Starting 9
1) The Missouri State Bears (24-24, 7-11) close out the regular season this week at Bradley (18-26, 9-9), taking on the Braves at 6 p.m. Thursday and Friday and 2 p.m. Saturday in Peoria. Missouri State will then turn its attention to the MVC Tournament, May 24-28 at Hammons Field. The Bears will host the event for the fifth time and first since 2017. Entering the final weekend, the Bears are currently in Tuesday's single-elimination round, but can move into fourth place and a Wednesday start to their tournament with a sweep at Bradley coupled with Indiana State losing at least once to DBU.
2) The Bears have collected 183 extra base hits in 48 games and rank in the top 38 nationally in slugging percentage (38th - .486), home runs (34th - 74), homers/game (24th - 1.54) and doubles/game (38th - 2.15). MSU's slugging figure is the program's second-best over the last 22 seasons (.500 in 2016), and it's the third time since 2000 that Missouri State has 100 doubles and 70 home runs in a season (2016 and 2017).
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 five occasions. Missouri State has scored 10-plus runs in a game 14 times and five or more runs in an inning 19 times this season.
4) Senior
Dakota Kotowski ranks 10th nationally with 20 home runs and 9th at 0.42 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. Kotowski was named the MVC and Collegiate Baseball Player of the Week on April 25.
5) Missouri State has turned 39 double plays on the year to rank 53rd nationally in total DPs and 51st in per game average at 0.81. The Bears are fielding .985 with nine total errors in the last 17 games.
6) Opposing bullpens have a combined 8.97 ERA against Missouri State this season. The Bears are hitting .308 and average 4.3 runs per game against opposing relievers. Missouri State has scored more runs than games played in the fifth and seventh innings this season.
7) Missouri State leads 70-42 in the all-time series with a 23-22 mark in Peoria. The last seven meetings have taken place in Springfield, and MSU took the series at Dozer Park in 2018 with 5-4 and 13-2 victories sandwiched around a 2-0 loss.
8) In 21 true road games this season, Missouri State is hitting .298 and slugging .528 with 41 home runs and an 8.1 scoring average.
9) Head coach
Keith Guttin ranks third among active coaches and 16th overall with 1,333 career wins.
