Friday, April 12
Newman at Northwest Missouri State, 3 p.m. | WATCH | LIVE STATS

Saturday, April 13
Newman at Northwest Missouri State, 2 p.m. | WATCH | LIVE STATS

Sunday, April 14
Newman at Northwest Missouri State, 1 p.m. | WATCH | LIVE STATS

The Northwest Missouri State University baseball team will honor head coach Darin Loe this weekend as the Bearcats play host to the Newman University Jets.

Northwest (17-22 overall, 9-15 MIAA) and Newman (10-29, 6-18 MIAA) will get the three-game set underway Friday at 3 p.m., followed by Saturday's game at 2 p.m. and Sunday's finale at 1 p.m.

Northwest will recognize Loe with a pre-game ceremony Saturday beginning at 1:30 p.m. Loe has announced his retirement at the conclusion of this season after 25 years at the helm of the Bearcat baseball program.

Loe is one of 26 active NCAA Div. II head coaches with at least 700 career wins. Loe has tallied 744 triumphs in 31 seasons as a head coach. Loe is one of four active MIAA coaches with 700 or more wins with Bob Fornelli (1,068 – Fort Hays State, Emporia State, Pittsburg State) and Brad Hill (902 – Central Missouri, Kansas State, Emporia State), Sunny Golloway (773 – Oral Roberts, Oklahoma, Auburn, East Central, Northeastern State). Loe is Northwest's all-time coaching wins leader with 588 victories. Loe has a record of 405-418 in MIAA games only. Loe took over as the Bearcat skipper in 2000 and ranks No. 4 in all-time MIAA baseball coaching victories (588).
 
MIAA Coaching Wins (through April 10, 2024)
1. Bob Fornelli (ESU/PSU – 2004-pres.)       1,068
2. Buzz Verduzco (MWSU – 2000-2023)      629
3. Steve Anson (Washburn – 1989-2014)      622
4. Darin Loe (Northwest – 2000-pres.)          588
5. Steve Bever (PSU – 1991-2012)                565

The Bearcats are tied for ninth with Fort Hays State in the MIAA standings. The top eight teams will qualify for the 2024 MIAA Tournament. Northwest and FHSU are one game behind Missouri Western and Northeastern State for seventh and eighth place in the league standings.

Northwest holds a 6-5 lead in the all-time series with Newman. The Jets took two of three from the Bearcats last season in Wichita, Kan. Northwest scored a series win over Newman when the squads last met in Maryville in the 2022 season.
 
Head coach Darin Loe's squad has tallied 14 double-figure scoring contests this season. Northwest is averaging 7.6 runs per game, which ranks No. 6 in the MIAA. Northwest's offense has produced 394 hits, which ranks No. 18 in the nation and No. 4 in the MIAA. Northwest has drawn 223 walks, which ranks No. 10 in the country and No. 3 in the MIAA.
 
Northwest is 12-1 when leading after six innings and a perfect 12-0 when leading after eight. Northwest has tallied 46 first-inning runs – the most of any inning.

The Bearcats scored a 2-1 series win over No. 8-ranked Missouri Southern (March 28-30). It is the first series win over a ranked opponent since Northwest topped Central Missouri in the 2006 season.

Ryan Williams is Northwest's top hitter with a .399 batting average, .524 on-base percentage and a .692 slugging percentage. Williams leads the squad in hits (57), runs (39), doubles (14), triples (2), total bases (99) and walks (35). Williams ranks No. 11 in the nation and No. 3 in the MIAA in walks drawn (35). Williams is second on the team with eight home runs. Williams ranks No. 4 in the MIAA in batting average and No. 3 in on-base percentage. Williams has posted 18 multi-hit games and 10 multi-RBI contests. Williams has tallied seven three-hit games this year. Williams has posted a team-best 16 two-out RBI.

Noah Bodenhausen is tied for the team lead with 39 runs scored. Bodenhausen is batting .293 with 44 hits and 12 stolen bases. He is 17-of-36 (.472) when leading off an inning. Bodenhausen has 11 multi-hit games and four multi-RBI contests.

Trey Morris is tied for the MIAA lead in RBI (52) and ranks No. 13 the nation. Morris's 52 RBI ranks as the ninth-best single-season total in program history. Morris is hitting .352 and is tied for the team lead with 57 hits, including a team-high seven hits with the bases loaded. Morris also tops the Bearcats in home runs (9). Morris has accumulated 18 multi-hit games, which includes 10 three-hit affairs. Morris is credited with a team-best 21 hits in two-out scenarios.

Runs Batted In (Season)
1. 66, Rob Czanstkowski, 1989
2. 61, Adam Bailey, 2000
3. 58, Scott Spurgeon, 1988
    58, Ryan Koski, 2023
5. 56, Willie Ciaramitaro, 2002
6. 55, Kyle Gallagher, 2005
7. 54, Britt Westman, 2007
    54, John Sipes, 2003
9. 52, Jay Hearn, 1996
    52, Trey Morris, 2024
 
Kaehukai Young ranks tied for third on the squad with 32 runs scored. He is batting .314 with 37 hits and four home runs. He has drawn 19 walks and has been hit by a pitch on seven occasions. He is 5-for-5 in stolen base attempts. Young brings a four-game hitting streak into the Newman series.
 
Cole Slibowski is batting .266 with 41 hits. He has 12 two-out RBI and has 11 two-out hits. He is third on the team with 12 multi-hit contests. He has posted five multi-RBI games. Slibowski has a team-best 29 hits when leading off an inning (29-of-59).

Alex Bowers is hitting .338 with 24 hits and 14 runs scored. Bowers has worked 10 walks.

Jacob Selock is batting .263 with 25 hits, 21 runs scored and 27 RBI. Selock has knocked six balls out of the park. Selock hit a one-out, two-run homer in the top of the ninth in the opening game of the FHSU series to propel the 'Cats to a 3-2 win.

The Bearcat pitching staff has put up a 7.20 team earned run average. Northwest pitchers have struck out 307 batters in 327 1/3 innings.
 
Casey Stalzer was named the MIAA Pitcher of the Week after he struck out a career-high 13 batters and tossed seven four-hit, scoreless innings against Fort Hays State. Stalzer is 4-3 in 10 starts with a 5.85 earned run average. Stalzer has struck out at least eight batters in seven of his 10 starts. Stalzer ranks No. 5 in the nation and leads the MIAA with 73 strikeouts. Stalzer also ranks No. 13 in the country in strikeouts-per-nine innings (12.55) in 52 1/3 innings pitched. Stalzer's next strikeout will catapult him into Northwest's top-10 list for strikeouts in a season.

Strikeouts (Season)
1. 114, Anthony Caenepeel, 2017
2. 110, Joseph Hietpas, 2018
3. 106, Brad Roberts, 2018
4. 97, Scott Kurtz, 1969
5. 93, Max Spitzmiller, 2022
6. 91, Anthony Caenepeel, 2016
7. 88, Steve Nelson, 1989
8. 81, Joseph Hietpas, 2017
9. 77, Joseph Hietpas, 2016
10. 74, Gary Hall, 2000
    74, Jayson Huett, 2011
 
Quinn Mason captured MIAA Pitcher of the Week honors (Feb. 26) as he mowed down Emporia State for 6 2/3 scoreless innings. Mason (2-2) struck out 11 Hornets in picking up his first win of the year. Mason has a 6.65 ERA in 47 1/3 innings pitched. Mason has struck out 53 batters.

Jake Ciafullo ranks eighth in the country and second in the MIAA with 19 appearances on the mound this season. Ciafullo is 2-2 with a 5.79 ERA in 28 innings pitched. He has struck out 17 batters.

George Fisher is 2-2 with a 5.32 ERA in three starts. Fisher has allowed 13 earned runs in 22 innings pitched with 20 strikeouts.
 
Jacob Gajic has tallied a team-best five saves this season. He is 2-4 with a 5.59 ERA in 37 innings of work. Gajic has struck out 40 batters in 15 appearances. Gajic has produced 14 career saves to rank fourth in Bearcat history.
 
Northwest Career Saves
1. 23, Trevor Dudar, 2018-19
2. 17, Carson Smith, 2011-16
3. 15, Matt Goodman, 2000-01
4. 14, Jacob Gajic, 2022-pr.
5. 13, Brett Whittle, 2006-07
6. 12, Jayson Huett, 2010-11
7. 11, Nikko Pablo, 2014-17
8. 9, Evan Nickell, 2007-08
9. 8, Matt Coons, 2003-06
10. 7, Brett Rust, 2002
    7, Troy Newman, 1984-85