The Northwest Missouri State University baseball team will open its home season this weekend against the University of Central Missouri at the Bearcat Baseball Field.
 
Cold weather on Friday has pushed the three-game series to Saturday, Sunday and Monday.
 
Saturday, Feb. 26
Central Missouri at Northwest Missouri State, 2 p.m. | MIAA NETWORK |LIVE STATS
 
Sunday, Feb. 27
Central Missouri at Northwest Missouri State, 1 p.m. | MIAA NETWORK |LIVE STATS
 
Sunday, Feb. 28
Central Missouri at Northwest Missouri State, 1 p.m. | MIAA NETWORK |LIVE STATS
 
Northwest (4-6 overall) is coming off a 1-2 performance at the MIAA/GLVC Crossover in Joplin, Mo. Northwest scored an 11-1 win over long-time rival Truman State. The Bearcats came up short against Illinois Springfield (L, 9-7 11 innings) and Quincy (L, 12-7).
 
Junior outfielder Donovan Warren possesses Northwest's top batting average at .375. Warren has tallied 15 hits (three doubles) and has scored seven runs. Warren has also drawn a team-high seven walks. Warren has a .968 OPS and a .468 on-base percentage. Warren has tallied four multi-hit games in 2022. Warren produced his first collegiate four-hit game against Illinois Springfield when he went 4-of-5 at the plate. Warren has reached base in all 10 games this season.
 
Junior first baseman Tyler Peters enters the weekend riding an eight-game hitting streak. Peters is hitting .423 in the last eight games. Peters owns the top OPS (.973) on the squad. Peters has a .367 batting average. He also leads the team with seven RBI. Peters has hit one of Northwest's five home runs this season. Peters has tallied a team-best three multi-RBI games.
 
Senior shortstop Jacob Pinkerton slugged a pair of home runs in Joplin against Truman State and Quincy. In the three games of the MIAA/GLVC Crossover, Pinkerton went 7-for-13 (.538) with five runs scored. On the season, Pinkerton is hitting .303 with 10 hits and six runs scored.
 
Junior third baseman Brett Holden is batting .316 with 12 hits in 38 at-bats. Holden has scored a team-best eight runs. Holden has been hit by five pitches. He has hit one of the squad's five home runs. Holden has four multi-hit games this season. He has reached base in seven straight contests.
 
The Bearcat pitching staff has produced a 5.34 team ERA through 10 games. Northwest pitchers have recorded 96 strikeouts in 87 2/3 innings pitched.

Junior right-hander Max Spitzmiller has been selected as the MIAA's Pitcher of the Week two times this season. Spitzmiller tied a career-high with 11 strikeouts in Northwest's 11-1 win over Truman State. Spitzmiller worked seven innings and gave up six hits (all singles). He allowed just one run and three walks. On the season, Spitzmiller is 2-1 with a 2.08 ERA and a 0.97 WHIP. Spitzmiller ranks No. 6 in the nation (first in the MIAA) with 28 strikeouts in 21 1/3 innings pitched. He has walked three batters. Spitzmiller has surrendered 18 hits, of which only five are for extra base hits.
 
Spitzmiller ranks No. 7 all-time in pitching strikeouts for the Bearcats. Spitzmiller had six strikeouts in 2018, 52 in 2019, 27 in 2020, 46 in 2021 and 28 this season.
 
Northwest Career Pitching Strikeouts
1. 324, Joseph Hietpas, 2015-18
2. 267, Anthony Caenepeel, 2015-17
3. 256, Brad Roberts, 2015-18
4. 223, Scott Kurtz, 1966-69
5. 187, Tom Franke, 1977-80
6. 163, Bret Harvel, 2007-09
7. 159, Max Spitzmiller, 2018-pres.
8. 153, Tom Franke, 1978-80
9. 152, Nikko Pablo, 2014-17
10. 148, Tom Funk, 1981-83
 
Spitzmiller also ranks No. 10 on Northwest's career innings pitched chart. Spitzmiller has logged 174 innings pitched in his Bearcat career. Spitzmiller has logged 5.0 innings in 2018, 73.1 innings in 2019, 34.0 innings in 2020, 40.0 innings in 2021 and 21.2 innings so far in 2022.
 
Northwest Career Innings Pitched
1. 302.2, Joseph Hietpas, 2015-18
2. 294.1, Brad Roberts, 2015-18
3. 278.0, Anthony Caenepeel, 2015-17
4. 255.0, Tom Franke, 1977-80
5. 225.2, Chase Anderson, 2010-13
6. 215.0, Bret Harvel, 2007-09
7. 201.0, Dale Kisker, 1979-81
8. 193.0, Nikko Pablo, 2014-17
9. 190.1, Tom Funk, 1981-83
10. 174.0, Max Spitzmiller, 2018-pres.
 
Sophomore right-handed starter Zach Wiese (0-0) has a 2.76 ERA and 1.10 WHIP in his first three starts of the season. Wiese has allowed 13 hits in 16 1/3 innings of work. He has struck out 15 and walked only five batters. Opposing batters are hitting .206 against Wiese this season.

Junior Alex Slocum led the Bearcats with five saves in 2021 and he picked up right where he left off last year. Slocum pitched a 1-2-3 ninth inning that included two strikeouts to secure his sixth career save in Northwest's 1-0 victory over Ouachita Baptist (Feb. 5). With his next save, Slocum would join Northwest's top-10 list for career saves.
 
Northwest Career Saves
1. 23, Trevor Dudar, 2018-19
2. 17, Carson Smith, 2011-16
3. 15, Matt Goodman, 2000-01
4. 13, Brett Whittle, 2006-07
5. 12, Jayson Huett, 2010-11
6. 11, Nikko Pablo, 2014-17
7. 9, Evan Nickell, 2007-08
8. 8, Matt Coons, 2003-06
9. 7, Brett Rust, 2002
    7, Troy Newman, 1984-85
 
Bearcat skipper Darin Loe has produced 699 career wins in 28 seasons as a collegiate head coach. Loe has posted 543 victories for the Bearcats. When Loe reached 700 career wins he would become the 23rd active NCAA Division II coach with at least 700 victories. Only Pittsburg State's Bob Fornelli has picked up more wins as an active MIAA manager than Loe. Fornelli has posted 984 wins in coaching stops at Fort Hays State, Emporia State and Pittsburg State.
 
Loe's coaching stops have included Missouri Valley, Baker and Northwest. He has produced 24 20-win seasons and six 30-win campaigns as a collegiate manager.
 
Northwest Coaching Record
543-565 – Northwest (2000-pres.)
82-67 – Baker (1997-1999)
74-67 – Missouri Valley (1994-1996)