Harding vs. Augustana (SD)
When: Jan. 31 at noon (DH), Feb. 1 at 1 p.m.
Where: Jerry Moore Field, Searcy, Ark.
Series: Harding leads 4-1
Harding Notes
Harding begins its 58th season of intercollegiate baseball with a doubleheader Saturday, Jan. 31 against Augustana College. It will be the first time Harding has ever opened its season in January.
Harding returns four position starters and seven pitchers off last season's team that went 28-24 overall, finished tied for fourth in the Great American Conference regular season, and advanced to the final day of the GAC Tournament.
Three of Harding's top returning pitchers will start the three games against Augustana. Junior Collin Campbell, an all-region honoree last season, went 9-2 with a 2.43 ERA. Junior Andrew Fiddler, last season's Great American Conference ERA champ, was 3-3 with a 2.15 ERA, and junior Jacob Stripling went 3-3 with a 2.54 ERA.
Last season, Harding's pitching staff led the GAC with a 3.62 ERA and eight shutouts. The Bisons also led the GAC and ranked ninth in NCAA II with a 2.95 strikeout-to-walk ratio. Harding was also tops in the GAC (19th in NCAA II) with a 1.25 WHIP and with 2.37 walks per nine innings (10th in NCAA II).
Harding's leading returning hitter is junior Noah Chandler, who hit .320 with 29 RBIs last season. Chandler will start at third base and is joined by returning starters John Chapman (SS, .259, 14 RBI), Zac Stewart (OF, .242, 15 RBI) and Davis Richardson (C, .299, 19 RBI).
Augustana Notes
Augustana is located in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, and is a member of the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference.
The Vikings had a 41-16 record last season and finished second in the NSIC regular season at 25-8. Augustana advanced to the NCAA II Central Region Tournament, losing its first game 4-2 to Arkansas Tech. The Vikings came back with an 8-6 victory over Arkansas-Monticello but lost 3-0 to Emporia State to end their season.
Augustana enters the season ranked No. 7 in the National Collegiate Baseball Writers' Association Central Region Poll.
The Viking offense will be led by Jack Goihl, a senior first baseman from Robbinsdale, Minnesota, who hit .401 with 11 home runs and 55 RBIs last season. Alex Fink, a junior infielder from Springfield, Minnesota, hit .389 with 21 extra-base hits and 55 RBIs.
Michael Letkewicz, a junior right-hander from Waterloo, Iowa, is Augustana's top returning pitcher. He was 8-2 last season with a 3.26 ERA. Letkewicz struck out 85 in 60 2-3 innings.
Last season, Augustana ranked in the top 10 in NCAA II in doubles per game (5th, 2.39), batting average (6th, .337), slugging percentage (6th, .501), hits (9th, 611), and runs (10th, 425).
Series
Harding leads the series 4-1. The last time the teams met was in 2009. Harding won two of three against Augustana to open the season.
