Joplin, Mo. -- The Missouri Southern baseball team will be back in action this weekend as the Lions play host to Fort Hays State on Friday, Saturday and Sunday at Warren Turner Field.
Game times will be 5 pm Friday and 1 pm on Saturday and Sunday. The weekend will mark the 50th Anniversary Celebration for the baseball program at MSSU and there will be a recognition of former players on Saturday prior to the game. On Friday night, the Lions will honor former pitcher
Zach Parish with his NCAA Division II Pitcher of the Year plaque prior to the game.
Southern (19-12, 10-7 MIAA) is coming off a rout of Rogers State in a mid-week MIAA game on Tuesday where the Lions won 25-2. Southern scored 13 runs in the fourth inning where the Lions sent 18 batters to the plate.
Matt Miller had a huge day as he went 4-for-5 with three home runs, a double, eight RBIs and four runs scored. Miller tied a single-game MSSU record for home runs with three with Mark Baker (2-28-91 vs. Central State). The eight RBIs is tied for fourth-most in a single game, while the 25 runs Southern scored are the most since the Lions scored 29 against Newman last season.
Entering this weekend, the Lions rank third nationally in home runs, doubles and triples, while leading the MIAA in each of those categories. The Lions also lead the MIAA in shutouts and strikeouts per nine innings, while ranking second in slugging, fewest walks allowed, runs scored and hits. The Lions rank in the top three of 16 different MIAA categories.
Individually, Miller and
Tommy Stevenson rank eighth nationally and second in the MIAA in home runs with 12. Stevenson ranks seventh in total bases and tenth in slugging.
Jordan Fitzpatrick ranks fourth nationally in sacrifice flies and sixth in doubles, while
Henry Kusiak ranks fifth nationally in triples.
Logan VanWey ranks sixth nationally and leads the MIAA in strikeouts, while ranking 13th nationally in both games started and strikeouts per nine innings, leading the MIAA in each of those categories, as well.
Scott Duensing leads the MIAA and ranks second nationally in appearances, while
Ryan Paschal and
Cale McCallister rank fourth nationally and second in the MIAA in that category.
Cole Gayman (5-1) leads the MIAA in wins and ranks 28th nationally.
The Lions come into the game hitting .314 as a team and carry a 5.48 team ERA. The Lions have six of their nine starters hitting .300 or better with two more knocking on the door. Stevenson leads the way with a .413 batting average, while he and Miller are tied for the team-lead in home runs with 12. Miller has a team-high 37 RBIs, while Fitzpatrick leas with 14 doubles and Kusiak has a team-high five triples.
Gayman leads the way with a 5-1 record, while
Jacob Davis is 4-0 on the season. VanWey has a team-high 66 strikeouts in 42.2 innings, while
Cole Woods is second with 50.
Fort Hays State (3-26, 2-15 MIAA) has lost seven in a row, including a three-game sweep at Pittsburg State last weekend and a mid-week loss at Newman on Tuesday. The Tigers hit .219 as a team and carry a 9.31 team ERA.
Jenner Kehe has a team-best .324 batting average, while Grant Schmidt has team-highs in home runs with eight and RBis with 35. Sammy Sanchez has two of the team's three wins this season. He and Hunter Parker are tied for the team-high in strikeouts with 34.
Live stats and video will be available for each game with audio provided for Friday night's game. Links to each can be found in the story links section above.
The Lions will have a non-conference game next Tuesday against Missouri S&T at home, before heading out to Central Missouri next weekend.
