Starting 9
1) The Missouri State Bears (14-13) play their first home night game of the season Tuesday at 6:30 p.m. when Oral Roberts (17-12) makes the return trip to Hammons Field after topping the Bears 6-5 on Feb. 22 in Tulsa.
2) The Bears have collected 110 extra base hits in 27 games and rank in the top 26 nationally in average (26th - .304), slugging (14th - .521), on-base percentage (25th - .406) and scoring (19th - 8.5).
3) Missouri State has hit five or more home runs in four games this season, has five different players with a multi-homer game, and has hit back-to-back long balls on four occasions. The Bears have scored five-plus runs in an inning on 14 occasions.
4) Senior
Dakota Kotowski ranks 4th nationally with 14 home runs and 2nd with 0.52 homers per game. He hit his 10th home run on March 20 in MSU's 18th game of the season. Only Jason Hart has reached double figures in fewer games, hitting his 10th in game 16 of the 1998 campaign.
5) The Bears are 57-27 (.679) in their last 84 regular-season non-conference home games.
6) Missouri State has turned 26 double plays on the year to rank 28th nationally in total DPs and 18th in per game average at 0.96.
7) The Bears are hitting .322 and average 4.9 runs against opposing relievers. Missouri State has scored more runs than games played in the fourth, fifth, seventh and eighth innings this season.
8) Missouri State is 33-28 all-time against Oral Roberts with 14-10 record against the Golden Eagles in Springfield. The Bears 8-3 against ORU since 2016, and teams have split the last 10 meetings at Hammons Field dating to 2012.
9) 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 1,323 career wins.
