The Northwest Missouri State University baseball team will look to extend its season-long three-game win streak by playing host to the Pittsburg State University Gorillas this weekend.
 
Pittsburg State at Northwest Missouri State
Saturday, March 20 | Bearcat Baseball Field | Maryville, Missouri
Game One, 12 p.m. – MIAA NETWORK | LIVE STATS
Game Two, 3 p.m. – MIAA NETWORK | LIVE STATS

Sunday, March 21 | Bearcat Baseball Field | Maryville, Missouri
Game Three, 12 p.m. – MIAA NETWORK | LIVE STATS
 
Northwest (6-6 overall, 5-4 MIAA) swept a three-game set from Rogers State at the Bearcat Baseball Field this past weekend. Northwest tallied wins by the count of 5-2, 5-2 and 2-1. The Bearcats put together a four-game win streak last season from Feb. 2 through Feb. 9 before the season was shortened due to COVID-19. The last time the Bearcats won at least four MIAA games in a row came in the 2019 season when Northwest swept a pair of three-game series with Washburn and Fort Hays State.
 
Pittsburg State is 7-5 overall and 4-5 in MIAA play. The Gorillas dropped two of three this past Sunday and Monday to the Washburn Ichabods.
 
Northwest holds a 45-38 lead in the all-time series with Pittsburg State. The Gorillas posted a 20-2 win over the Bearcats earlier this season in a non-conference matchup in Pittsburg, Kansas. Pittsburg State has won seven of the last eight meetings with Northwest.
 
Junior starter Spencer Hanson has been superb on the mound this season. Hanson leads the MIAA with a league-low .107 batting average against. Hanson has pitched 24 2/3 innings and allowed only eight hits. He possesses a sparkling 1.82 ERA with a 2-0 record. Hanson has struck out 21 batters to rank second on the squad.
 
Freshman starter Zach Wiese is off to a solid start as well. He has a 2.37 ERA in 19 innings. Wiese pitched eight innings Sunday in earning his first win of the year. Weise allowed three hits and one run in the 2-1 triumph over Rogers State.
 
Sophomore reliever Alex Slocum has appeared in a team-high seven games. Slocum is 2-0 with a team-best three saves.
 
Sophomore left fielder Ryan Koski is tops on the squad in hitting at .370. Koski has posted a team-high 17 hits and has a .500 slugging percentage. Koski has seven multi-hit games this season. Koski has hit in four straight games. Koski is tied for the team lead in stolen bases with two.
 
Sophomore designated hitter/first baseman Tyler Peters has recorded a hit in four consecutive games. Peters is batting .357 in 14 at bats.
 
Senior Connor Quick is hitting .319 with 15 hits. Quick is second on the team in RBI (9). Quick holds a .378 career batting average, which ranks No. 15 among all active NCAA Division II players. His .468 career on-base percentage ranks No. 23 among active players. Quick has tallied 38 multi-hit games in his three-year Bearcat career. Quick had a season-long eight-game hitting streak snapped in Sunday's 2-1 win over Rogers State.
 
Bearcat skipper Darin Loe ran his career victory total up to 688 following the three-game sweep of Rogers State. There are 26 active NCAA Division II coaches with at least 700 wins. Pittsburg State head coach Bob Fornelli ranks No. 9 on the active career wins list with 957 entering this weekend's series. Loe is Northwest's all-time wins leader with 532. Loe is one of five head coaches all-time to reach 500 wins in the MIAA.