Saturday, March 12
Northwest Missouri State at Pittsburg State, 1 p.m. | MIAA NETWORK | LIVE STATS
 
Sunday, March 13
Northwest Missouri State at Pittsburg State, 1 p.m. | MIAA NETWORK | LIVE STATS
 
Monday, March 14
Northwest Missouri State at Pittsburg State, 1 p.m. | MIAA NETWORK | LIVE STATS
 
Tuesday, March 15
Northwest Missouri State at Washburn, 4 p.m. | MIAA NETWORK | LIVE STATS
 
Wednesday, March 16
University of Mary at Northwest Missouri State 2 p.m. | MIAA NETWORK | LIVE STATS
 
The Northwest Missouri State University baseball team is getting ready for a busy week with five games slated over five days.
 
Northwest will begin the flurry of games with a three-game set at Pittsburg State Saturday through Monday with all three games beginning at 1 p.m. at Wendell Simmons Field.
 
Northwest will play a single MIAA game Tuesday against the Washburn Ichabods in Topeka, Kan. The game will begin at 4 p.m. at Falley Field.
 
The Bearcats will return home Wednesday for a non-conference nine-inning matchup with the University of Mary. First pitch is slated for 2 p.m. at the Bearcat Baseball Field.
 
Northwest (5-11, 1-5 MIAA overall) produced a 1-2 in a three-game set last weekend against Missouri Southern in Joplin, Mo.
 
Head coach Darin Loe captured his 700th career coaching victory in Saturday's 6-3 win over the Lions in Joplin. Loe is one of 24 active NCAA Division II coaches to have reached the 700-win mark. Loe has accumulated 544 wins at Northwest to go along with 82 at Baker and 74 at Missouri Valley.
 
Senior outfielder Donovan Warren is Northwest's top hitter at .300 on the year. Warren has posted a team-best 18 hits. Warren is tied for the team lead in RBI (9). Warren has posted a team-best five multi-hit games – three two-hit games, one three-hit game and a four-hit contest. Warren enters the weekend having reached base in five straight games.
 
Senior shortstop Jacob Pinkerton is coming off a three-hit, four-RBI performance in the 6-3 win over Missouri Southern. It was Pinkerton's third three-hit game of the season and seventh of his career. It was his first four-RBI game of his collegiate career. Pinkerton entered last Saturday's game vs. Missouri Southern with five RBI through his first 14 games of the season. Pinkerton leads the squad in home runs (3). He is tied for the team lead in RBI (9). Pinkerton ranks second on the team in batting (.288) with 15 hits in 52 at bats. Pinkerton leads the team in extra-base hits (6) with three homers, two doubles and a triple.
 
Drew Mackie tied a career-high with three hits in Northwest's 6-3 win over Missouri Southern. It marked the second three-hit game of Mackie's career. Mackie is batting .264 with 14 hits and seven RBI. He leads the squad with five doubles.
 
Brett Holden is tied with Cole Slibowksi for the team lead in hit-by-pitches (7). Holden has also scored a team-best 11 runs. Holden ranks fourth on the team with 13 hits. Holden has posted four multi-hit games this year.
 
Slibowski is tops on the squad in stolen bases (4). Slibowski ranks second on the team in runs scored (10). Slibowski has reached base in seven straight games entering this weekend's action.
 
Ryan Koski is the squad's leader in on-base percentage (.422). Koski has tallied a team-best 15 walks to go along with nine hits.
 
The Bearcat pitching staff has produced a 5.54 team ERA through 16 games. Northwest pitchers have recorded 133 strikeouts in 139 2/3 innings pitched. Opposing teams are batting .273 against the Bearcat pitching staff.
 
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. On the season, Spitzmiller is 2-3 with a 3.26 ERA and a 0.93 WHIP. Opposing batters are hitting .221 against Spitzmiller this year.
 
Spitzmiller leads the MIAA and ranks No. 13 in the nation in strikeouts (39). He has walked five batters. Spitzmiller has surrendered 31 hits, of which only 11 are for extra base hits.
 
Spitzmiller is tied for No. 5 in the country in complete games (2).
 
Spitzmiller ranks No. 6 all-time in pitching strikeouts for the Bearcats with 170. Spitzmiller had six strikeouts in 2018, 52 in 2019, 27 in 2020, 46 in 2021 and 39 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. 170, Max Spitzmiller, 2018-pres.
7. 163, Bret Harvel, 2007-09
8. 153, Tom Franke, 1978-80
9. 152, Nikko Pablo, 2014-17
10. 148, Tom Funk, 1981-83
 
Spitzmiller also ranks No. 9 on Northwest's career innings pitched chart. Spitzmiller has logged 191.0 innings pitched in his Bearcat career. Spitzmiller has pitched 5.0 innings in 2018, 73.1 innings in 2019, 34.0 innings in 2020, 40.0 innings in 2021 and 38.2 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. 191.0, Max Spitzmiller, 2018-pres.
10. 190.1, Tom Funk, 1981-83


Sophomore right-handed starter Zach Wiese (0-2) has a 4.24 ERA and 1.29 WHIP in his first five starts of the season. Wiese has allowed 22 hits in 23 1/3 innings of work. He has struck out 22 and walked eight batters. Opposing batters are hitting .232 against Wiese this season.
 
Sophomore middle reliever Jacob Gajic has made eight appearances and owns a team-best 1.98 ERA. Gajic has not rendered a decision in 13 2/3 innings pitched while allowing only three earned runs.
 
Junior Alex Slocum (2-2) made his first start against Missouri Southern as he pitched the final game of the series and picked up his second win of the season. It was Slocum's first start of the year. Slocum pitched seven innings. He scattered four hits and two runs (both earned) as Northwest snapped a seven-game losing skid with a 6-3 victory. He struck out six and walked one Lion batter.
 
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 accumulated 700 career wins in 28 seasons as a collegiate head coach. Loe has posted 544 victories for the Bearcats. Only Pittsburg State's Bob Fornelli has picked up more wins as an active MIAA manager than Loe. Fornelli has posted 990 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
544-570 – Northwest (2000-pres.)
82-67 – Baker (1997-1999)
74-67 – Missouri Valley (1994-1996)