The Northwest Missouri State University baseball team (11-12 overall, 9-9 MIAA) will travel to Edmond, Oklahoma, to take on the University of Central Oklahoma Bronchos (12-10 overall, 8-7 MIAA) in a three-game series set for Saturday and Sunday at Wendell Simmons Field.
  
Northwest Missouri State at Central Oklahoma
Saturday, April 10 | Wendell Simmons Field | Edmond, Oklahoma
Game One, 1 p.m. – MIAA NETWORK | LIVE STATS | TICKETS
Game Two, 4 p.m. – MIAA NETWORK | LIVE STATS | TICKETS

Sunday, April 11 | Wendell Simmons Field | Edmond, Oklahoma
Game Three, 1 p.m. MIAA NETWORK | LIVE STATS | TICKETS
 
The Bronchos lead the all-times series with the Bearcats, 16-5. UCO has won four in a row and five of the last six matchups with Northwest. It is the third straight season Northwest will travel to Edmond for a three-game set. The only time UCO traveled to Northwest came in the 2017 season when the Bearcats took two of three from the Bronchos.
 
Northwest is tied for sixth in the MIAA standings entering this weekend's slate of games. UCO is in fifth place, one game ahead of both Northwest and Rogers State.
 
The Bearcats rank No. 6 in the nation in double plays turned (22). Northwest ranks No. 8 in the MIAA in team ERA (6.26). The Bearcats rank No. 7 in the MIAA in fielding percentage (.958).
 
Sophomore left fielder Ryan Koski leads the Bearcats in batting average (.345), slugging percentage (.464), hits (29) and multi-hit games (9). Koski has recorded a hit in 19 games and is in the midst of an eight-game hitting streak. Koski is 5-for-5 in stolen base attempts. Koski is the toughest Bearcat starter to strikeout with only 11 strikeouts in 84 at bats.
 
Junior shortstop Jacob Pinkerton has scored a team-high 18 runs. Pinkerton is batting .238 overall with 20 hits. Pinkerton is tied for fourth in the MIAA with 16 walks. Pinkerton drove in a season-high three runs in Wednesday's 22-7 win at Ottawa.
 
Sophomore third baseman Brett Holden is batting .282 with 24 hits and is tied for the team lead with seven doubles. Holden has six multi-hit games. He ranks tied for No. 2 in the MIAA with five sacrifice bunts. Holden scored a season-high three runs vs. Ottawa.

Sophomore center fielder Drew Mackie has a team-high with 20 RBI. Mackie is the only Bearcat to have reached base via a single, a double, a triple and a home run this season. Mackie knocked in a career-high six RBI in Northwest's 22-7 win at Ottawa. Mackie has seven multi-hit games and four multi-RBI contests in 2021.

Junior right fielder Peter Carlson has reached base in nine consecutive games. Carlson leads the Bearcats in home runs with four.
 
Junior right fielder Donovan Warren is tops on the squad in outfield assists (4). Warren batted .556 against Newman with five hits in nine at-bats before suffering a hamstring injury on a double. Warren connected on a pair of home runs, including a grand slam, against Newman. Warren leads the team with a .457 slugging percentage.

Junior Spencer Hanson continues to lead the MIAA in opponents' batting average (.155). Hanson's 3.22 ERA ranks ninth in the MIAA. He is 2-2 with 29 strikeouts in six starts. Hanson has allowed 13 runs and 18 hits in 36 1/3 innings pitched.
 
Freshman Zach Wiese lowered his ERA to 3.58 after allowing two earned runs in six innings in an 8-4 win vs. Missouri Western. Wiese is 2-2 in five starts. He has pitched 37 2/3 innings with 20 strikeouts.
 
Junior Max Spitzmiller has pitched a team-high 40 innings and leads the squad with 46 strikeouts. Spitzmiller ranks seventh in the MIAA in innings pitched. His 46 strikeouts rank sixth-best in the league. Spitzmiller is 2-3 on the season.
 
Sophomore Alex Slocum is 3-0 with a team-high four saves. His four saves are tied for second in the MIAA and No. 11 in NCAA Division II baseball. Slocum has appeared in a team-high 14 games, which ranks tied for No. 6 in NCAA Division II this season. He has pitched 17 innings with a 6.88 ERA.
 
Junior Blaine Hanf has a 1.93 ERA and 0.66 WHIP in MIAA games. Hanf has pitched in nine league games and has allowed only four hits and two earned runs. MIAA hitters are batting .133 against Hanf.
 
Bearcat skipper Darin Loe has posted 693 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 537. Loe is one of five head coaches all-time to reach 500 wins in the MIAA.