• Harding and Missouri Western meet for the first two games of the season for both teams in a doubleheader Saturday at Jerry Moore Field.
• Harding enters the season selected to finish eighth in the 12-team Great American Conference … Missouri Western was picked fifth in the 13-team MIAA.
• Harding finished 23-29 overall in 2017 and 14-19 in the GAC … the Bisons earned the No. 7 seed in the GAC Tournament and lost a three-game series at Arkansas Tech two-games-to-one in the first round.
• Missouri Western was 32-22 overall in 2017 and second in the MIAA with a 25-11 conference record … the Griffons lost to Central Oklahoma in the championship game of the MIAA Tournament but advanced to NCAA II Central Region Tournament where they lost 12-0 to St. Cloud State and 5-2 to Central Oklahoma.
• Last season, Harding ranked 220th in D2 in scoring (4.7), 168th in ERA (5.96) and 17th in fielding percentage (.971) … Missouri Western was 158th in scoring (5.7), 46th in ERA (4.15) and 85th in fielding percentage (.962).
• Missouri Western holds a 6-5 lead in the series with Harding with all 11 games in Searcy … the teams last played in 2015 when Harding took two of three with all three games decided by one run.
• Harding junior Ben Brauss enters the series with a 24-game on-base streak, carried over from last season.
• Harding's expected starting pitchers for the weekend include: sophomore right-hander Austin Allen, junior left-hander Tanner Smith and senior right-hander Reed Roberts.

• Harding (1-0) plays its second match of a three-match weekend road trip Saturday against NAIA opponent Texas Wesleyan.
• Harding is coming off an 8-1 victory over Dallas Baptist Friday … the Lady Bisons won all three doubles matches, something they did only eight times in 23 matches last season … Harding won five singles matches, including wins by Arisa Takanashi and Polina Kostka in third-set super tiebreakers … Hana Folse won the clinching match at No. 4.
• Texas Wesleyan is a member of the NAIA Sooner Athletic Conference … the match will be the season opener for Texas Wesleyan … the Rams were 7-4 last season.
• Harding and Texas Wesleyan are meeting for the first time in women's tennis.
• Harding's No. 3 doubles team of Emily Faulkner and Jordan Shaw have won four consecutive matches … Harding's No. 1 team of Laura Golubic and Takanashi are ranked No. 9 in the NCAA Division II Central Region.
• Gabriella Alves won at No. 1 singles Friday, only her fourth career match at No. 1 singles, and has a team-best 6-3 singles record this season.

• Harding (0-1) is looking to bounce back from an 8-1 loss to Seward County Community College, the No. 3-ranked team in junior college tennis, Friday in Arkadelphia, Arkansas.
• Freshman Morgan Salvan was the only Bison to win Friday and improved to 9-2 in singles matches this season.
• Texas Wesleyan is a member of the NAIA Sooner Athletic Conference … the match will be the season opener for Texas Wesleyan, who is in its first season as a program.
• Harding and Texas Wesleyan are meeting for the first time in men's tennis.

• Part of a four-way tie for eighth place, Harding plays the second game of a two-game Oklahoma road trip looking to remain in the hunt for a Great American Conference Tournament berth.
• The Lady Bisons are 9-13 overall and 5-9 in the GAC, currently tied with three other teams for eighth place … Northwestern Oklahoma, who has lost three straight games, is 9-11 overall and also 5-9 in conference games.
• Harding leads the all-time series 11-0 overall and 5-0 in Alva.
• Harding is 1-8 on the road, snapping a seven-game road losing streak with a 70-53 victory at Arkansas-Monticello on Jan. 20 … Northwestern is 6-3 at home and coming off an 84-74 loss to Arkansas Tech on Thursday.
• Harding defeated Northwestern Oklahoma 93-63 on Nov. 30, 2017, in Searcy in the first meeting between the teams this season … Sydney Layrock and Kellie Lampo led Harding with 17 points each … Harding shot 55 percent, and Northwestern shot 30 percent … Aneli Thompson came off the bench to lead Northwestern with 13 points.
• Harding is coming off a 103-77 loss to No. 10 Southwestern Oklahoma on Thursday in Weatherford … Southwestern made 20 3-pointers … Sydney Layrock led Harding with 17 points.
• Northwestern is coming off an 84-74 loss to Arkansas Tech in Alva on Thursday … Tech led 33-8 after one quarter … Jade Jones made 9 of 10 free throws and led Northwestern with 21 points.
• Sydney Layrock is 31 points behind Stacey Owens (1,462, 2006-10) for sixth place in career scoring at Harding … Harding had 15 offensive rebounds against Southwestern, the seventh time this season Harding had 15 offensive rebounds or more … Peyton Padgett is ranked 14th in the GAC in assists (2.9).
• Northwestern is second in the GAC with 14.0 offensive rebounds per game … Jade Jones is ninth in the GAC in scoring (14.5 points per game) and first in assists (5.6) … Selena McDonald is 10th in rebounding (7.0) … Kinsey Neiderer is 13th in 3-pointers per game (1.75).

• Coming off its first road win of the season, Harding will take on one of the top teams in the GAC in Northwestern Oklahoma, who is particularly strong at home.
• Harding has won two straight and is 3-16 overall, 3-11 in the GAC and in 11th place (three games out of the GAC Tournament) … Northwestern Oklahoma is 13-6 overall, 9-5 in the GAC and tied for second place in the GAC standings.
• Harding leads the series with Northwestern 8-4, with Harding winning five of the last six meetings … the Bisons have won the last two meetings in Alva.
• Northwestern won the first meeting this season 79-57 in Searcy on Nov. 30 … Northwestern shot 67 percent (20 of 30) and scored 50 points in the second half after a 29-point first half … A.J. Jones made three of Northwestern's nine 3-pointers and led the Rangers with 21 points … Reggie Anthony scored 15 points for Harding and was the only Bison in double figures.
• Harding is coming off a 90-89 victory over Southwestern Oklahoma on Thursday in Weatherford, the second straight win for the Bisons … Braden Eggleston scored a career-high 21 points, and Zac Ward had 19 … Harding shot a season-high 54 percent (32 of 59) from the field … Charles Beauregard led Southwestern with 32 points.
• Northwestern won 86-67 at home Thursday against Arkansas Tech … Northwestern had six different players score 10 points or more … the Rangers shot 48 percent (31 of 64) and made 15 of 16 (93.8 percent) at the free-throw line.
• Harding is 1-10 on the road, earning its first road win over Southwestern Oklahoma … Northwestern is 9-1 at home, including 7-1 in GAC games, with its only home loss 75-73 against Southeastern Oklahoma on Jan. 18.
• Harding ranks fourth in the GAC in field-goal percentage defense (44.9) … Reggie Anthony ranks 12th in the GAC in assists (3.7) … Tim Wagner is fourth in the GAC in 3-pointers per game (2.84) and eighth in 3-point field-goal percentage (40.0).
• Northwestern leads the GAC and ranks 17th in Division II in 3-point field-goal percentage, shooting 41.0 percent … Brandon Green is sixth in the GAC in assists (4.7) and A.J. Jones is seventh (4.6) … Cody Halvorsen leads the GAC and ranks 14th in Division II with 3.32 3-pointers per game and is fourth in 3-point field-goal percentage (44.1).