The Northwest Missouri State University Bearcats baseball team plays a mid-week double-header against Missouri Western State University in St. Joseph on Tuesday, March 26, 2013, with the first pitch of game one set for 4pm on the campus of Missouri Western. Northwest just swept the Truman State Bulldogs by winning three straight games in Kirksville, Missouri, to advance their 2013 record to 9-16, 7-13 MIAA. Missouri Western has won 18 of their last 19 games and lost their first conference game last weekend versus Central Oklahoma. The Griffons are ranked #20 in the NCAA Division 2 baseball poll in the most recent poll. The Griffons 2013 record is 19-4, 6-1 at home, 9-3 on the road, 4-0 at neutral sites, and 14-1 in the MIAA. The Griffons' offense is on a remarkable streak. It is statistically the most productive offense the MIAA has seen in some time. The Griffons' batters are getting on base nearly half of the time. While the Griffons' defense is suspect, the pitching is also very solid. The Bearcats' pitchers must keep the Griffon batters uncomfortable and off-balance to limit their effectiveness. The pitchers must pound the strike zone and not give away free passes to the bases. The Bearcats' defense must help the Bearcats' pitchers by not giving extra outs in a frame. The Bearcats offense is going to have to run with the Western offense's nearly 10 runs per game average. The keys to success for the Bearcats include (1) avoiding allowing the big inning, (2) keep the Griffons off the board early in the game, and (3) score some runs early to pressure the Griffons' pitching staff and defense.
NWMSU MWSU
Batting Average .267 .389
Slugging % .384 .597
On-base % .361 .460
Stolen Bases/Attempts 25/35 31/42
Fielding % .967 .954
ERA 7.20 4.39
Go Cats!!
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