Starting 9
1) The Missouri State Bears (7-7) continue their 10-game homestand with four games this week, taking on Kansas (7-7) at 3 p.m. Wednesday and SEMO (13-1) in a three-game weekend set. The Bears' 10 consecutive scheduled home games set the table for the longest homestand since Missouri State moved to Hammons Field in 2004. The current long streak is nine games from March 28-April 11, 2017. MSU played 12 straight home contests during the 2003 season.
2) So far this season, the Bears have collected 60 extra base hits, with 30 doubles, five triples and 25 home runs. Missouri State is slugging .513, good for 29th nationally, and ranks 11th overall in home runs. MSU's 7 homers March 2 at Kansas was the most since 2002, and the Bears lead the MVC in homers and slugging percentage
3) Several MSU players rank among the NCAA statistical leaders, including
Mason Hull (11th with 7 home runs; 16th with 23 RBI; 84th with 36 total bases),
Dakota Kotowski (11th with 7 home runs) and
Spencer Nivens (42nd with 14 walks). Hull leads the MVC in RBI and homers, Kotowski shares the home run lead, while Nivens and
Hayden Moore rank 2-5 in walks.
4) Missouri State is 32-31 all-time against Kansas after a 12-3 win on March 2 in Lawrence. The Bears owns an 18-13 series lead in Springfield. MSU is 67-40 versus SEMO with a 38-16 home mark.
5) The Bears are 52-26 in their last 78 non-conference home games.
6) MSU has a pair of preseason all-Missouri Valley Conference players this season in junior catcher
Drake Baldwin and senior reliever
Trey Ziegenbein. Baldwin put together a 21-game hit streak last season - sixth-best in school history - on the way to second-team all-Valley honors, while Ziegenbein was a first-teamer after going 8-2 overall and 6-1 with a 2.22 ERA in league games.
7) The Bears have been victorious the last 15 times they have scored in the first inning. The last loss after plating a run in the opening frame came on March 1, 2020 at Rice.
8) Head coach
Keith Guttin picked up his 1,300th career victory on April 13, 2021 at Missouri. Guttin's troops beat the Tigers 7-5 in Columbia, and the 40th-year coach currently ranks third among active coaches and 18th overall with 1,316 career wins.
9) The Bears had six victories last season in their final at bat, and two so far this year (
Will Duff RBI triple in 8th vs. Cal Poly; Kotowski two-run HR in 8th vs. Indiana).
Mason Hull had three walk-off hits last season and four in his career. MSU has taken the lead in its final at bat in six of the team's last 11 home wins.
