After being on the road for three straight weekends, the Northwest Missouri State University Bearcat baseball team (13-20 overall, 11-16 MIAA) returns home for a three-game weekend set against the Missouri Southern State University Lions (24-10 overall, 17-10 MIAA).

Missouri Southern at Northwest Missouri State
Saturday, May 1 | Bearcat Field | Maryville, Missouri
Game One, 1 p.m. – MIAA NETWORK | LIVE STATS
Game Two, 4 p.m. – MIAA NETWORK | LIVE STATS

Sunday, May 2 | Bearcat Field | Maryville, Missouri
Game Three, 1 p.m. – MIAA NETWORK | LIVE STATS
 
Missouri Southern leads the all-time series with Northwest, 46-38. The Lions have won four of the last five matchups, including the last meeting at the 2019 MIAA Tournament in Pittsburg, Kansas, when the Lions scored a 4-0 victory.
 
The Bearcats are coming off a 4-2 win at No. 3-ranked Central Missouri. On Sunday, Northwest snapped UCM's 24-game winning streak and held Erik Webb without a hit for the first time in 29 games. Northwest entered Sunday's game in Warrensburg in the midst of an eight-game losing skid.
 
The Bearcats are battling for one of the eight MIAA tournament bids. The Bearcats currently hold the No. 8 slot with a two-game lead over Fort Hays State (9-18 MIAA) for the ninth spot in the league standings. Northwest trails No. 7 seed Rogers State (12-15 MIAA) by one game for No. 7 and Washburn (13-14) by two games for the No. 6 slot. Northwest will play host to Washburn next weekend in the final week of MIAA play.
 
The Bearcats rank No. 12 in the nation in double plays turned (27). Mississippi College leads the nation with 35 double plays turned. Central Oklahoma ranks second in the MIAA with 24 double plays turned.
 
Northwest is 8-1 this season when the Bearcats out-hit their opposition.

Northwest is 11-2 when leading after five innings. The Bearcats are 10-0 when leading after eight innings. The Bearcats are only 2-16 when trailing after eight innings.
 
Northwest is 7-2 when scoring eight or more runs. The Bearcats are 10-1 when limiting the opposition to five runs or less.
 
Sophomore Alex Slocum made his first start of the season in his 18^th appearance Sunday against No. 3-ranked Central Missouri. Slocum had made one previous start for the Bearcats in the 2019 season. Slocum pitched a career-high seven innings and picked up the win as the Bearcats snapped the Mules's 24-game winning streak, 4-2. Slocum is tied for fifth in the nation with 18 pitching appearances. Slocum is also tied for No. 16 in the nation in saves (5). His five saves rank him third in the MIAA. Slocum is 4-1 with a 6.67 ERA and 20 strikeouts.
 
Freshman starting pitcher Zach Wiese is 2-4 in eight starts. He has pitched a team-best 59 innings with 26 strikeouts. Wiese has pitched at least six innings in each of his last seven starts. Wiese has plunked a team-high 12 batters.
 
Junior starting pitcher Spencer Hanson ranks second in the MIAA in opponents' batting average (.176). Hanson has started eight games and will return to the hill this weekend after missing the series vs. Central Missouri. He is 3-3 with a 4.95 earned run average. Hanson has pitched 43 2/3 innings with 30 strikeouts. Hanson has allowed 26 hits and 27 runs (24 earned) while walking 29. He has also hit nine batters.
 
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.
 
Junior reliever Blaine Hanf has appeared in 13 MIAA games and has a 2.45 ERA. Hanf has pitched 14 2/3 innings of league play and has allowed nine hits and six runs (four earned), while striking out 12. Hanf has given up only one hit this season with two outs. Opposing batters are hitting .045 against him with two outs (1-for-22). He has allowed only five hits in 32 at-bats with runners on base (.188).

Sophomore left fielder Ryan Koski leads the Bearcats in batting average (.356), slugging percentage (.517), on-base percentage (.439), hits (42), doubles (10), multi-hit games (13), two-out hits (15) and two-out RBI (8). Koski is 5-for-6 in stolen base attempts. Koski is the toughest Bearcat starter to strikeout with only 15 strikeouts in 118 at bats. Entering the series with Missouri Southern, Koski has reached base in 18 consecutive games. Koski is in the midst of a six-game hitting streak. Koski has started all 33 games in left field this season.
 
Junior shortstop Jacob Pinkerton ranks tied for No. 5 in the MIAA in walks (20). Pinkerton has started all 33 games at shortstop this season. He is batting .248 with 30 hits.
 
Junior right fielder Peter Carlson leads the Bearcats in runs (25), home runs (9) and RBI (27). Carlson is batting .237 with 25 hits. Carlson has posted a team-high eight multi-RBI games. Carlson has belted 23 career home runs, with 19 of those coming at Northwest. Carlson hit four home runs while playing his freshman season at Nebraska-Kearney in 2018. Carlson ranks No. 8 on Northwest's all-time home run chart.
 
NORTHWEST CAREER - HOME RUNS
1.   Adam Bailey, 1998-2001 - 40
2.   Britt Westman, 2005-08 - 36
3.   Brandon Kirsch, 2007-10 - 35
      John Sipes, 2000-03 - 35
5.   Scott Spurgeon, 1987-88 - 30
6.   Kyle Gallagher, 2003-05 - 26
7.   Zac Ruff, 2000-02 - 22
8.   Peter Carlson, 2019-pr. – 19
9.   Chuck Lynn, 1982-83 - 18   
10. Dave Svehla, 1990-92 - 17
      Bryan Wandrey, 1991-92 - 17
      Eric Swain, 2012-13 - 17
 
Sophomore third baseman Brett Holden is batting .252 with 31 hits and seven doubles. He ranks tied for No. 5 in the MIAA with five sacrifice bunts. Holden has started all 28 games, including 28 at third base and five at second base.

Sophomore center fielder Drew Mackie leads the team with four sacrifice flies. He ranks second on the squad with 26 RBI in 33 games played. Mackie has nine multi-hit games and five multi-RBI contests in 2021. Mackie has reached base in four consecutive games.
 
Junior first baseman Matt Gastner is batting .256 and possesses a .465 slugging percentage. Gastner ranks second on the team in homers (4).
 
Senior first baseman/designated hitter Connor Quick is hitting .250 with 32 hits and 22 RBI. Quick has played in 101 career games at Northwest and possesses a .343 career average. Quick has a .503 career slugging percentage. Quick has started in 32 games – 16 at first base and 16 at designated hitter. Quick enters this weekend's series with Missouri Southern in the midst of a 1-for-19 batting slump.
 
Redshirt freshman catcher Ethan Judd is batting .300 with 12 hits in 40 at bats. Judd has thrown out a team-high five base stealers.
 
Bearcat skipper Darin Loe has posted 695 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 539. Loe is one of five head coaches all-time to reach 500 wins in the MIAA.