SEARCY – Two teams separated by just one game in the Great American Conference baseball standings and battling for a berth in the GAC Tournament will meet this weekend at Jerry Moore Field as Harding hosts Arkansas Tech for a three-game series.

The series begins with a single game Friday at 3 p.m. and a doubleheader Saturday beginning at noon. All three games will air live on HardingSports.com and live statistics will be available.

Harding enters the weekend 22-16 overall and 6-9 in GAC play. The Bisons are eighth of nine teams in the conference standings but only a game behind Arkansas Tech and Ouachita Baptist, who a tied for sixth. The top six teams qualify for the GAC Tournament in May.

Harding took two of three from Ouachita Baptist last weekend in Arkadelphia. The Bisons lost game one before winning the next two 7-4 and 4-3. Harding also split a midweek doubleheader against Christian Brothers, losing 9-8 in extra innings before responding with a 3-2 victory in game two.

Arkansas Tech is 18-21 overall and 7-8 in conference play. The Wonder Boys did not have a midweek game after winning the final two games in a three-game home series against Arkansas-Monticello last weekend.

The series will be a contrast of styles. Arkansas Tech is the top power-hitting team in the conference. The Wonder Boys have hit a GAC-best 39 home runs, while Harding has the fewest in the conference with only five. Tech averages 7.4 runs per game to Harding's 4.0.

On the other hand, Harding holds a distinct pitching advantage. The Bisons lead the GAC with a 3.50 ERA, while the Wonder Boys are eighth at 5.47. Harding has given up 127 fewer hits this season than Arkansas Tech.

Arkansas Tech has three hitters in the top 10 in the conference in batting average in junior Jonathan Finnegan (.392, 2nd), junior Thomas Biocic (.374, 4th), and senior Landon Sullins (.373, 6th).

Harding, in contrast, has all three of its weekend starters in the top 10 in ERA in junior Lucas Waddell (2.47, 6th), junior Hayden Shirley (2.76, 7th), and junior Logan Holthaus (3.18, 10th).

Last season, Harding defeated Arkansas Tech 8-6 in the final game of the regular season. The other two games of the series were rained out. The Bisons also defeated the Wonder Boys 4-3 at the Gulf South Conference Tournament.