Reddies hit road for conference opener

ARKADELPHIA - Henderson State begins Great American Conference baseball play as the Reddies travel to face Southern Nazarene in a threegame series beginning today at 2 p.m.

The two teams will play a doubleheader on Saturday with the first pitch for game one set for noon.

The Reddies, 3-3 on the season, will start Bryant Haralson on the mound in the opener.

Haralson was named GAC Pitcher of the Week on Monday after pitching 7 2/3 innings while striking out nine batters and allowing just one hit in a 5-2 win over Northwest Missouri.

The right-hander from Atkins has recorded 16 strikeouts in 14 innings of work this season with opponents having a .196 average.

Daniel Sprinkle, Kris Priddy and Zach Eschberger will work the doubleheader on Saturday.

Sprinkle is 1-1 on the year with a 2.70 ERA, while Priddy sports a 1-0 record with a 1.04 ERA in 8 2/3 innings of work. Eschberger has worked 10 1/3 innings and has a 4.35 ERA.

Offensively, the Reddies are hitting .216 while averaging 4.3 runs per game.

Former Smackover standout Jackson Martin leads the team hitting .333 (4-for-12), while Zack Gray has a .300 average with a pair of RBIs.

Southern Nazarene enters the weekend 4-3 on the year.

The Crimson Storm pitching rotation includes Ryan Mills, David Gustafson and Jefferson Harris.

Mills is 2-0 in the year with a 0.90 ERA, while Gustafson is 1-1 and has a 7.20 ERA in 10 innings of work. Harris has made two starts and has a 3.68 ERA.

Southern Nazarene has a team batting average of .306 led by Austin Cooper who has a stout .560 average having gone 14-for-25 in the first seven games.

Shelby Reese follows with a .391 average, which includes a pair of doubles and four runs batted in.

Henderson State leads the all-time series with Southern Nazarene having a 12-3 record.