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1) Missouri State (26-15, 14-7 Conference USA) begins a seven-game home stand this weekend with a three-game series against league-leading Jacksonville State (36-9, 18-3) in the first games played at Route 66 Stadium under the new moniker. Start times are set for 6:30 p.m. Friday, 2 p.m. Saturday and 12 p.m. Sunday.
2) Missouri State is ranked 23rd in the NCAA RPI through April 28. The Bears have played the 40th-toughest schedule in Division I, with opponents combining for a .566 winning percentage, and are projected to finish 42nd in that metric as remaining opponents have a combined .559 winning percentage.
3) The Bears have homered in 192 of the last 227 games, including 37 of 41 this season, and rank 10th nationally with 501 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 14th nationally this year with 79 homers, while leading the league in average (.304), slugging (.541) and OBP (.413) and sitting in the top 37 in the NCAA in all three slash categories. The current roster has combined for 181 round-trippers in their time at Mo State.
4) According to TruMedia, Missouri State leads the nation in barrel percentage at 25.4%, defined as batted balls at an exit velocity of 95+ mph and launch angle between 10 and 35 degrees. The also rank 11th with 47.5% of batted balls at 95+ mph, and 11th with an average exit velocity on batted balls of 90.3 mph.Â
5) Junior
Caden Bogenpohl ranks 15th nationally with 42 walks this season after drawing 53 and 55 (season record) his first two years. His 150 career free passes are 2nd in school history, 4 behind Bill Mueller's mark of 154. Bogenpohl also ranks tied for 12th at Mo State with 38 career home runs. Bogenpohl ranks 5th among active Division I players in career walks and 17th with 171 runs scored.
6) Senior
Taeg Gollert ranks 2nd among active NCAA players (all divisions) with a Missouri State-record 70 career doubles. His 109 career extra-base hits place him 3rd at Mo State behind Steve Hacker (110) and Jason Hart (116). Gollert also ranks 11th among active Division I players with 417 total bases, 15th with 233 hits and 22nd with 170 RBIs.
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) Missouri State is 36-8 at home under
Joey Hawkins and boasts a .338 batting average and .637 slugging percentage with 106 total home runs and a 10.4 scoring average in those 44 games. The Bears are 17-1 at Route 66 Stadium in 2026 after starting the season with a school-record 17-game home winning streak.
8) Max Knight and
Curry Sutherland headline Missouri State's two-way threats this season, with both making the 15-player John Olerud Two-Way Player of the Year semifinalist list. Knight has made starts at 1B, LF, RF, DH and P this year, and has 21 homers and 76 RBIs as a Bear while going 10-4 with 6 saves and 99 strikeouts in 78.1 innings. Sutherland owns career totals of 26 homers and 85 RBIs while throwing 33 innings with 40 Ks.Â
9) 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 7 regular season championship and 5 tournament titles in the MVC from 1991-2025.
