SWOSU Softball will be on the road for the final time this regular season this weekend as they travel north to face the Rangers in a rivalry series. The teams will play two games on Friday beginning at 3:00 p.m. before closing out the series on Saturday at noon.

The Bulldogs will look to carry momentum into this weekend after capturing the series finale against Henderson State last week, 6-5. However, the Dawgs are just 3-9 over their last four series and have not won a GAC series since their matchup with Arkansas-Monticello in mid-March. This weekend against Northwestern presents a strong opportunity to get back on track.

With just two weekends remaining in the GAC regular season, the Dawgs sit in 11th place, with Northwestern behind them in 12th. The Bulldogs currently sit four games back of the postseason cutoff. 

Dating back to 2013, SWOSU and Northwestern have played each other closely, with the Rangers holding a 24-21 edge in the series. However, in Alva, the two teams have split 20 meetings evenly, with 10 wins apiece. The Dawgs won both matchups in Alva last season, though only one counted as a conference game.

SWOSU currently ranks seventh in the GAC in batting average at .269, while Northwestern sits in the final spot at .215 on the year. In the circle, the Dawgs hold a 3.87 team ERA, compared to 4.33 for the Rangers. Maddie Rahon leads the team with a .406 batting average, which ranks fifth in the conference. She has driven in 18 runs and hit four home runs this season.

Last week against Henderson State, Sierra Woods went 6-for-11 at the plate while driving in a run and striking out just once. Alexis Taylor worked in the circle for 7.1 innings, allowing seven hits and just two runs, finishing with a 1.91 ERA.