PITTSBURG — The Pittsburg State University baseball team is set to play host to Northwest Missouri State University in a three-game MIAA series beginning Friday (Mar. 1).

The Gorillas and Bearcats will meet at 3 p.m. (CST) Friday at Al Ortolani Field and then face off at 1 p.m. Saturday and Sunday (Mar. 2-3). NWMSU is 8-7 overall (1-2 MIAA) after dropping two of three games in an MIAA series to Emporia State University. The Bearcats scored a 10-2 non-conference win over Benedictine College Tuesday (Feb. 27).

As a team, Pitt State is hitting .324 and scoring 8.8 runs per game. The Gorillas have smacked 37 doubles and 26 home runs and stolen 32 bases to date. Pitt State pitchers have a 4.52  ERA registering 112 strikeouts in 123.1 innings pitched. Defensively, the Gorillas have a .971 fielding percentage with 15 errors in 525 total chances. The Gorillas currently lead the MIAA in ERA, ranks fourth in the conference in batting average, fifth in fielding percentage and sixth in runs scored.
 
Junior outfielder Blake Mozley leads the squad with a .400 batting average. Mozley has three doubles and a home run among his 14 hits to date.

Junior outfielder Karson Coffee is batting .351 with a team-leading 17 runs scored, seven home runs and 26 RBI. He currently ranks second in the MIAA in home runs and third in the league in RBI to date. Coffee hit .600 (9-for-15) with four home runs and 15 RBI in four games two weeks ago to earn MIAA Hitter of the Week honors as well as NCAA Division II National Hitter of the Week accolades from the National Collegiate Baseball Writers of America (NCBWA) and D2 Baseball Insider.

Senior infielder Cade Clemons also is hitting .340 with three doubles, two triples, three home runs and 10 RBI, while junior infielder Austin Warkins is batting .333 with 15 runs scored, three doubles, two home runs and 12 RBI.

Junior righthander Tanner Leslie (3-0, 3.20 ERA), graduate RHP Alex Kafka (1-1, 4.86 ERA) and junior RHP Brady Pacha (1-2, 5.51 ERA) are slated to start on the mound for the Gorillas in the series.

Junior righthander Andrew Wisner has a 6.75 ERA and two saves in four relief appearances for the Gorillas. Junior RHP Gage Singer is 0-1 with a 0.00 ERA and 12 strikeouts in 6.2 innings of bullpen work, while junior RHP Boston Dowd (1-0, 0.00 ERA) has made four appearances and allowed just two hits in 8.0 innings of work with nine strikeouts.