The National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) recently released its 2023 Division II Top 25 Coaches Poll and the Southern Arkansas Lady Muleriders are ranked fifth in the Central Region.
The preseason favorites in the GAC, SAU is coming off a fourth consecutive league GAC regular season championship and the program's sixth straight NCAA regional appearance. SAU posted a 37-18 record last spring and won 26 of its 33 league games.
Regionally, the Lady Muleriders slot in behind unanimous No. 1 and defending national champion Rogers State, No. 8 Central Oklahoma, No. 13 Augustana and No. 22 Washburn. The Muleriders will play three of the four teams slotted ahead of them in the preseason rankings over the course of the first three weeks of the season in addition to two other teams mentioned in the NFCA rankings.
SAU meets (RV) Drury (Feb. 4) and No. 6 Texas A&M-Kingsville (Feb. 5) on opening weekend at the Mardi Gras Invitational, closes out a five-game schedule at the Alvy Early Memorial Classic against No. 22 Washburn (Feb. 12), before matching up against No. 1 Rogers State and No. 8 Central Oklahoma on Feb. 18 at the GAC-MIAA Crossover in Oklahoma City.
SAU opens the season during the first weekend of February as they prepare for five regional opponents on opening weekend at the Mardi Gras Invitational in Youngsville, La. SAU's run begins on Friday, February 3 against Union (Tenn.) at 11:30 a.m. with a 2 p.m. first pitch scheduled against Delta State.