RUSSELLVILLE, Ark. – SWOSU Baseball is headed to Arkansas to begin their postseason run on Friday night and they'll be matched up with Great American Conference co-champion Arkansas Tech on Friday evening in the quarterfinals of the GAC Tournament.
 
First pitch of the game is set for 6:00 pm from Baswell Field in Russellville. Full coverage is available online at SWOSUAthletics.com or tune in at 100.3 FM in western Oklahoma to listen to the game as called by 'Voice of the Bulldogs' Mike Smith.
 
The Bulldogs are in the tournament as the No. 8 seed after finishing 17-16 in conference play. SWOSU was 16-4 at home this season, but just 5-13 on the road. SWOSU features the second-best offense in the conference with a team batting average of .323, which trails only the Wonder Boys, who hit .337 for the year. ATU, however, follows that up with the top-ranked pitching staff in the conference and a team ERA of 4.13, whereas the Bulldogs are ninth in team pitching with a 6.69 team ERA.
 
SWOSU is paced by the GAC Player of the Year, starting centerfielder Alex Bedard who is hitting .398 for the year with a league-leading 57 runs scored and a single-season school record 30 stolen bases. Bedard was one of six Bulldogs to earn All-GAC recognition, joined by first baseman Drew White (First Team), outfielder Keyshaun Smith (Second Team), catcher/utility Zach Baxley (Second Team), starting pitcher Nate Postlethwait (Honorable Mention) and second baseman Miguel Soto (Honorable Mention).
 
Arkansas Tech claimed a share of the GAC regular season championship with a 23-10 record in league play, which tied them and Southern Arkansas for the top spot. ATU swept Southeastern last weekend and won 5-of-6 games in their final two series to move back into a share atop the league standings. The Wonder Boys had seven players earn All-GAC honors on Thursday, including First Team selections Patrick Miner (starting pitcher), Josh Detweiler (outfield) and Evan Hafley (designated hitter).
 
While ATU finished atop the standings, it was the Bulldogs who reigned supreme when the teams met during the regular season. SWOSU swept a three-game series from the Wonder Boys on May 17-18, winning by scores of 8-6, 1-0 and 11-4. Bedard and White led the way in that series with seven hits apiece while Postlethwait tossed a complete game, striking out five, and was one of four pitchers who had pitched at least one inning without giving up an earned run.
 
SWOSU is making their eighth appearance in the GAC Tournament, but they've struggled to find success in the event with a record of 1-14 in seven prior trips. The top nemesis for the Bulldogs in the tournament has been Arkansas Tech, with ATU holding a 6-0 head-to-head record against SWOSU in GAC postseason competition. The Bulldogs and Wonder Boys last faced off in the opening round of the 2019 tournament, with ATU claiming a 5-2 decision over the Dawgs in Enid.
 
The winner of Friday night's game will advance in the single elimination tournament and move to Arkadelphia, Ark., to compete on Monday in the semifinals.