Friday, March 15
Missouri Western at Northwest Missouri State, 3 p.m. | WATCH | LIVE STATS

Saturday, March 16
Missouri Western at Northwest Missouri State, 2 p.m. | WATCH | LIVE STATS

Sunday, March 17
Missouri Western at Northwest Missouri State, 1 p.m. | WATCH | LIVE STATS

The Northwest Missouri State University baseball team is back in action at home this Friday-Sunday in a three-game series with the Missouri Western Griffons.
 
The Bearcats (8-12 overall, 1-9 MIAA) will play their second home series of the season. The Griffons enter the series with an overall record of 12-10 and 4-6 in MIAA play.
 
Northwest has produced nine double-figure scoring games this season. Northwest is averaging 7.6 runs per game, which ranks sixth-best in the MIAA. Northwest ranks No. 11 in the nation and second in the MIAA in sacrifice hits (18).

Northwest is 7-1 when leading after six innings. The Bearcats are 7-2 when scoring first. Northwest has tallied 30 first-inning runs – the most of any inning. Northwest is 6-3 when holding its opponent to no home runs.
 
Caden Diel is Northwest's top hitter and ranks No. 7 in the league in batting average (.387). Diel has 24 hits in 62 at-bats. Diel has 17 singles, six doubles and a homer. Diel is also a perfect 11-of-11 in stolen base attempts and is tied for third in the league in stolen bases. He leads the Bearcats with a .513 on-base percentage, which ranks No. 8 in the league. Diel posted his first career four-hit game in a 10-2 win at Benedictine. Diel has recorded nine multi-hit games this season.
 
Noah Bodenhausen leads the club with 25 runs scored. Bodenhausen is batting .313 with 25 hits and six stolen bases. He is 12-of-22 (.545) when leading off an inning.

Ryan Williams is tied for No. 12 in the nation and leads the MIAA in doubles (10). Williams is batting .361 with a team-best 30 hits. He also leads the team in total bases (49) and walks (17). Williams has posted a team-high 10 multi-hit games, including a trio of three-hit contests.
 
Trey Morris leads the Bearcats and ranks No. 10 in the MIAA in RBI (27). Morris has a team-best seven multiple-RBI contests this season. Morris is hitting .326 with 29 hits. Morris leads the squad with 10 two-out hits and six hits with the bases loaded. Morris is 11-of-16 with a runner on third and less than two outs. Morris has recorded seven RBI with two outs this season.
 
Jacob Selock is batting .320 and is tied for the team lead with three home runs. Selock also tops the team with five sacrifice bunts. Selock ranks No. 2 on the squad with 19 RBI. Selock is 7-of-8 with runners on third and less than two outs.
 
Kaehukai Young is tied for the team lead in homers (3). Young is second on the squad with 23 runs scored. He is batting .286 with 23 hits this season. He is 4-for-4 in stolen base attempts.
 
Cole Slibowski is tied for second on the team with 19 RBI, with 10 of those coming with two outs. He is batting .258 with 23 hits. He leads the squad with 11 two-out RBI and has eight two-out hits. He is fourth on the team with seven multi-hit contests. He has posted five multi-RBI games. Slibowski has a team-best 15 hits when leading off an inning.
 
The Bearcat pitching staff has put up a 7.46 team earned run average. Northwest pitchers have struck out 168 batters in 177 1/3 innings.
 
George Fisher made his Bearcat debut in a 10-2 win over Benedictine. He pitched two perfect innings and was rewarded with his first career win.
 
Brock Steggall possesses a 6.50 earned run average in 14.1 innings pitched. Steggall is 2-1 with a save with 13 strikeouts. Steggall has allowed two hits (18 at bats) with two outs in an inning.
 
Casey Stalzer has made six starts and sits at 2-2 with a 7.58 ERA. Stalzer has struck out a team-best 43 batters in 29 2/3 innings pitched. Stalzer has struck out at least eight batters in five of his six starts this season.
 
Quinn Mason captured MIAA Pitcher of the Week honors as he mowed down Emporia State for 6 2/3 scoreless innings. Mason struck out 11 Hornets in picking up his first win of the year. Mason has a 7.42 ERA in 26 2/3 innings pitched. Mason has struck out 32 batters.
 
Jacob Gajic (1-3) tallied a win and a save in the final two games of the series win at Henderson State. Gajic worked 2 1/3 innings in at 15-6 win where he struck out four batters and allowed only two hits. Gajic worked a six-out save in a 17-15 win over the Reddies. He struck out two batters and allowed three hits in earning his 10th career save.
 
Northwest Career Saves
1. Trevor Dudar, 2018-19 - 23
2. Carson Smith, 2011-16 - 17
3. Matt Goodman, 2000-01 - 15
4. Brett Whittle, 2006-07 - 13
5. Jayson Huett, 2010-11 - 12
6. Nikko Pablo, 2014-17 - 11
7. Jacob Gajic, 2022-pr. - 10
8. Evan Nickell, 2007-08 - 9
9. Matt Coons, 2003-06 - 8
10. Brett Rust, 2002 - 7
     Troy Newman, 1984-85 - 7

Bearcat head coach Darin Loe one of 23 active NCAA Div. II head coaches with at least 700 career wins. Loe has tallied 735 triumphs in 30 seasons as a head coach. Loe is one of four active MIAA coaches with 700 or more wins with Bob Fornelli (1,061 – Fort Hays State, Emporia State, Pittsburg State) and Brad Hill (898 – Central Missouri, Kansas State, Emporia State), Sunny Golloway (764 – Oral Roberts, Oklahoma, Auburn, East Central, Northeastern State). Loe is Northwest's all-time coaching wins leader with 579 victories. Loe has a record of 397-412 in MIAA games only. Loe took over as the Bearcat skipper in 2000 and ranks No. 4 in all-time MIAA baseball coaching victories (579).
 
MIAA Coaching Wins (through March 13, 2024)
1. Bob Fornelli (ESU/PSU – 2004-pres.)         745
2. Buzz Verduzco (MWSU – 2000-2023)         629
3. Steve Anson (Washburn – 1989-2014)       622
4. Darin Loe (Northwest – 2000-pres.)           579
5. Steve Bever (PSU – 1991-2012)                  558