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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ORLANDO, FL – El Dorado High School’s cheerleading team claimed a national championship on Sunday, winning the Division II title at the 2026 UCA National High School Cheerleading Championship, part of the National High School Cheerleading Championship (NHSCC), in Orlando, Florida. The Wildcats competed against top Division II programs from across the country at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex, emerging as national champions on cheerleading’s biggest high school stage.

The NHSCC is the premier national competition for high school cheer teams in the United States and is organized by Varsity Spirit and the Universal Cheerleaders Association. Each year, it brings together elite programs from across the nation to compete for national titles in multiple divisions, with teams judged on execution, difficulty, synchronization, crowd leadership, and overall performance.

El Dorado advanced through preliminary rounds earlier in the weekend before taking the floor Sunday in the championship finals. The Wildcats delivered a clean, confident routine featuring strong stunting, tumbling, sharp motions, and high energy, separating themselves from a highly competitive Division II field to secure the championship.

The national title reflects months of preparation, discipline, and teamwork by the athletes and coaching staff. It also places El Dorado High School among the nation’s elite cheer programs for the 2025–26 season.

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The competition was streamed nationally on Varsity TV, allowing family members, classmates, and supporters back home to watch the Wildcats’ championship performance in real time. With the Division II NHSCC title, El Dorado High School adds a significant national accomplishment to its athletic tradition and brings home a championship that will be celebrated throughout the school and community.

FAYETTEVILLE — No. 20 Arkansas delivered one of its most complete performances of the season Tuesday night, dominating No. 15/14 Vanderbilt 93-68 at Bud Walton Arena.

Six Razorbacks scored in double figures as Arkansas (now 4-0 in ranked matchups this season) used balanced offense, high-efficiency passing, and stifling defense to cruise past the Commodores in their eighth all-time meeting as ranked opponents.

Trevon Brazile recorded his fourth double-double of the season with 10 points, a season-high 14 rebounds, and added five assists, four steals, and two blocks. Darius Acuff Jr. led the scoring with 17 points and five assists — all in the second half — while Meleek Thomas added 13 points and five assists. Malique Ewin and Karter Knox each scored 16, and D.J. Wagner contributed 11 off the bench in a strong bounce-back performance.

Head coach John Calipari moved Wagner to the bench to “get him going,” and the sophomore responded with efficient play — three assists, no turnovers, and confident scoring.

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Arkansas led 46-35 at the half after racing out to a 13-2 start and holding a 20-point advantage midway through the opening frame. The Hogs never looked back. They shot 54.5% from the field in the first half and out-rebounded Vandy 23-13, then torched the Commodores for 61.3% shooting in the second half while forcing cold shooting on the other end.

Vanderbilt (previously 10th nationally in scoring and 24th in field goal percentage) was held to just 68 points on 37.9% shooting. Tyler Nickel was the only Commodore in double figures with 17 — all in the first half.

Arkansas totaled 25 assists to just seven turnovers and threw down 13 dunks, including four by Ewin and three from Nick Pringle.

With the win, Arkansas improves to 32-15 all-time against Vanderbilt and 17-5 in Fayetteville. The 25-point victory marked the fourth-largest margin of victory over a ranked opponent in program history.

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The Razorbacks return to action Saturday night when they host LSU at Bud Walton Arena. Tipoff is set for 7:30 p.m. on SEC Network.