Joplin, Mo. – The 4^th-ranked Missouri Southern baseball team will be on the road this week as the Lions will travel to Missouri Western to take on the Griffons in three games beginning tomorrow afternoon.
 
Originally scheduled to take place on Friday and Saturday, the games will now consist of a double-header beginning at noon on Thursday and a single game at 1 pm on Friday.
 
Southern comes into the series leading the MIAA with an 11-1 overall record and a 5-1 mark in league play. The Lions are coming off a series win last weekend at Washburn where the Lions took two of three from the Ichabods.
 
The Lions lead the MIAA in doubles, doubles per game, ERA, hits allowed per nine innings (fewest), home runs, shutouts, (WHIP) walks and hits per nine innings (fewest), strikeout to walk ratio, and walks allowed per nine innings (fewest). Southern is second in the MIAA in strikeouts per nine innings, walks (hitting), hits (hitting), and home runs per game.
 
The Lions rank sixth nationally in shutouts, while ranking seventh in strikeout to walk ratio, ninth in both doubles and ERA, and tenth in home runs.
 
Individually, Will Bausinger leads the MIAA in wins, complete games, games started and strikeouts. Troy Gagan leads the league in doubles, RBIs and total bases, while ranking second in home runs and hits. Zach Parish and Bausinger are tied for the league-lead in strikeouts, while Bausinger, Parish and Zac Shoemaker are tied for the league-lead in games started. Bausinger and Parish are tied atop the league in wins, while Parish leads the MIAA in WHIP. Cole Woods and Chase Beiter lead the MIAA in saves, while Beiter leads the league in appearances.
 
Bausiner and Parish are fourth nationally in strikeouts, while Woods and Beiter rank seventh saves. Gagan is 10^th in home runs and 12^th in total bases, while ranking 13^th in doubles.
 
The Griffons are 2-9 overall and 1-5 in league play. The two teams got together earlier in the season when the Lions defeated Western 4-2 in ten innings at Warren Turner Field. Tommy Stevenson hit a walk-off home run to end the game.
 
Chaz Verduzco leads the team with a .385 batting average, while Roy Robles has both the team's wins.
 
Live video and live stats will be available for all games this weekend and links to both can be found above in the story links.