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1)Â Missouri State (12-7, 2-1 Conference USA) plays its first ever home CUSA series this weekend when Middle Tennessee (12-9, 2-1) visits Hammons Field for a three-game set. Game times are 6:30 p.m. Friday, 2 p.m. Saturday and 1 p.m. Sunday. The Bears are ranked 11th in the most recent NCAA RPI. Mo State remains at home March 24 for a 3 p.m. game with Oklahoma State, the first of four Power Four schools scheduled to visit Springfield this season.
2)Â The Bears have homered in 173 of the last 205 games, including 18 of 19 this season, and rank 8th nationally with 462 long balls since the beginning of the 2022 season, when head coach
Joey Hawkins took over as hitting coach. Mo State ranks 2nd in Conference USA and 7th nationally this year with 40 homers. The current roster has combined for 142 round-trippers in their time at Mo State and four have a 10-plus homer season for the Bears.
3)Â According to TruMedia, Missouri State hitters rank 5th nationally in hard hit % with 48.8 percent of batted balls at 95 mph or better, and rank 13th with an average exit velocity on batted balls of 90.6 mph. The Bears are one of the two highest-rated non-Power Four school in both categories.
4)Â Junior
Caden Bogenpohl ranks 6th nationally with 26 walks this season after drawing 53 and 55 (season record) his first two years. His 134 career free passes are 2nd in school history, 20 behind Bill Mueller's mark of 154. Bogenpohl also ranks tied for 13th at Mo State with 37 career home runs. Bogenpohl ranks 5th among active Division I players in career walks and 23rd in home runs.
5)Â Senior
Taeg Gollert is the NCAA active career leader (all divisions) with 64 doubles and has a pair of Missouri State program records in his sights. His doubles total ranks 2nd in program history, just 3 behind Brayden Drake's record of 67, and his 97 career extra-base hits currently place him 8th, which is 19 behind Jason Hart's record of 116. Gollert also ranks 12th among active Division I players with 214 hits and 25th with 149 RBIs.
6)Â Missouri State is 26-7 at home under
Joey Hawkins and boasts a .329 batting average and .625 slugging percentage with 78 total home runs and a 10.1 scoring average in those 33 games.
7)Â The Bears ranked 32nd nationally last season with 9.51 strikeouts per nine innings, the program's highest figure since 1969.
Tyler Charlton set the school record at 12.87 Ks/9, fanning 82 batters in 57.1 frames.
Max Knight fanned 58 in 47.2 innings, while
Michael Yusypchuk punched out 63 in 71 innings as the Bears' Friday night starter as a freshman.
  Mo State averages 9.33 Ks/9 this season, including a 17-strikeout performance on March 3 at Oklahoma State, just two shy of the school single-game record.
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)Â Max Knight and
Curry Sutherland headline Missouri State's two-way threats this season. Knight has made starts at 1B, LF, DH and P this year, and has 17 homers and 58 RBIs as a Bear while going 5-2 with 5 saves and 76 strikeouts in 59.2 innings. Sutherland owns career totals of 19 homers and 60 RBIs while throwing 24.2 innings with 28 Ks.Â
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)Â Missouri State is in its first season in Conference USA in 2026 after a 35-year run in the Missouri Valley Conference. The Bears went 488-347 (.584) with seven regular season championship and five tournament titles in The Valley from 1991-2025.
