Saturday, April 23
Fort Hays State at Northwest Missouri State, 12 p.m. | MIAA NETWORK | LIVE STATS
 
Sunday, April 24 (Senior Day)
Fort Hays State at Northwest Missouri State, 1 p.m. | MIAA NETWORK | LIVE STATS
 
Monday, April 25
Fort Hays State at Northwest Missouri State, 1 p.m. | MIAA NETWORK | LIVE STATS
 
The Northwest Missouri State University baseball team will wrap up the home portion of its 2022 spring schedule with a three-game series with Fort Hays State at Bearcat Field.
 
The Bearcats (15-25 overall, 9-18 MIAA) will entertain the Fort Hays State Tigers (4-35 overall, 3-24 MIAA) in a three-game set beginning Saturday.
 
Saturday's contest will mark Senior Day for the Bearcats. Northwest will honor its group of 10 student-athletes playing in their final home series of their collegiate careers which includes Chase Broeker, Brandin Hallier, Spencer Hanson, Brett Holden, Jonny McIntyre, Jacob Pinkerton, Jordan Peck, Tyler Peters, Tanner Smith and Donovan Warren.
 
Fort Hays State enters this week having lost 16 of its last 17 games, with its only victory coming last Thursday vs. Missouri Western (W, 8-7).
 
Northwest possess the sixth-best pitching ERA (5.63) in the MIAA. Northwest pitchers have struck out 316 batters to rank No. 5 in the league in punchouts. Northwest is tied for third in the league in shutouts (3).
 
The Bearcats have won six straight games when scoring 10 or more runs this season. Northwest has scored 10 or more runs eight times this year.
 
Senior outfielder Donovan Warren leads the team in batting average (.318), OPS (.916), hits (47) and multi-hit games (14). He is tied for the team lead in home runs (6). Warren has hit five of his six home runs in MIAA play. Warren ranks second on the team in walks (23). Of his 14 multi-hit games he has nine two-hit games, two three-hit games and three four-hit contests. Warren has seven multi-RBI games – including a 7-RBI performance against Newman. His seven-RBI performance ranks tied for the second-highest single game effort this year in the MIAA. He has tallied three outfield assists. Warren has posted a team-best 30 hits (.366 avg.) with runners on base this season. He is 4-for-8 with the bases loaded. Warren is batting .396 with runners in scoring position. He is 14-of-16 with a runner on third and less than two outs in an inning for a .875 average.
 
Junior outfielder Drew Mackie is Northwest's top slugger with a .517 slugging percentage. He has recorded 19 extra-base hits (11 doubles, two triples and six home runs). Mackie is batting .295 overall (.315 MIAA games). Mackie is tied for the team lead in stolen bases (6). Mackie has posted seven multi-RBI games. He ranks third on the team in multi-hit games (11). Mackie hit for the cycle at Pittsburg State on March 13. Mackie leads the team with 22 two-out base hits. He is hitting .379 with two outs. He leads the team with 18 two-out RBI.
 
Senior shortstop Jacob Pinkerton is hitting .278 with 40 hits in 144 at bats. Pinkerton ranks tied for third on the team in runs scored (26). He is tied for the team lead in triples (2). He has 10 multi-hit games, with six of those being three-hit contests. Pinkerton six multi-RBI contests.
 
Senior infielder Brett Holden holds the team lead in hit-by-pitches (12) and sacrifice bunts (10). Holden ranks second in the MIAA in sacrifice bunts. He is tied for the team lead in runs scored (27). He ranks fourth on the team in hits (37). Holden has recorded 12 multi-hit games, including a trio of three-hit contests. Holden has posted two hits in three of the last four games. He has reached base in 15 straight games. Holden popped his fourth home run of the season Sunday to account for Northwest's only run in Sunday's 4-1 setback to Central Oklahoma.
 
Junior outfielder Ryan Koski is the squad's leader in on-base percentage (.446) and is tied for the team lead in runs scored (27). Koski has tallied an MIAA-best 35 walks. His 35 walks ranks tied for the third-most in a single season in Bearcat baseball history. Koski has registered 33 hits and is batting .264 this season. Koski is batting .305 in MIAA play with 25 hits in 82 at-bats, including four home runs. His OPS in MIAA games is .985. In MIAA games only, Koski ranks tied for No. 6 in the league in on-base percentage (.473). Koski has reached base 22 times to lead off an inning in 42 chances (.524 average).

Walks - Northwest Single-Season Top-10 Chart
1. 45, Brandon Huske, 2013
    45, Nick Gotta, 2016
3. 35, Scott Spurgeon, 1988
    35, Ryan Koski, 2022
5. 33, Nick Gotta, 2015
6. 32, Ben Malick, 2008
    32, Jerry Mikusa, 1985
    32, Austin Wulff, 2015
9. 31, Cameron Bedard, 2012
    31, Jay Hrdlicka, 2017 

The Bearcat pitching staff has produced a 5.63 team ERA through 40 games. Northwest pitchers have recorded 316 strikeouts in 345 innings pitched. Opposing teams are batting .271 against the Bearcat pitching staff.
 
Junior right-hander Max Spitzmiller is tied for No. 4 in the nation in complete games (5). On the season, Spitzmiller is 5-6 with a 3.54 ERA and a 1.02 WHIP.
 
Spitzmiller leads the MIAA in innings pitched (84.0) and ranks second in batters struck out (81). Spitzmiller ranks No. 4 in the MIAA in ERA (3.54). Opposing batters are hitting .221 against Spitzmiller, which ranks No. 5 in the MIAA. He has walked 16 batters, which ranks as the 10th-fewest among MIAA starting pitchers. Spitzmiller has surrendered 70 hits, of which only 28 are for extra base hits.

Northwest Single-Season Strikeouts
1. 114, Anthony Caenepeel, 2017
2. 110, Joseph Hietpas, 2018
3. 106, Brad Roberts, 2018
4. 97, Scott Kurtz, 1969
5. 91, Anthony Caenepeel, 2016
6. 88, Steve Nelson, 1989
7. 81, Joseph Hietpas, 2017
    81, Max Spitzmiller, 2022
9. 77, Joseph Hietpas, 2016
10. 74,  Gary Hall, 2000
      74, Jayson Huett, 2011

Northwest Single-Season Innings Pitched
1. 106.2, Anthony Caenepeel, 2017
2. 104.2, Anthony Caenepeel, 2016
3. 102.0, Brad Roberts, 2018
4. 90.2, Brian Lamers, 2007
5. 86.0, Joseph Hietpas, 2016
6. 84.2, Joseph Hietpas, 2018
7. 84.0 Kyle Janssen, 2000
    84.0, Max Spitzmiller, 2022
9. 83.1, Brett Jones, 2002
10. 82.2, Jayson Huett, 2010

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 Feb. 19. . Spitzmiller pitched his first career shutout with a two-hit, 11-strikeout, no-walk gem in a 2-0 win over Newman.
 
Spitzmiller ranks No. 6 all-time in pitching strikeouts for the Bearcats with 212. Spitzmiller had six strikeouts in 2018, 52 in 2019, 27 in 2020, 46 in 2021 and 81 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. 212, Max Spitzmiller, 2018-pres.
6. 187, Tom Franke, 1977-80
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 214.0 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 84.0 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. 236.1, Max Spitzmiller, 2018-pres.
6. 225.2, Chase Anderson, 2010-13
7. 215.0, Bret Harvel, 2007-09
8. 201.0, Dale Kisker, 1979-81
9. 193.0, Nikko Pablo, 2014-17
10. 190.1, Tom Funk, 1981-83

Sophomore right-handed starter Zach Wiese (3-4) has a 5.60 ERA and 1.43 WHIP in his 11 starts this season. Wiese has allowed 55 hits in 53.0 innings of work. He has struck out 48 and walked 21 batters. Opposing batters are hitting .259 against Wiese this season. Wiese has worked at least five innings in eight of his 11 starts.
 
Sophomore reliever Jacob Gajic has made 21 appearances and owns a team-best 2.45 ERA. Gajic is 0-1 in 40.1 innings pitched while allowing 11 earned runs. Gajic has recorded a team-best four saves, which ranks him tied for No. 6 in the MIAA in total saves.
 
Junior Alex Slocum (2-3) has made seven starts and possesses a 6.29 ERA with a 1.46 WHIP. Slocum ranks eighth among MIAA pitchers with the fewest walks allowed (13). 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 710 career wins in 28 seasons as a collegiate head coach. Loe has posted 554 victories for the Bearcats. Loe has an MIAA coaching mark of 382-378 for the Bearcats.
 
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
554-584 – 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 554 wins at Northwest to go along with 82 at Baker and 74 at Missouri Valley.