Harding Baseball Travels to East Central for Three-Game GAC Series

Harding Baseball (12-16, 5-10) vs. East Central (6-19, 6-9)
Mar. 25, 2016 – 2 p.m. – Ken Turner Field
Mar. 26, 2016 – 1 p.m. – DH – Ken Turner Field

HOW TO FOLLOW
Internet:
   Streaming: www.HardingSports.com
    Live Stats: www.HardingSports.com

THE COACHES
Dr. Patrick McGaha, Harding
   at Harding: 301-248 (11th season)
   Career: 420-340 (15th season)
   vs. East Central: 7-4
Dino Rosato, East Central (7th season)

THE SERIES
Series Record: Harding leads 19-13

Harding won both games against East Central last season in a rain-shortened series in Searcy. The Bisons won 9-6 and 11-2.

From the record book: In 2000, Harding starting pitcher Phill Gisel struck out six East Central batters looking, still tied for the most backward Ks by a Bison pitcher … East Central's Matt Stout stole five bases against Harding in 2005, the record for most stolen bases in a game by a Harding opponent.

HARDING'S PROBABLE STARTING PITCHERS
Andrew Fiddler (SR, RHP) – 2-4, 3.21 ERA, 56 IP, 38 K
Andrew Ralston (SR, RHP) – 2-3, 3.06 ERA, 47 IP, 34 K
Hunter Payne (SR, RHP) – 4-4, 3.00 ERA, 48 IP, 36 K

WATCH TO WATCH FOR
Harding and East Central will be playing the sixth of 11 Great American Conference series on their schedules Friday and Saturday at Ken Turner Field in Ada, Oklahoma. The top eight teams in the GAC reach the conference tournament, and both Harding and East Central have work to do to claim one of those eight spots.

Harding enters the weekend in ninth place with a 5-10 conference record. East Central is one game ahead of Harding, tied for sixth at 6-9.

Harding is coming off its highest-scoring game of the season. The Bisons won 16-14 on Tuesday at Union in Jackson, Tennessee. Harding had six extra-base hits in the game and tied a school record with three triples.

Harding is looking to snap a five-game skid in conference games.

East Central won one of three games last weekend against Arkansas Tech in Russellville. The Tigers did not play a midweek game.

KEY STATS
Harding has risen to seventh in the GAC with a .253 batting average, ranks fourth with a 4.09 ERA and is third with a .972 fielding percentage.

East Central is 12th in the conference with a .239 batting average, ranks 11th with a 6.98 ERA and is 12th with a .943 fielding percentage.

PLAYERS TO WATCH
Harding's Zac Stewart ranks second in the GAC in batting average (.400), ninth in on-base percentage (.448) and sixth in slugging percentage (.617). He leads the GAC in hits (46) and total bases (71).

In the last 10 games, Harding has five starters batting over .300. Stewart leads at .457 (21-for-46), followed by Noah Chandler (.378), Davis Richardson (.371), Grant Guest (.357) and Blake Coward (.342). Coward has 11 RBIs in those 10 games.

Andrew Fiddler leads the GAC with 56 innings pitched and is 11th in opponents' batting average (.241). Fiddler (5) and Hunter Payne (6) are the top two pitchers in the GAC fewest walks allowed.

East Central junior infielder Jake McKeel of Dunmuir, California, ranks fifth in the GAC in batting average (.357) and fifth in on-base percentage (.463).

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Players Mentioned

#17 Noah Chandler: IF; 5' 11"; Redshirt Senior; R/R

#12 Andrew Fiddler: P; 6' 2"; Redshirt Senior; R/R

#13 Grant Guest: IF; 6' 1"; Sophomore; R/R

#30 Hunter Payne: P; 6' 0"; Redshirt Senior; R/R

#32 Andrew Ralston: P; 6' 3"; Senior; R/R

#20 Davis Richardson: C; 6' 2"; Redshirt Senior; S/R

#23 Zac Stewart: OF/P; 5' 11"; Redshirt Senior; R/R

#4 Blake Coward: IF; 5' 10"; Freshman; R/R

Players Mentioned

#17 Noah Chandler
: 5' 11"; Redshirt Senior; R/R
: IF

#12 Andrew Fiddler
: 6' 2"; Redshirt Senior; R/R
: P

#13 Grant Guest
: 6' 1"; Sophomore; R/R
: IF

#30 Hunter Payne
: 6' 0"; Redshirt Senior; R/R
: P

#32 Andrew Ralston
: 6' 3"; Senior; R/R
: P

#20 Davis Richardson
: 6' 2"; Redshirt Senior; S/R
: C

#23 Zac Stewart
: 5' 11"; Redshirt Senior; R/R
: OF/P

#4 Blake Coward
: 5' 10"; Freshman; R/R
: IF