Joplin, Mo. – The Missouri Southern baseball team will be back in action this weekend as the Lions play host to Washburn on Saturday, Sunday and Monday at Warren Turner Field.
Game times each day will be 1 pm each day with live stats and live video provided for each game. Monday's game will be carried on the Missouri Southern Radio Network (101.3 FM/1560 AM) and links to all can be found above in the story links section.
The Lions (15-9, 6-4 MIAA) had a sweep of Central Oklahoma on the road this past weekend but dropped a mid-week MIAA contest at Rogers State in extra innings.
The Lions have one of the top offenses in all of Division II this season, as Southern ranks second nationally in home runs, and triples, while ranking third in doubles, sixth in slugging and 14
th in runs scored. The Green and Gold lead the MIAA in home runs and triples, while ranking second in doubles, third in hits and runs scored and fifth in on-base percentage.
The pitching staff leads the MIAA in strikeout to walk ratio and ranks third in strikeouts per nine innings. The Lions are fourth in ERA, as well.
Individually,
Tommy Stevenson is having a season to remember. The sophomore and reigning MIAA Freshman of the Year, leads Division II in total bases, while ranking third in home runs, fourth in hits, fifth in runs and slugging, eighth in RBIs and 17
th in triples. Stevenson leads the MIAA in hits, on-base percentage, home runs, slugging, and total bases. Stevenson is hitting .452 with 12 home runs, 33 RBIs, 42 hits, 33 runs scored, six doubles, and three triples, all while slugging .968 and posting a .549 on-base percentage.
Jordan Fitzpatrick has been a sparkplug up top as he ranks second nationally in sacrifice flies, ninth in doubles, and 31
st in total bases. Fitzpatrick leads the MIAA in sacrifice flies and ranks third in doubles and tenth in total bases.
Henry Kusiak and
Nate Mieszkowski rank 17
th nationally in triples and second in the MIAA.
Scott Duensing leads Division II and
Ryan Paschal ranks second in appearances while
Logan VanWey ranks 11
th nationally in starts and 23
rd in strikeouts. VanWey leads the MIAA in starts and ranks second in the league in strikeouts.
Cole Woods is third in the MIAA in strikeouts.
Washburn (17-6, 8-2 MIAA) comes into the game having lost two of three at Northeastern State, but the Ichabods took a mid-week game from Northwest Missouri on Tuesday.
The Ichabods hit .314 as a team and carry a 5.29 ERA. Zion Bowlin leads the team with a .356 batting average, while posting totals of four homers, 21 RBIs, five doubles and 22 runs scored. Parker Dunn and Brett Ingram have nine and eight home runs, respectively, while Dunn leads the team with 30 RBIs.
Charlie Kiefer has a 3-1 record in seven appearances and is tops on the team in wins. Casey Steward (1-0), Jack Brimacombe (1-1) and Rane Pfeifer (2-2) have all started six games each, but have only factored in four of the Ichabods' 17 wins this year. Dalton Huggins has nine appearances and is tied for the team-lead in strikeouts (38) with Pffeifer and has a 2-0 record with a 2.45 ERA, including two saves.
The Lions will venture out into non-conference action next week with a game at Drury on Wednesday, before heading to Emporia State for a weekend series.
