The Northwest Missouri State University baseball team (12-15 overall, 10-11 MIAA) will be on its second leg of a three-weekend road trip around the MIAA.
 
This weekend the Bearcats will travel to Hays, Kansas, to battle the Fort Hays State University Tigers (5-20 overall, 5-16 MIAA).

Northwest Missouri State at Fort Hays State
Saturday, April 17 | Larks Park | Hays, Kansas
Game One, 3 p.m. – MIAA NETWORK | LIVE STATS

Sunday, April 18 | Larks Park | Hays, Kansas
Game Two, 1 p.m. – MIAA NETWORK | LIVE STATS
Game Three, 4 p.m. – MIAA NETWORK | LIVE STATS
 
Northwest leads the all-time series with Fort Hays State, 31-21. The Bearcats have won nine of the last 10, including four straight matchups vs. the Tigers. The teams last met during the 2019 season with Northwest sweeping a three-game set in Maryville. Northwest took two of three from FHSU in its last trip to Hays in 2018.
 
Northwest sits at No. 6 in the MIAA standings entering this week's league action. Northwest is a game and a half out of fifth place (Central Oklahoma) and a one full game ahead of Rogers State and Washburn in the league ledger. Fort Hays State is in 11^th place, one and a half games ahead of Newman in last.
 
The Bearcats rank No. 5 in the nation in double plays turned (23). Mississippi College leads the nation with 31 double plays turned. Central Oklahoma ranks second in the MIAA with 20 double plays turned.
 
Northwest is 8-0 this season when the Bearcats out-hit their opposition.
 
Northwest is 9-0 when leading after eight innings. The Bearcats are only 2-13 when trailing after eight innings.
 
Northwest is 7-1 when scoring eight or more runs. The Bearcats are 9-1 when limiting the opposition to five runs or less.
 
The Bearcats dropped a non-conference matchup at William Jewell Tuesday. The Bearcat pitching staff did not record a strikeout against the Cardinals, marking the first time in 286 games that the Bearcats did not produce a strikeout. The last time that happened prior to Tuesday came March 9, 2015 against Central Missouri.
 
Junior starting pitcher Spencer Hanson leads the MIAA in opponents' batting average (.152). Hanson's 3.69 ERA ranks seventh in the MIAA. He is 3-2 with 30 strikeouts in seven starts. Hanson has allowed 19 runs (17 earned) and 21 hits in 41 1/3 innings pitched. Hanson has hit a team-high nine batters.
 
Freshman starting pitcher Zach Wiese is 2-2 in six starts. He has pitched a team-best 44 1/3 innings with 23 strikeouts. Wiese has pitched at least six innings in each of his last five starts.
 
Junior starting pitcher Max Spitzmiller leads the squad with 46 strikeouts. Spitzmiller is 2-3 on the season but has been sidelined since an April 2 start vs. Missouri Western.
 
Sophomore reliever Alex Slocum is tied for fourth in the nation with 16 pitching appearances. Slocum is also tied for No. 9 in the nation in saves (5). His five saves rank him third in the MIAA. Slocum is 3-1 with a 9.00 ERA and 16 strikeouts.
 
Junior reliever Blaine Hanf has appeared in 11 MIAA games and has a 2.19 ERA. Hanf has pitched 12 1/3 innings of league play and has allowed six hits and five runs (three earned), while striking out 10. Hanf has given up only one hit this season with two outs. Opposing batters are hitting .056 against him with two outs (1-for-18). He has allowed only four hits in 26 at-bats with runners on base (.154).
 
Freshman reliever Phil Brennaman struck out seven UCO batters in Sunday's contest in Edmond, Oklahoma. Brennaman entered the contest with six strikeouts in 12 2/3 innings pitched.

Sophomore left fielder Ryan Koski leads the Bearcats in batting average (.340), slugging percentage (.485), hits (33), doubles (8) and multi-hit games (10). Koski is 5-for-5 in stolen base attempts. Koski is the toughest Bearcat starter to strikeout with only 13 strikeouts in 97 at bats. Entering the series with Fort Hays State, Mackie has reached base in 12 consecutive games. Koski has started all 27 games in left field this season.
 
Junior shortstop Jacob Pinkerton has scored a team-high 20 runs. Pinkerton is batting .253 overall with 25 hits. Pinkerton is tied for second in the MIAA with 20 walks. In last weekend's three-game set vs. Central Oklahoma, Pinkerton reached base in eight of his 16 plate appearances with four hits and four walks. Pinkerton has started all 27 games at shortstop this season.
 
Sophomore third baseman Brett Holden is batting .260 with 26 hits and seven doubles. He ranks tied for No. 2 in the MIAA with five sacrifice bunts. Holden has started all 27 games, including 23 at third base and four at second base.

Sophomore center fielder Drew Mackie leads the squad with 24 RBI in 27 games played. Mackie has nine multi-hit games and five multi-RBI contests in 2021.
 
Senior first baseman Connor Quick is hitting .282 with 31 hits and 22 RBI. Quick has played in 96 career games at Northwest and possesses a .357 career average. Quick has a .524 career slugging percentage. Quick has started all 27 games – 14 at first base and 13 at designated hitter.

Junior right fielder Peter Carlson leads the Bearcats with five home runs. Carlson has belted 19 career home runs, with 15 of those coming at Northwest. Carlson played his freshman season at Nebraska-Kearney in 2018. He needs two more home runs to join Northwest's top-10 career home run chart.
 
Junior right fielder Donovan Warren is tied for on the squad in outfield assists (4). Warren is in the midst of a six-game hitting streak. He is batting .293 with 12 hits, 10 runs scored and three stolen bases.
 
Bearcat skipper Darin Loe has posted 694 career victories. He is closing in on 700 victories. There are currently 28 active NCAA Division II head coaches with at least 700 wins. Loe is Northwest's all-time wins leader with 538. Loe is one of five head coaches all-time to reach 500 wins in the MIAA.