Starting 9
1) The Missouri State Bears (14-14, 0-3) play their second Missouri Valley Conference series of the season and first at home this weekend when Evansville (16-16, 1-2) pays a visit to Hammons Field for the first time since 2018. First pitch Friday is set for 2 p.m., followed by 2 p.m. Saturday and 1 p.m. Sunday.
2) The Bears have collected 115 extra base hits in 28 games and rank in the top 27 nationally in average (22nd - .305), slugging (13th - .520), on-base percentage (27th - .405) 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 5th nationally with 14 home runs and 2nd with 0.50 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 434-304 in 31 MVC seasons with six regular season titles.
6) Missouri State has turned 26 double plays on the year to rank 32nd nationally in total DPs and 20th in per game average at 0.93.
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 leads the all-time series 61-43 with a 28-18 mark at home. The Purple Aces have not visited Hammons Field since April 6-8, 2018. The Bears swept that series and have won 10 of 13 versus UE since the beginning of the 2017 season.
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.
