G24-27: SBU BEARCATS (3-20, 2-14 MIAA)
vs FORT HAYS ST. TIGERS (15-5, 8-4 MIAA)
FRIDAY-SATURDAY, MARCH 26-27 • 1 PM/12 PM
DODSON FIELD • BOLIVAR, MO

SBU NOTES

BOLIVAR, Mo. -- The SBU Bearcats continue their long homestand with a four-game series against the Fort Hays State Tigers. The Bearcats are coming off last weekend's up and down series with MIAA preseason favorite Emporia State, that saw SBU drop a pair of heartbreaking one-run contests in the middle games of the series. While their bats came alive, SBU looks for stronger pitching this weekend.

Catcher Steven Davis continues to lead the Bearcats, hitting .367 with a home run and nine RBI. Davis also leads the team with a .472 on-base percentage while starting in all but three games.

Niko Saladis has a hit in eight of his last ten games and stands at .356 for the season, while tying for third in the MIAA with 25 hits. Saladis is tied  for 12th in the league with teammate Paden Grubbs with 33 total bases. Grubbs leads the Bearcats with five homers and 20 RBI, while Saladis and Nigel Morton lead the squad with five stolen bases.

Freshman Lendon Ehlman has come on recently, earning starts in the last seven games at first and third base. He has eight hits over those games and his average stands at .346.

Sophomore lefthander Wes Burrell has seen increased time on the hill, has picked up two of the Bearcat wins this year and leads the team with a 4.86 ERA.
   
THE COACHES AND SERIES HISTORY
Bearcat head coach Sam Berg is in his 11th season with SBU. Berg earned his 150th victory at SBU earlier this year against Missouri S&T. During his time in Bolivar, Berg has seen his program produce 24 All-MIAA awards, and two NCAA All-Region winners.
   
Rick Sabath is in his fourth year leading the FHSU program. He is 106-81 in three and a half years overall. He led the Tigers to a least 30 wins for the second time in three years last season.
   
The two teams have played only 12 times in the three years Fort Hays has been a member of the MIAA, with the Tigers taking eleven of those games. Last season, FHSU swept a rare tripleheader in Hays as the teams attempted to bypass a spring snow storm.

SCOUTING THE TIGERS
The Tigers have been one of the surprise MIAA teams in the first two months of the season, with a 15-5 overall record while garnering votes in the Collegiate Baseball Newspaper poll. Kyle Stacken is the top hitter for the Tigers, leading the team with a .424 average, eight home runs, 26 RBI and .879 slugging percentage. Conner Martin (.394) leads a core of FHSU regulars hitting over .300. As a team, FHSU is hitting .331 which ranks in the top half of the MIAA. Matt Augustine (2.30 ERA, 3-1, 30 K) and Mat Atkinson (2.60 ERA, 2-0) lead the Tiger hurlers.

NEXT UP FOR THE BEARCATS
The Bearcats face off against two top MIAA clubs next week, in the #3 Central Missouri Mules and #28 Nebraska-Omaha Mavericks. The clubs are the top two hitting teams in the MIAA and number one and three on the MIAA earned run average tally. Both clubs have just one loss in conference heading into this weekend. SBU hosts the Mules on Tuesday, March 30 for a doubleheader beginning at 1 p.m. from Dodson Field. The 'Cats then visit the Mavericks on Friday and Saturday, April 2 and 3.
   
Eric Cole (.429) and Chance Tuttle (.418) are the top UCM hitters while Nick DeBiasse (.381, 7 HR, 27 RBI) was this week's MIAA Hitter of the Week. Brooks Martin (6-0, 1.85 ERA, 43 K) is the top UCM pitcher, though Matt Curtis (2.10 ERA, 5-0) and Ryan Allen (2.64 ERA, 4-0) are right behind.
   
Tyler Lundy (.408, 3 HR, 19 RBI), Tyler Spilchal (.406, 10 RBI) and Jeremy Klein (.397, 12 RBI, 8 SB) lead the Mavs' offense. Joe Holtmeyer (2.14 ERA, 3-1, 61 K) is the ace of the Maverick staff.