SE Faces No. 10 SAU in Final Home Series

Durant, Okla. – Southeastern meets No. 10 Southern Arkansas on Friday and Saturday for the final home series of the season. The Savage Storm and Muleriders are set for a doubleheader on Friday, April 17, starting at 1 p.m. and will conclude the series on Saturday at noon.
 
Before the first pitch for Saturday's single game, Southeastern will recognize seniors Iliana Olivares and Bailey Kite.
 
SERIES NOTES

• The blue and gold will be looking to avenge last season's defeat to SAU in Magnolia. SE took game one, but the Muleriders charged back to win the next two. Southeastern won the last meeting in Durant in 2024, taking two of three to clinch the series, which marked the first series win over SAU since 2015.

 
STORM REPORT
Southeastern stumbled on the road in its most recent series against Arkansas-Monticello, but was able to salvage a win in the finale after UAM swept the doubleheader. Following the series at UAM, the Storm are 19-23 overall and 11-13 in the GAC heading into the final stretch. SE sits sixth in the conference standings and holds a one-game edge over seventh-place Ouachita Baptist.
 
The blue and gold have a pair of batters with 50 hits this season, as Susan Edwards and Iliana Olivares lead the team with 58 and 50, respectively. Edwards is batting a team-best .387 and paces the SE lineup with 34 runs scored, 12 doubles and two triples. Olivares ranks second in doubles for the Storm with 10 and has recorded the third-most RBIs in the lineup with 23 on a .365 average. This season, Southeastern is batting .296 as a team and has 200 runs scored on 349 hits.
 
India McMurray has provided the biggest bat this season for the Storm with 13 home runs, which ranks second across the GAC. McMurray has scattered 30 hits in 99 at-bats and has 29 runs driven in and a .303 batting average. The Dallas native has been walked 16 times this season, which is second to Laci Larsen, who has worked 21 walks and is tied for the ninth most in the league.
 
In the circle, Alyson Malone picked up the lone win at UAM after coming in for relief in game three. Malone is tied with Emily Simmons for a team-best seven wins, while having made the most appearances with 24 games played. The junior paces the side with a 2.68 ERA and 77 strikeouts, and Simmons holds a 4.44 ERA and has 54 punchouts across 88.1 innings. SE carries a 4.27 team ERA and has allowed 208 runs off 323 hits this season.
 
SCOUTING NO. 10 SOUTHERN ARKANSAS
No. 10 Southern Arkansas is one of four teams to already secure a spot in the GAC Tournament, as they lead the league with a 20-4 GAC record and a 37-5 overall mark. The Muleriders recently swept East Central at home for their fourth GAC sweep this season and eighth conference series win.     
 
SAU has two players batting over .400 this season, led by Maddie Leal and America Rubio. Leal paces the side with 59 hits and a .454 average, while Rubio has recorded 10 doubles, 10 home runs and 46 RBIs across 50 hits. The Muleriders have scored 288 runs this season, while giving up just 107, behind a pitching staff with a 2.07 ERA. Emma Duncan leads the way in the circle with a 1.52 ERA in 156.2 innings of work and is 20-2 with a team-high 160 strikeouts.