Today in Harding Sports, Mar. 16

Today's Harding Sports Schedule
2 p.m. – Harding men's and women's track and field, Memphis, Tenn. (Rhodes College)
4 p.m. – Harding softball (DH) vs. Oklahoma Baptist, Shawnee, Okla. (Lady Bison Softball Park)
6 p.m. – Harding baseball vs. Oklahoma Baptist, Searcy, Ark. (Jerry Moore Field)

Today's Harding Sports Storylines

Harding's men's and women's track and field teams open the outdoor season Friday and Saturday at the Rhodes Invitational in Memphis, Tennessee.
A few things to watch for Friday and Saturday at Rhodes – Harding will be shooting to break school records in both the men's and women's 4x800-meter relay. The men's record is 7:39.05, set in 1997, and the women's record of 9:19.20 came in 2009. If Harding's men break the record, freshman Micah Langat will be a part of breaking the record that his dad, Jeff Langat, helped set.
Freshman Nehemia Too, who earned indoor All-America honors last week in the 3,000 meters, will open his outdoor season in the 3,000-meter steeplechase.
On the women's side, senior Madison Drennan is seeded third in the mile with a career-best time of 5:05.46. Shanieke Watson of UALR is seeded first, followed by Centre's Annie Rodenfels.
Junior Chelsea Howard is looking to defend her 100-meter dash title at last year's Rhodes Invitational. Howard won in a wind-aided 11.98 seconds. Howard will also compete in the long jump and run one leg of Harding's 4x100-meter relay.
Harding softball, tied with Southern Arkansas for first place in the GAC standings, opens a four-game series against Oklahoma Baptist in Shawnee, Oklahoma.
Harding is 16-4 overall and 10-2 in conference and has a five-game winning streak. Oklahoma Baptist is 7-13 overall and 4-8 in conference (tied for ninth) and has a two-game winning streak.
Harding enters the series ranked sixth in the conference in scoring (4.85), second in ERA (2.59) and second in fielding (.969). Oklahoma Baptist is 10th in scoring (3.55), ninth in ERA (5.00) and ninth in fielding (.952).
Harding's Peyton Mills is fourth in the GAC in batting average (.422), Madison Leggett is sixth in slugging (.719) and seventh in home runs (5). Oklahoma Baptist's Dani Manning is seventh in the conference with five home runs.
Harding baseball hosts Oklahoma Baptist for a three-game series beginning Friday at 6 p.m. at Jerry Moore Field.
Harding is 11th in the conference standings with a 7-15 overall record and 2-10 GAC mark. Oklahoma Baptist is tied for third in the GAC with a 15-7 overall record and 8-4 GAC mark.
Harding enters the series ranked sixth in the GAC in scoring (6.0), 11th in ERA (7.59) and fourth in fielding percentage (.961). Oklahoma Baptist is third in scoring (8.3), second in ERA (4.50) and third in fielding percentage (.962). Oklahoma Baptist's pitching staff leads Division II with 12.1 strikeouts per nine innings and ranks eighth with 7.09 hits per nine innings.
Harding's Grant Guest is currently the toughest player in the GAC to strikeout, with only four strikeouts in 84 at-bats. Oklahoma Baptist's Zane Gelphman leads the GAC with eight home runs, and pitcher Zach Fowler leads the GAC with 49 strikeouts.

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Players Mentioned

Micah Langat: MD; 6' 3"; Freshman

#7 Peyton Mills: OF; 5' 10"; Junior; L/R

#24 Madison Leggett: IF; 5' 11"; Freshman; R/R

#13 Grant Guest: IF; 5' 11"; Senior; R/R

Madison Drennan: MD; Junior

Chelsea Howard: S; Junior

Nehemia Too: D; Freshman

Players Mentioned

Micah Langat
: 6' 3"; Freshman
: MD

#7 Peyton Mills
: 5' 10"; Junior; L/R
: OF

#24 Madison Leggett
: 5' 11"; Freshman; R/R
: IF

#13 Grant Guest
: 5' 11"; Senior; R/R
: IF

Madison Drennan
: Junior
: MD

Chelsea Howard
: Junior
: S

Nehemia Too
: Freshman
: D