MAGNOLIA — The Magnolia School District has announced the promotion of Jacob Richardson as the new head baseball coach at Magnolia High School.

Richardson takes over the Panther baseball program after serving as an assistant coach and helping guide Magnolia to a berth in the Class 4A State Semifinals during the 2026 season.

The new head coach brings seven years of coaching experience to the position, including stops at Southern Arkansas University, England High School and the Academies of West Memphis. He earned a Bachelor of Science in Education degree from Southern Arkansas University in 2018 and completed a Master of Science degree in 2022.

Richardson is no stranger to success on the baseball field. As a player at Southern Arkansas University, he was named an All-American and the Great American Conference Player of the Year in 2018. As a coach, he helped lead England High School to the Class 2A State Semifinals in 2021 and was selected as head coach of the East All-Stars in the Arkansas Activities Association All-Star Game in 2024.

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Richardson said Magnolia’s tradition and community support made the opportunity especially meaningful.

“Magnolia Panther Baseball has a rich tradition built by the leadership of great coaches, strong administrative and community support, and exceptional talent,” Richardson said. “Although Magnolia is not my hometown, it has always felt that way. I am a Mulerider, and I am a Panther.”

He said the pride surrounding Magnolia athletics was evident from the moment he arrived on campus.

“From the first time I stepped on campus, I could see the pride the students, staff, and community take in wearing the Panther red,” Richardson said. “I’m excited and grateful for the opportunity to lead Magnolia Panther Baseball and make a positive impact in the lives of young men through the game of baseball.”

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Richardson inherits a program coming off a strong season and said his goal is to continue building on the foundation established by previous coaches.

“We return a very talented group for 2027 that fell just short in 2026,” Richardson said. “Our goal is to build on that momentum and compete for a state championship. Long term, we want our program to be known for winning championships, building relationships, and earning high academic honors in the classroom.”

He also emphasized the culture he hopes to establish within the program.

“Attitude and effort are the two absolutes in our program,” Richardson said. “We want our student-athletes to be disciplined, respectful, hardworking individuals both in competition and in the classroom.”

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Outside of coaching, Richardson enjoys golf, bow hunting, fishing and maintaining Magnolia’s athletic facilities. He and his wife, Haley, a dentist in El Dorado and fellow Southern Arkansas University graduate, welcomed their daughter, Anniston, in January 2026. The family also includes their Australian Shepherd, Millie.

School officials said they look forward to the continued growth and success of Magnolia Panther Baseball under Richardson’s leadership as the program pursues its goal of competing for future state championships.

CAMDEN — Camden Fairview High School Head Baseball Coach and Head Golf Coach Austin May has announced he is stepping away from his positions after two years with the district.

In a message shared with the Camden Fairview community, May said the decision came after “much thought and prayer” as he prepares to accept a new opportunity.

May reflected on his time at Camden Fairview, describing the experience as one that created lasting memories and relationships.

“Camden Fairview welcomed me from day one, and I am incredibly grateful for the support shown to me and our student-athletes,” May wrote.

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During his tenure, the Cardinals baseball program experienced significant success. May noted that the team’s accomplishments included qualifying for the state tournament, earning a second-place finish in conference play and competing at a high level throughout the season. The Cardinals advanced to the conference tournament championship game and earned a berth in the state tournament, where they battled to the end against the eventual state champions in a closely contested 2-1 loss.

While proud of the team’s on-field achievements, May said the relationships built with student-athletes were the most rewarding part of his time at Camden Fairview.

“I am even more proud of the young men who represented Camden Fairview with character, toughness, and pride,” May said. “Championships and wins are important, but the relationships built, lessons learned, and growth of our student-athletes will always mean the most to me.”

May expressed gratitude to players, parents, fellow coaches, teachers, administrators, staff members and supporters for their encouragement and commitment to Camden Fairview athletics.

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He said he believes he is leaving the program in a stronger position than when he arrived and offered his best wishes for the future success of all Camden Fairview athletic programs.

“Thank you for two unforgettable and memorable years,” May wrote.

The school district has not yet announced plans for filling the coaching vacancies.

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RUSSELLVILLE, Ark. — Championship season has arrived for the Great American Conference as the league’s baseball and softball postseason tournaments take center stage across Arkansas this weekend.

The GAC Baseball Championship Series begins Thursday at Baswell Field in Russellville, where the Arkansas Tech Wonder Boys will host the East Central Tigers in a best two-out-of-three showdown for the conference title and an automatic berth into the NCAA Division II Tournament.

Meanwhile, the GAC Softball Championships begin Thursday in Bentonville with quarterfinal action before shifting to the Tiger Athletic Complex for the semifinals and championship game.

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Great American Conference Commissioner Will Prewitt said the baseball championship matchup has all the ingredients for an exciting weekend.

“We have a Cinderella story in East Central,” Prewitt said during an appearance on the River Country Breakfast Show with Grant Merrill. “The number eight seed who hasn’t won a conference championship of any sort since 1972.”

Prewitt noted that East Central battled through the upper bracket by defeating regular season champion and top-seeded Arkansas-Monticello before advancing to the finals.

On the other side, Arkansas Tech rolled through its bracket to earn a spot in the championship series.

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“Arkansas Tech swept their way through bracket two,” Prewitt said. “And believe it or not, Arkansas Tech hasn’t won a postseason tournament championship of any sort since the 1984 NAIA District 17.”

Because of those long title droughts, Prewitt said one team will make history this weekend.

“So someone’s going to break a really long streak this weekend,” he said. “Again, it’s fun to have this on campus.”

Prewitt said the atmosphere at Baswell Field is expected to be electric.

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“Great crowd last night,” he said. “Expect another close-to-packed house night over at Tech, and the winner goes on to NCAA regional play next week.”

GAC Baseball Championship Series Schedule

Baswell Field – Russellville

• Game 1 — Thursday
• Game 2 — Friday
• Game 3 — Saturday (if necessary)

The series will feature No. 2 seed Arkansas Tech against No. 8 seed East Central.

Softball Championship Begins Thursday in Bentonville

The GAC Softball Championships open Thursday with four quarterfinal contests at the Wolverine Athletic Complex in Bentonville before moving to the Tiger Athletic Complex for Friday’s semifinals and Saturday’s championship game.

Prewitt said the regular season race created plenty of drama heading into postseason play.

“An incredible three-way battle for the conference regular season championship,” he said. “Tech finished a half game ahead of Southern Arkansas.”

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Prewitt noted that Southern Arkansas played one fewer game than the other title contenders after severe weather disrupted part of a conference series at Southeastern Oklahoma State.

“We had a game last month down in Durant where storms came through and blew over the backstop at Southeastern,” Prewitt said. “So we couldn’t complete the series, and it ended up having championship implications.”

Despite the unusual circumstances, Prewitt praised Arkansas Tech for earning the regular season crown.

“You have to give Tech all the credit in the world,” he said. “Coach Jones and her team, they’re really balanced, strong pitching staff.”

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Arkansas Tech enters the tournament as the top seed after clinching its first regular season conference title since 2022. Southern Arkansas earned the No. 2 seed, followed by Oklahoma Baptist and Harding.

2026 GAC Softball Championships Schedule

Thursday, May 7 – Wolverine Athletic Complex

• 10:30 a.m. — No. 4 Harding vs. No. 5 Southern Nazarene
• 1:00 p.m. — No. 1 Arkansas Tech vs. No. 8 Ouachita Baptist
• 3:30 p.m. — No. 2 Southern Arkansas vs. No. 7 Henderson State
• 6:00 p.m. — No. 3 Oklahoma Baptist vs. No. 6 Southeastern Oklahoma State

Friday, May 8 – Tiger Athletic Complex

• Noon — Semifinal No. 1
• 2:30 p.m. — Semifinal No. 2

Saturday, May 9 – Tiger Athletic Complex

• 12:30 p.m. — Championship Game

All seven softball tournament games will stream on GACSportsNetwork.com.

SEARCY, Ark.  – The Southern Arkansas University Muleriders (21-15, 15-9 GAC) split their Friday doubleheader with the Harding University Bisons (19-16, 14-10 GAC) falling in game one 3-1 and winning the third game of the series 8-0.

Game 1 | HU wins 3-1
The Muleriders got the scoring going early in game one plating one run in the top of the first inning. Luke Noack singled to lead off the game and was followed two batters later by a Wyatt Fielding double into right center to score Noack, 1-0. The Bisons knotted the game at 1-1 plating a run in the bottom of the first.  A scoreless second inning for both teams saw Harding score another run in the bottom of the third to take a 2-1 lead. Neither team was able to plate a run for the next four innings, but Harding broke the ice in the bottom of the eighth adding an insurance run to take a 3-1 lead. The Muleriders were not able to push a run across in the top of the ninth despite some traffic on the bases as Harding took game one and the series.

Top Performers
Easton Hurley: 6.1 innings pitched, 2 runs allowed, 2 earned runs, 4 strikeouts
Wyatt Fielding: 2-for-4, 1 RBI

Game 2 | SAU wins 8-0
Game two began just like game one as the Muleriders broke the ice but this time with a three spot to get the scoring going. Tate Elliott collected two RBI on a double into right center field scoring Wyatt Fielding and Michael Herndon as SAU jumped out to a 2-0 lead. Tate Elliott plated the third run of the inning scoring from third on a wild pitch after advancing on a David Chandler ground out one batter earlier, 3-0. Nate June took the mound for the Muleriders in game two and shut down the Bisons in the bottom of the inning setting the tone for the rest of the game. Ayden Slott drove in two runs his own in the top of the fourth inning reaching on a throwing error by the short stop as David Chandler and Christian Gutierrez scored on the error. SAU jumped out to a 5-0 lead after the top of the fourth inning. Luke Noack collected two RBI of his own in the top of the eighth as SAU continued to pour on the runs as Jacob Lang and Ayden Slott scored, 7-0. Michael Herndon tacked on another run for the Muleriders singling up the middle to score Noack, 8-0. Nate June dominated on the mound in game two throwing seven complete inning allowing no runs and no earned runs.

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Top Performers
Nate June: 7 innings, 4 hits, 0 runs, 0 earned runs
Wyatt Fielding: 2-for-3, 1 run
Luke Noack: 1-for-4, 2 RBI, 1 run
Tate Elliott: 1-for-4, 1 run, 2 RBI

Up Next
The Muleriders will be back in action next weekend as they travel to Ada, Oklahoma for a three-game series against the East Central University Tigers. The series is scheduled to start on Friday, April 10th at 2:00 p.m.

CAMDEN — The Camden Fairview School Board approved the hiring of Jamie Carter as the next Camden Fairview Cardinal head football coach and assistant athletic director during its regular board meeting Monday night.

Carter comes to Camden Fairview from Marion, where he most recently served as associate head coach and co-defensive coordinator. He previously spent four years as head football coach and assistant athletic director at Osceola, compiling an 18–5 conference record. Carter brings 17 years of coaching experience, including two seasons as Marion’s defensive coordinator.

“I am truly honored and grateful to be named the Head Football Coach at Camden Fairview High School,” Carter said. “This is more than just a position; it’s an opportunity to serve young men, build meaningful relationships, and represent a proud community the right way.”

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Carter emphasized his commitment to discipline, accountability, trust, and respect, saying those principles will serve as the foundation of the program. He added that values instilled in him by his parents—hard work, character, integrity, and treating others with respect—are the same standards he expects from his players.

The coaching search began January 9, when former head coach Nick Vaughn announced his resignation to accept the head coaching position at Maumelle. The interview committee included Assistant Athletic Director Johnny Jackson, Assistant Superintendent Andre Toney, Assistant Superintendent Cara Bowie, Human Resources Director Fred Lilly II, and Cardinal football booster club president Jamie Semple. Interviews were conducted last week before Superintendent Mrs. Armstrong met with Carter and presented her recommendation to the school board.

“Our community has always shown strong support for our students and for Cardinal athletics,” Armstrong said. “I’m confident that Coach Carter is the right leader to continue building on our proud tradition of Cardinal Football, developing our student-athletes, and moving our program forward with integrity and purpose.”

Carter is scheduled to meet with Cardinal football players on Monday, February 23, and the district will host a community meet-and-greet on Thursday, March 19. Additional details are expected to be released in the coming days.

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