Northwest at Northeastern State - Tahlequah, Okla.
Fri., 2 p.m. | LIVE STATS
Sat., 2 p.m. | LIVE STATS
Sun., 1 p.m. | LIVE STATS

The Northwest Missouri State University baseball team is preparing to open MIAA conference play and will travel to Tahlequah, Oklahoma, for a three-game, weekend series with Northeastern State.

Thus far, the Bearcats (4-6) have relied on strong hitting. Five Northwest starters are currently sitting among the conferences' top bats. Junior first baseman Conner Quick (18 hits), senior outfielder Derek Hussey (17), senior catcher Jay Hrdlicka (16), senior catcher Alixon Herrera (14) and senior midfielder Mondesi Gutierrez (13) are all ranked in the top-10 in the MIAA in hits. Quick is the MIAA leader in base hits.

Herrera is in the midst of a seven-game hitting streak. Gutierrez, Hussey, Hrdlicka and Quick have all reached base in each of the Bearcats's first 10 games.

Quick leads the squad with a .439 batting average. Quick has 18 hits in 41 at bats and has drawn a team-high tying seven walks. Quick owns a .634 slugging percentage and a .510 on-base percentage through 10 games.

Quintin Van Ackeren has struck out a team-best 20 batters and is coming off a 10-strikeout gem vs. Missouri-St. Louis. Van Ackeren scattered four hits over 6 1/3 innings in picking up his first win of the year.

Joe Funkhouser was also dealing in an 8-2 win over Rockhurst. Funkhouser struck out nine batters and gave up only four hits and two runs as he claimed his first triumph of the season.

Reliever Trevor Dudar has pitched three innings this year and has not given up a run this season. Dudar has struck out four and allowed two total hits. Dudar has one save.

For the RiverHawks (1-9), they are looking to end a four-game losing skid after being swept by Rogers State in three games.

During the 2018 season, Northwest took the season series 2-1 over Northeastern State. All-time, the RiverHawks control the series against the Bearcats, 23-13.