The Northwest Missouri State University baseball team will play host to Washburn Wednesday at 3 p.m., prior to embarking on a weekend series in Wichita, Kan., against the Newman Jets beginning Friday.
 
Northwest and Washburn will be meeting for the second tame of a three-game season series on Wednesday at the Bearcat Baseball Field. Washburn scored a win in the opening contest on March 14 in Topeka, Kan., by the count of 9-8. The final game of the season series is set for Tues., April 11, at 3 p.m. in Maryville.
 
Since the Newman Jets joined the MIAA, Northwest has enjoyed a 4-2 lead in the series between the two programs. Last season, Northwest took two of three from Newman in Maryville. Northwest leads the all-time series, 5-3.
 
Wednesday, March 29
Washburn at Northwest Missouri State, 3 p.m. | WATCH (MIAA NETWORK) | LIVE STATS
 
Friday, March 31
Northwest Missouri State at Newman, 3 p.m. | WATCH (MIAA NETWORK) | LIVE STATS
 
Saturday, April 1
Northwest Missouri State at Newman, 3 p.m. | WATCH (MIAA NETWORK) | LIVE STATS
 
Sunday, April 2
Northwest Missouri State at Newman, 1 p.m. | WATCH (MIAA NETWORK) | LIVE STATS
 
The Bearcats sit at 6-21 overall and 4-12 in the MIAA. Northwest ranks No. 6 in the MIAA with a team earned run average of 5.77. The Bearcat pitching staff has allowed the fewest number of walks (77) in the league. Northwest's pitching staff has surrendered the fourth-fewest runs in the league (173).
 
Senior Max Spitzmiller leads the MIAA in innings pitched (51.0). Spitzmiller has walked nine batters, while striking out a team-best 44 hitters. Spitzmiller got a tough-luck no decision in Friday's 5-4 loss at Northeastern State. Spitzmiller worked seven innings and struck out 11 while allowing six hits. He tied his career-high with 11 strikeouts. Spitzmiller has tallied six 11-strikeout games in his Bearcat career. He has posted eight 10-plus strikeout performances for Northwest.
 
Spitzmiller is closing on the Northwest school record for innings pitched in a career. He has tossed 304 1/3 innings and will likely surpass the record of 309 2/3 innings pitched set by Joseph Hietpas (2015-18) this Friday when he takes the hill against Newman.
 
Spitzmiller ranks No. 2 on Northwest's all-time strikeout chart with 268 batters punched out. He ranks tied for No. 9 on Northwest's all-time pitching appearances list with 54 games pitched. Spitzmiller also ranks tied for No. 5 in career complete games with nine.
 
Among NCAA Div. II active pitchers, he is the Div. II leader in games started (49) and in innings pitched (304 1/3). Spitzmiller ranks No. 3 in strikeouts (268).
 
Among active pitchers in all NCAA Divisions, Spitzmiller ranks No. 3 in games started (40) and No. 2 in innings pitched (304 1/3).
 
NORTHWEST CAREER INNINGS PITCHED
1. - Joseph Hietpas, 2015-18 - 309.2
2. - Max Spitzmiller, 2018-pres. – 304.1
3. - Brad Roberts, 2015-18 - 294.1
4. - Anthony Caenepeel, 2015-17 - 278.0
5. - Tom Franke, 1977-80 - 255.0
6. - Chase Anderson, 2010-13 - 225.2
7. - Bret Harvel, 2007-09 - 215.0
8. - Dale Kisker, 1979-81 - 201.0
9. - Nikko Pablo, 2014-17 - 193.0
10. - Tom Funk, 1981-83 - 190.1
 
NORTHWEST CAREER STRIKEOUTS
1. - Joseph Hietpas, 2015-18 - 324
2. - Max Spitzmiller, 2018-pres. – 268
3. - Anthony Caenepeel, 2015-17 - 267
4. - Brad Roberts, 2015-18 - 256
5. - Scott Kurtz, 1966-69 - 223
6. - Tom Franke, 1977-80 - 187
7. - Bret Harvel, 2007-09 - 163
8. - Tom Franke, 1978-80 - 153
9. - Nikko Pablo, 2014-17 - 152
10. - Tom Funk, 1981-83 – 148
 
NORTHWEST CAREER PITCHING APPEARANCES
1. - Jacob Wagner, 2015-18 - 87
2. - Nikko Pablo, 2014-17 - 82
3. - Carson Smith, 2012-16 – 68
4. - Alex Slocum, 2019-pres. - 64
5. - Brad Roberts, 2015-18 - 61
6. - Joseph Hietpas, 2015-18 - 60
7. - Austin Battaglia, 2015-17 - 58
8. - Brian Greunke ,1987-90 - 56
9. - Chase Anderson, 2010-13 - 54
Max Spitzmiller, 2018-pres. - 54
 
NORTHWEST CAREER COMPLETE GAMES
1. - Tom Franke, 1977-80 - 25
2. - Dale Kisker, 1979-82 - 21
3. - Tom Funk ,1978-80 - 18
4. - Bob Lord, 1978-81 - 11
5. - David Pfeiffer, 1978-79 - 9
Steve Nelson, 1986, 88-89 - 9
Max Spitzmiller, 2018-pres. - 9
8. - Brian Lamers, 2006-07 - 8
Joe Russel, 2000-01 - 8
Kyle Janssen, 1997-2000 - 8
Terry Marquardt, 1984-85 - 8
Bob Hoeg, 1981-82 - 8
Bret Harvel, 2007-09 - 8
Anthony Caenepeel, 2015-17 – 8
 
Senior Alex Slocum leads the Bearcats in earned run average (4.57). Slocum has made eight starts and has pitched 43 1/3 innings. He has struck out 41 batters, while allowing only nine walks. On Monday at NSU, Slocum went the distance as he struck out a career-high tying eight. It is the third time in his career that Slocum has struck out eight batters. Slocum scattered four hits and two runs (one earned) in his second career complete game.
 
Slocum ranks No. 4 in program history in pitching appearances by a Bearcat with 64. He needs four more strikeouts to join the top-10 list as a Bearcat pitcher. Slocum has struck out 144 batters in 171 1/3 innings of work at Northwest.
 
Sophomore Cole Slibowski leads the Bearcats in batting average (.386), hits (32) and stolen bases (7). He ranks No. 10 in the MIAA in batting average. Slibowski has reached base safely in 18 consecutive games entering Wednesday's matchup with Washburn. He is tied for the team lead in multi-hit games with nine.
 
Senior Ryan Koski is slashing .348/.449/.708 with team-highs in home runs (8) and RBI (32). Koski is tied for the team lead with nine multi-hit contests this season. He has also tallied nine multi-RBI games.
 
Koski knocked in a career-high seven runs in Monday's 12-2 victory over Northeastern State. He clobbered a grand slam and tallied a three-run double in the seven-inning triumph over the RiverHawks. Koski's seven RBI effort is the most by a Bearcat since Chris Benham drove in eight vs. Minnesota-Crookston on March 11, 2007. Three other Bearcats have driven in seven runs since Benham's eight RBI game - Britt Westman (7 RBI vs. Truman State - 4/26/06), Eric Swain (7 RBI vs. Southwest Baptist - 4/5/13) and Donovan Warren (7 RBI vs. Newman - 4/2/22). Koski's 7-RBI game is tied for the second-most in a game this year in the MIAA.
 
Koski ranks No. 7 in the MIAA in on-base plus slugging percentage (OPS) at 1.157. He is tied for No. 7 in the league in home runs (8).
 
Koski has knocked in 100 RBI in his Bearcat career.
 
Koski has collected 17 career home runs. Koski's 17 homers ties him for No. 10 on Northwest's all-time home run list. He is tied with Dave Svehla (1990-92), Bryan Wandrey (1991-92) and Eric Swain (2012-13)
 
NORTHWEST CAREER HOME RUNS
1. - Adam Bailey, 1998-2001 - 40
2. - Britt Westman, 2005-08 - 36
3. - Brandon Kirsch, 2007-10 - 35
John Sipes, 2000-03 - 35
5. - Scott Spurgeon, 1987-88 - 30
6. - Kyle Gallagher, 2003-05 - 26
7. - Zac Ruff, 2000-02 - 22
8. - Peter Carlson, 2019-21 - 20
9. - Chuck Lynn, 1982-83 - 18
10. - Dave Svehla, 1990-92 - 17
Bryan Wandrey, 1991-92 - 17
Eric Swain, 2012-13 - 17
Ryan Koski, 2019-pres. – 17
 
Bearcat head coach Darin Loe has collected 720 career wins in 30 years as a head coach. He is Northwest's all-time coaching wins leader with 564 victories. He is one of 24 active NCAA Div. II head coaches with 700 or more victories. He is one of two active MIAA coaches with more than 700 wins (Pittsburg State's Bob Fornelli – 1,032 wins).