Starting 9
1) Missouri State (21-9, 9-3 Conference USA) makes the trip north to Columbia on Tuesday at 6 p.m. for the first round of this season's home-and-home series with Missouri (19-14, 3-9 SEC). The Bears follow the rivarly game with a three-game series at Delaware from April 10-12. Mo State hosts the return game against the Tigers on April 15.
2) Missouri State is ranked 11th in the NCAA RPI through April 5 and appeared in the Perfect Game Top 25 this week at No. 23. The Bears have played the 24th-toughest schedule in Division I, with opponents combining for a .595 winning percentage, and are projected to finish 49th in that metric as remaining opponents have a combined .535 winning percentage.
3) The Bears have homered in 182 of the last 216 games, including 27 of 30 this season, and rank 6th nationally with 488 long balls since the beginning of the 2022 season, when head coach
Joey Hawkins took over as hitting coach. Mo State leads Conference USA and ranks 4th nationally this year with 66 homers. The current roster has combined for 168 round-trippers in their time at Mo State.
4) According to TruMedia, Missouri State hitters rank 10th nationally in hard hit % with 48.1 percent of batted balls at 95 mph or better, and 12th with an average exit velocity on batted balls of 90.4 mph. The Bears are one of the two highest-rated non-Power Four school in both categories.
5) Junior
Caden Bogenpohl ranks 3rd nationally with 36 walks this season after drawing 53 and 55 (season record) his first two years. His 144 career free passes are 2nd in school history, 10 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 26th in home runs.
6) Senior
Taeg Gollert ranks 2nd among active NCAA players (all divisions) with 67 career doubles and has a pair of Missouri State program records in his sights. He tied Brayden Drake's doubles record of 67 on March 31, and his 104 career extra-base hits currently place him 3rd, which is 12 behind Jason Hart's record of 116. Gollert also ranks 10th among active Division I players with 400 total bases, 11th with 225 hits and 23rd with 160 RBIs.
7) Missouri State is 34-7 at home under
Joey Hawkins and boasts a .338 batting average and .646 slugging percentage with 101 total home runs and a 10.5 scoring average in those 41 games. The Bears are 15-0 at Hammons Field this year, own the second-longest active home winning streak, and are one of three teams unbeaten at home in 2026 (more on page 2).
8) Max Knight and
Curry Sutherland headline Missouri State's two-way threats this season. Knight has made starts at 1B, LF, RF, DH and P this year, and has 20 homers and 68 RBIs as a Bear while going 10-2 with 5 saves and 93 strikeouts in 70.1 innings. Sutherland owns career totals of 21 homers and 72 RBIs while throwing 28 innings with 33 Ks.
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 seven regular season championship and five tournament titles in The Valley from 1991-2025.
