Northeastern State will attempt to keep heading in the right direction Thursday within the semifinals of the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Affiliation Match.
The No. 23 RiverHawks (36-14) have strung collectively 18 wins over their final 20 outings, together with a two-game sweep of Rogers State final weekend within the quarterfinal spherical at Rousey Discipline.
NSU, the No. 2 seed, will tackle third-seeded Pittsburg State (31-19) in a scheduled 4 p.m. begin at Wendell Simmons Discipline in Edmond.
The RiverHawks have been productive on the plate like they’ve been all yr, and strong on the mound towards the Hillcats. Offensively, they scored 15 runs, collected 25 hits, belted six dwelling runs, and had eight extra-base hits. Beginning pitchers Lee Callsion and Jonathan Smithey allowed simply two earned runs on 9 hits throughout 13 innings, and relievers Dakodah Jones, Cohen Bell, Jake Bigham and Davin Pollard gave up two earned runs on 4 hits in 5 innings.
“Saturday and Sunday have been an excellent style of us being an entire workforce,” NSU head coach Jake Hendrick stated. “That’s the secret for us…simply get within the dugout as shortly as we will in order that we will get our offense up there and hold stress on our opponent. That’s a recipe for fulfillment for us.”
Brock Reller and Blake Freeman have been the catalysts within the lineup. Reller had 5 hits, together with a pair of dwelling runs, and drove in 4 runs. Freeman had 4 hits and two RBIs.
NSU took two of three video games throughout the common season towards Pittsburg State in March. The collection win was a springboard for the RiverHawks as they gained 17 of their remaining 22 common season video games. Within the three common season matchups, the 2 groups mixed for 70 runs.
“We have been 5 or 6 video games over .500 on the time,” Hendrick stated. “That collection actually received us going. It was eye opening for us. We knew we may hit, however we don’t wish to play high-scoring video games. Once we rating a bunch we wish to have the ability to get out of there with a run-rule or really feel snug with what our offense has accomplished, main us to a win.”
Reller, the MIAA Co-Participant of the 12 months, a three-time MIAA Baseball Athlete of the Week, and a Nationwide Participant of the Week, leads all of NCAA Division II with 26 dwelling runs, which can also be a single-season MIAA document. He’s hitting .338 and is second within the nation with 78 RBIs.
Freeman leads NSU with a .429 batting common and is amongst nation leaders in hits (87) and on-base share (.506).
The Northeastern State lineup has been among the many nation’s elite all season.
Six NSU gamers — Reller, Matt Kaiser, Blaze Brothers, Collin Klingensmith, C.D. White and Brayden Rodden — have hit 10 dwelling runs or extra. Eight gamers — Freeman, White, Rodden, Reller, Kaiser, Klingensmith, Tucker Dunlap and Dylan Hight — are hitting over .300.
The NSU pitching workers is second within the MIAA with a 5.13 earned run common. Led by Smithey and Callison within the beginning rotation, and Pollard, Bell and Bigham within the bullpen, the RiverHawks have allowed 428 hits in 421.2 innings and have 361 strikeouts and 198 walks.
“Everyone desires to speak concerning the offense, and I get that. I’m behind what our offense is doing and it’s been actually, actually particular, however we’ve guys that may pitch it,” Hendrick stated. “They’re very aggressive and I feel the stretch we’re on comes from being full. We’ve gained baseball video games in a variety of other ways.”
Pittsburg State, winners in eight of its final 10 video games, are third within the MIAA in hitting with a .326 batting common. The Gorillas are second in fielding (49 errors in 50 video games) and eighth in pitching with a 6.36 ERA.
“They’re an excellent workforce,” Hendrick stated. “They actually prefer to swing it. I feel success for us goes to come back from conserving the ball down, conserving it within the yard and making them get a number of hits to beat us.”
Garrett McGowan and Jordan Maxson are Pittsburg State’s prime two hitters. McGowan is hitting .408 with 17 dwelling runs and has knocked in 77 runs, and Maxson is hitting .355 with 17 homers and 57 RBIs.
“We have now to attempt to not let McGowan and Maxson change the sport by leaving the yard,” Hendrick stated.
“I feel we’re in an excellent spot. We attempt to be actual trustworthy about what’s coming and with what’s in entrance of us. There’s going to be some nerves and a few powerful conditions that get thrown our approach. We wish to put together for these forward of time. We don’t know what kind of recreation we’re going to should play to achieve success, however we’re able to taking part in any kind of recreation.”