Joplin, Mo. – The fourth ranked Missouri Southern baseball program will host No. 18 Central Missouri in a three game conference series beginning on Thursday Apr. 6th at 6:00pm from Warren Turner Field.
 
The scheduled start times for the weekend begins with a 6:00pm first pitch on Thursday and Friday with a 1:00pm start set for Saturday to conclude the series.
 
The Lions (28-8, 16-4 MIAA) as a team are hitting .328 with 11.7 hits, 2.6 doubles, 2.2 home runs and 10.2 runs per game while stealing 0.8 bases with a 83.3 percent success rate. The pitching staff has a 5.32 ERA with opponents hitting .282 with 3.6 walks, 8.1 strikeouts and 1.53 WHIP per game.
 
Ethan Clark leads the team with a .387 average with 43 hits, 11 doubles and 36 RBIs. Nate Mieszkowski is hitting .386 with 54 runs scored, 61 hits, eight doubles, two triples, 12 home runs and 46 RBIs while slugging .690. Henry Kusiak is hitting .365 with 45 runs scored, 54 hits, 11 doubles, 10 home runs and 39 RBIs while slugging .655. Matt Miller is hitting .358 with 40 runs socred, 48 hits, nine doubles, 13 home runs and 46 RBIs while slugging .731. Garrett Rice is hitting .342 with 44 runs scored, 51 hits, seven doubles, eight home runs and 33 RBIs. Drew Davis is hitting .304 with 24 hits, eight doubles and two home runs. Treghan Parker is hitting .256 with 39 runs scored, 30 hits, eight doubles, two triples, 12 home runs and 46 RBIs while slugging .667.
 
On the mound Cole Woods is 7-1 with a 3.19 ERA, 0.91 WHIP from nine starts for 53.2 innings while striking out 57 and opponents hitting .207. Cole Gayman is 4-0 with a 5.25 ERA from nine appearances for 36.0 innings while striking out 32. Cale McCallister (3-0), Trent Harris (3-0), Steen Lane (3-0), Owen Schneider (1-1) and Kyle Kaempf (0-1) have started games this season as well. McCallister has appeared in 12 games for 22.1 innings with 19 strikeouts. Laif Hultine is 2-1 with a 2.84 ERA, 1.00 WHIP from 15 appearances for 19.0 innings while striking out 18 and opponents hitting .225. Kyle Moore is 5-2 with a 3.29 ERA, 1.12 WHIP from 14 appearances for 41.0 innings while striking out 42 and opponents hitting .230.
 
Central Missouri (25-9, 16-4 MIAA) as a team is hitting .336 with 11.1 hits, 1.9 doubles, 1.3 home runs and 8.8 runs per game while stealing 2.9 bases with a 83.8 percent success rate. The pitching staff has a 4.44 ERA with opponents hitting .223 with 4.1 walks, 8.7 strikeouts and 1.32 WHIP per game.
 
Carter Young is hitting .406 with 32 runs scored, 54 hits, 10 doubles, nine home runs and 42 RBIs while slugging .699. Jack Schark is hitting .388 with 40 hits, eight doubles, 22 RBIs and 16 stolen bases from 20 attempts. Cole Moore is hitting .363 with 41 hits, 10 doubles, three triples, two home runs, 29 RBIs and nine stolen bases. Max Holy is hitting .346 with 27 hits, seven doubles, 17 RBIs and 12 stolen bases. John Prudhom is hitting .345 with 39 runs scored, 41 hits, seven doubles, 12 home runs, 36 RBIs to slug .723 while stealing 12 bases. Vance Tabol is hitting .312 with 32 runs scored, 39 hits, five doubles, three triples, seven home runs for 36 RBIs and seven stolen bases.
 
On the mound Conner Wolf is 6-2 with a 3.77 ERA, 1.02 WHIP from nine starts for 43.0 innings while striking out 42 and opponents hitting .220. Cole LaLonde is 1-0 with a 3.57 ERA from eight starts for 22.2 innings with 37 strikeouts and opponents hitting .253. Cole Schroeder (0-0), Jake Wilson (1-0), Brock Toney (3-2), Jacob Merithew (1-0) and Grayson Senn (1-1) have started games this season as well. Jeremiah Ceasar have made 11 appearances this season and is 2-0 from 9.2 innings with 12 strikeouts and opponents hitting .171.