Saturday, March 19
Northwest Missouri State at Emporia State, 1 p.m. | MIAA NETWORK | LIVE STATS
Northwest Missouri State at Emporia State, 4 p.m. | MIAA NETWORK | LIVE STATS
 
Sunday, March 20
Northwest Missouri State at Emporia State, 1 p.m. | MIAA NETWORK | LIVE STATS
 
Tuesday, March 22
Northwest Missouri State at Rockhurst, 6 p.m. | GLVC NETWORK | LIVE STATS
 
The Northwest Missouri State University baseball team will continue MIAA play this weekend with a three-game set beginning Saturday with a doubleheader at Emporia State University's Trusler Sports Complex.
 
Northwest and ESU will play a doubleheader Saturday beginning at 1 p.m. The squads will finish the series Sunday at 1 p.m.
 
The Bearcats will also travel to Kansas City, Mo., on Tuesday at 6 p.m. to take on the Rockhurst University Hawks at the Loyola Park Baseball Field.
 
Northwest (5-16, 1-8 MIAA overall) will look to snap its five-game losing overall and four-game skid in MIAA action.
 
Junior outfielder Drew Mackie is Northwest's top hitter at .338. Mackie has raised his average by .103 over the last eight games. In his last eight, Mackie is batting 16-of-34 (.471) with eight extra-base hits. Mackie is hitting .395 in MIAA play with 17 hits in 43 at-bats. Mackie hit for the cycle in Sunday's game at Pittsburg State. Mackie has collected a team-best 25 hits. He also leads the team in doubles (8) and extra-base hits (11). Mackie is tied for the team lead in multi-RBI games (4). Mackie will take a six-game hitting streak into this weekend's series against Emporia State.
 
Senior shortstop Jacob Pinkerton is hitting .308 with 20 hits in 65 at bats. Pinkerton is tops on the squad in OPS (.964), home runs (3) and triples (2). He ranks second on the team in RBI (13). Pinkerton ranks third on the team with five multi-hit games. Pinkerton has reached base in seven straight games entering the series with the Hornets.
 
Senior outfielder Donovan Warren has reached base in 10 consecutive games. Warren is batting .296 and ranks second on the team with 24 hits and 14 walks. He ranks third on the squad with 13 runs scored. He has tallied three outfield assists. Warren has posted a team-best seven multi-hit games – five two-hit games, one three-hit game and a four-hit contest.
 
Senior infielder Brett Holden holds the team lead in hit-by-pitches (8). Holden has also scored a team-best 15 runs. Holden ranks fourth on the team with 17 hits. Holden has posted five multi-hit games this year.
 
Sophomore infielder Cole 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.
 
Junior outfielder Ryan Koski is the squad's leader in on-base percentage (.442). Koski has tallied a team-best 18 walks. Koski ranks second on the team with 14 hits. He is fourth on the team in batting average (.242).
 
The Bearcat pitching staff has produced a 6.84 team ERA through 21 games. Northwest pitchers have recorded 165 strikeouts in 179 innings pitched. Opposing teams are batting .291 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 2-4 with a 3.15 ERA and a 0.92 WHIP. Opposing batters are hitting .210 against Spitzmiller this year.
 
Spitzmiller leads the MIAA and its tied for No. 12 in the nation in strikeouts (47). He has walked seven batters. Spitzmiller has surrendered 35 hits, of which only 14 are for extra base hits.
 
Spitzmiller is tied for No. 11 in the country in complete games (2).
 
Spitzmiller ranks No. 6 all-time in pitching strikeouts for the Bearcats with 178. Spitzmiller had six strikeouts in 2018, 52 in 2019, 27 in 2020, 46 in 2021 and 47 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. 178, 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. 8 on Northwest's career innings pitched chart. Spitzmiller has logged 198.0 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 45.2 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. 198.0, Max Spitzmiller, 2018-pres.
9. 193.0, Nikko Pablo, 2014-17
10. 190.1, Tom Funk, 1981-83

Sophomore right-handed starter Zach Wiese (0-3) has a 6.39 ERA and 1.46 WHIP in his first six starts of the season. Wiese has allowed 28 hits in 25 1/3 innings of work. He has struck out 22 and walked nine batters. Opposing batters are hitting .262 against Wiese this season.
 
Sophomore middle reliever Jacob Gajic has made 10 appearances and owns a team-best 2.30 ERA. Gajic is 0-1 in 15 2/3 innings pitched while allowing only four earned runs.
 
Junior Alex Slocum (2-2) has made two starts and possesses a 7.97 ERA with a 1.72 WHIP. 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 994 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
544-575 – Northwest (2000-pres.)
82-67 – Baker (1997-1999)
74-67 – Missouri Valley (1994-1996)
 
Head coach Darin Loe captured his 700th career coaching victory in Northwest's March 5 win over the Missouri Southern 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.