The Starting Lineup
- Missouri State returns home for a midweek matchup against Southern Illinois on Tuesday evening (5:00 p.m.). The Salukis and Bears will close out their three game series as SIU won the first two games in Carbondale earlier this season by scores of 8-7 (8 innings) and 9-2.
- The matchup with the Salukis marks MoState's lone home contest in a 15-game span from March 27-April 19.
- Since the beginning of the 2021 season, Missouri State owns a 54-13 record at home. This season, the Bears are a perfect 7-0 at home and are outscoring opponents 56-11 at Meador Park. MoState has not given up a home run this season at its home park, while the Bears have knocked six long balls and are batting .400 as a team. At home, the MoState pitching staff owns a 1.17 ERA compared to a 6.03 ERA from its opponents.
- McKenzie Vaughan (Sr., Bella Vista, Ark.) is tied for second in program history with 27 career home runs. She is tied with Jessie Smith and trails only her former teammate Olivia Krehbiel who broke the record last season with 31 career homers. Vaughan also leads the team this season with 29 RBI and eight home runs.
- Last week, the Stillwater, Okla. tandem of Makenzi Swick and Sidney McLaughlin led the way for the Bears against Missouri and Northern Iowa. Swick led the pitching staff with an incredible 0.48 ERA in 14.2 innings of work. The right-handed pitcher allowed just one earned run while striking out nine batters in three appearances on the week. Meanwhile, her battery mate McLaughlin batted .545 (6-11) with three RBI, a double, a home run and didn't strike out. Behind the plate, McLaughlin threw out four runners on five stolen base attempts and recorded a pickoff.
- In MVC games this season, MoState ranks first in fielding percentage (.977) and second in both team batting average (.309) and ERA (2.43).
- The Bears are 8-0 this season when holding opponents to two runs or less and are 8-1 when out-hitting opponents. MoState has had 14 games decided by two runs or less this season. MoState owns a 4-10 record in those games.
- Kasey Griffith is in her first season at the helm of the Bears program. She stepped into the lead role following the retirement of longtime head coach Holly Hesse. Griffith was named the seventh head coach in the history of the program on June 5, 2024, and this marks her first stint as a head coach. The Dallas Center, Iowa, native has been on the MoState staff for the last two seasons, including serving as associate head coach in 2024.
- The 2025 MoState roster includes 12 returners, nine newcomers (seven freshmen, two transfers) and features 12 underclassmen. From last year's squad, the Bears had eight departures which included seven seniors. Three of MoState's freshmen have started at least 30 games this season (Baber, Romine, Studer).
Series History
Missouri State trails the all-time series against Southern Illinois, 55-66, which includes a 27-19 record in Springfield. Tuesday's matchup serves as the final game of the 2025 regular-season series between the Bears and Salukis, as the first two games were played in Carbondale on March 18 and 19.
MoState lost both of the previous matchups, falling 8-7 in eight innings after overcoming a 7-1 deficit in the first game before dropping game two 9-2.
Chloe Merced led the way for the Bears offensivley at SIU, batting .571 (4-7) with a double, a triple and two RBI.
McKenzie Vaughan also had a grand slam in game one against the Salukis.
