SCHEDULE UPDATE: Harding will now play Sunday (Feb. 19) and Monday (Feb. 20) due to weather. The two teams will still play two seven inning games on Sunday starting at 1 p.m. On Monday, they will also play two seven inning games starting at 12 p.m.

SEARCY – The 28th-ranked Harding baseball team will meet a familiar foe this weekend when it hosts Alabama-Huntsville for a four-game series beginning Saturday with a noon doubleheader.

Alabama-Huntsville is a member of Harding's former conference, the Gulf South Conference, and the last meeting between the teams was in the first round of last season's GSC Tournament in Millington, Tenn. Harding won the game 4-2 and eventually advanced to the tournament's championship game.

Harding opened the 2012 season last weekend with three consecutive victories over Maryville University of St. Louis, Mo. The Bisons outscored the Saints 14-2 in the series and allowed only one earned run. In 25 innings, Harding's pitchers allowed only 11 hits, just one for extra bases, and struck out 21 batters.

Junior Lucas Waddell earned Great American Conference Pitcher of the Week honors after allowing only one hit and no earned runs in six innings. Twelve of his 18 outs came from ground balls.

Offensively, Harding had several impressive performances. Junior shortstop Gabe Fyock had four hits in nine at-bats and drove in four runs. Junior Kyle Atkins scored four times, had three doubles and stole three bases.

The Bisons will employ the same starting pitchers against Alabama-Huntsville. Likely starting pitchers include Waddell (1-0, 0.00), junior Hayden Shirley (1-0, 0.00), junior Logan Holthaus (1-0, 1.50) and junior Ryan Modglin, who will make his first start.

Modglin, who went 4-1 with a 3.61 ERA last season, was scheduled to start Harding's game Tuesday against Christian Brothers that was rained out.

Alabama-Huntsville enters the weekend with a 2-6 record. The Chargers have lost five straight after opening the season with a 2-1 series victory at Montevallo. Alabama-Huntsville then lost all four at Lynn, two of the games by just one run, and dropped its home opener 3-1 to Martin Methodist on Tuesday.

Two Charger hitters are off to strong starts. Sophomore Justin Riddle is hitting .458 with a double and four runs scored, and senior Grant DeBruin has five extra-base hits, including three of UAH's five home runs, and is hitting .387.

UAH's pitching staff has an ERA of 4.90, and opponents have hit .322 against the Chargers. Likely starters for Alabama-Huntsville include junior right-hander Dana Wright (0-0, 2.08), senior right-hander David Kendrick (1-0, 3.48), sophomore left-hander Drew Eiland (0-1, 3.68), and either redshirt freshman left-hander Corey Hale (0-2, 3.18) or Luke Mould (0-0, 13.50).

Harding and Alabama-Huntsville have played 21 times previously, with the Bisons winning 10 of those.

Check hardingsports.com under the Bisons event calendar for links to live stats, live audio and free live video.