Starting 9
1) Missouri State begins Missouri Valley Conference play this week with a three-game series at preseason favorite No. 24 Dallas Baptist (18-10). The Patriots are rated No. 2 in the April 5 NCAA RPI. Game one is set for 6:30 p.m. Friday, April 8, followed by 2 p.m. Saturday and 1 p.m. Sunday.
2) The Bears have collected 101 extra base hits in 24 games and rank in the top 26 nationally in average (25th - .304), slugging (12th - .533), on-base percentage (26th - .407) 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 12 occasions.
4) Senior
Dakota Kotowski ranks 2nd nationally with 13 home runs and leads the country with 0.54 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 434-301 in 31 MVC seasons with six regular season titles.
6) Missouri State has turned 25 double plays on the year to rank 17th nationally in total DPs and 6th in per game average at 1.04.
7) Missouri State's bullpen put together a 26-inning scoreless streak that began March 8 and ended March 20. MSU relievers own 4.17 ERA for the full season and limit opponents to a .238 batting average.
Trey Ziegenbein ranks 2nd in the MVC with a 2.08 ERA out of the pen, while he and
Forrest Barnes both have opponent averages of .217 or below in relief while each throwing 26-plus innings. Meanwhile, the Bears are hitting .321 and scoring 4.9 runs per game against opposing relievers.
8) The Bears are 17-18 against DBU with an 8-9 record against the Patriots in Dallas. Missouri State has won four of the last five meetings on DBU's home field. Missouri State and DBU have evenly split the last six MVC regular season titles.
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.
