5) following a season-opening defeat against Missouri Southern
- William Jewell will be playing their opening games of the 2019 season
 
About the Opponent
William Jewell (0-0)
- The Cardinals were picked to finish 10th in the 14-team Great Lakes Valley Conference after finishing last season with a record of 23-26
- Leading the way for WJC is senior outfielder Chase Redick, who was named to the Preseason All-Midwest Region team by the NCBWA after hitting.333 with 26 runs and 38 RBI last season
- William Jewell is coached by Mike Stockton, who is in his 18th season at the school and the second-winningest coach in school history with more than 500 career wins
 
The Coach
SWOSU: Zack Saunders (180-154, 8th season)
- Two-time Great American Conference Coach of the Year, winning the award in 2013 and 2016
- Has guided the Bulldogs to five 20-win seasons and two 30-win seasons, including a Great American Conference Championship in 2016
- Inducted into the Muskogee Athletic Hall of Fame on October 13, 2016
- 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
 
SWOSU Notes
- Alex Bedard and Sawyer Toole led the Bulldogs in hitting last weekend with a .500 average as Bedard had seven hits – including one double and one triple – in 14 at-bats while Tool was 5-10 at the plate with a home run and five RBI
- Braden Estraca had the best power numbers of the weekend, also hitting a home run as one of his three hits while recording a team-best eight RBI
- Shortstop Alex Pimentel had three hits and three RBI last weekend while drawing a team-leading four walks for a .615 on-base percentage
- Tyler Barnett and Tyler Tuck picked up wins on the mound for SWOSU, with Barnett tossing 3.0 innings in relief of Jose Laboy against Emporia State while Tuck went 6.0 innings and allowed three runs against Pittsburg State
- Haden Branch collected his first save in a SWOSU uniform on Saturday, tossing 3.0 innings and allowing one run on one hit to earn the effective relief save
 
Looking Ahead
- The Bulldogs head to Edmond on Wednesday for their first midweek game of the season, taking on Central Oklahoma at 5:00 pm
- SWOSU opens Great American Conference play at home on February 15-16, hosting East Central for a three-game set