Starting 9
1) The Missouri State Bears (22-22, 5-10) play their final non-conference game of the season Tuesday at 5 p.m. when they visit in-state rival Southeast Missouri State. The Bears took two of three from SEMO in a March 19-20 series at Hammons Field, and own at least one victory over each of the other three Division I baseball schools in the state this year (SEMO, Saint Louis, Missouri) with a 4-2 record against Missouri schools.
2) The Bears have collected 168 extra base hits in 44 games and rank in the top 36 nationally in slugging percentage (35th - .486), home runs (36th - 67) and homers per game (25th - 1.52). Missouri State has scored 10-plus runs in a game 13 times and five or more runs in an inning 17 times this season.
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.
4) Senior
Dakota Kotowski ranks 8th nationally with 19 home runs and 9th at 0.43 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 37 double plays on the year to rank 41st nationally in total DPs and 34th in per game average at 0.84.
6) Opposing bullpens have a combined 9.31 ERA against Missouri State this season. The Bears are hitting .313 and average 4.4 runs per game against opposing relievers. Missouri State has scored more runs than games played in the fifth and seventh innings this season.
7) The Bears lead SEMO 69-41 in the all-time series with a 29-24 record in Cape Girardeau The teams did not
play between 1981 and 1992, and
Keith Guttin is 35-14 against the Redhawks since the series resumed 30 years ago. MSU has won the last two meetings in Cape, 9-8 last season and 8-2 in 2019.
8) In 20 true road games this season, Missouri State is hitting .298 and slugging .530 with 40 home runs and an 8.2 scoring average.
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 17th overall with 1,331 career wins.
