PITTSBURG -- The Pittsburg State University baseball team will travel to Maryville, Mo., to open a three-game MIAA series with Northwest Missouri State University beginning Friday (Mar. 27). The Gorillas and Bearcats will meet at 3 p.m. (CDT) Friday at Bearcat Baseball Field with a 2 p.m. contest Saturday and an 1 p.m. game Sunday to follow.

Pittsburg State is 26-3 overall and 15-3 in MIAA play. The Gorillas are ranked No. 1 in the most recent National Collegiate Baseball Writers of America (NCBWA) NCAA Division II Top 25 poll released Wednesday (Mar. 25); and Pitt State is ranked No. 2 nationally in the American Baseball Coaches Association (ABCA) Top 30 poll released Tuesday (Mar. 24).
 
The Gorillas enter the series off a 12-6 home win over Missouri Southern State University Wednesday (Mar. 25). Pitt State hitters swatted four home runs in the game vs the Lions. Pitt State also took two of three games in a home series vs. the University of Central Oklahoma last weekend. The Gorillas posted 12-8 and 11-0 wins over the Bronchos, with a 13-3 loss sandwiched in-between.
 
Northwest Missouri is 19-9 on the season and 9-5 in MIAA play. The Bearcats dropped a 16-6 home decision to Missouri Western State University Wednesday. NWMSU took two of three games in a weekend series against Washburn University last weekend at Topeka.
 
The Gorillas lead Division II in batting average (.375) and on-base percentage (.486), rank second nationally in scoring (12.2 rpg) and third in the country in runs (355). Pitt State leads the MIAA in batting average, runs, hits (374), RBI (330) and slugging percentage (.583).
 
Senior outfielder Dagen Brewer leads the MIAA with a .490 batting average. He has collected 50 hits, with 15 doubles and 13 home runs, scored 41 runs and compiled 59 RBI. Brewer leads D2 in RBI (2.03 pg) and slugging (1.039), third in batting average and doubles and fourth in home runs. The Topeka native was named the Division II Hitter of the Week on Mar. 5 after hitting .857 (12-14) with three doubles, four home runs and 14 RBI in four games. Brewer set an MIAA record for consecutive games hitting streak at 37 games earlier this season.
 
Junior outfielder Eric Bacon is hitting .455 with 50 runs scored, 11 doubles, three triples, five home runs and 50 RBI. He leads the MIAA and ranks second in D2 in runs scored. Bacon also leads the MIAA in hits (55) and ranks second in the conference in batting average.
 
Junior infielder Jadyn McNealy (.376, 48 runs, 33 SB) leads D2 in stolen bases and ranks third nationally in runs scored. Senior outfielder Isaac Webb is slashing .361/.448/.649 on the season. He has 10 doubles, three triples, four home runs and 39 RBI to date. Junior infielder Landon Bruce also is batting .411 with 20 runs scored, two home runs and 17 RBI. Bruce, who has played in 22 games for the Gorillas, ranks eighth in the MIAA in batting average.
 
On the mound, graduate righthander Zach Voss is 6-1 on the season. Voss has a 3.86 ERA with 32 strikeouts in 35.0 innings pitched. Redshirt sophomore RHP Elijah Seitz is 4-0 with a 3.72 ERA in eight appearances (five starts) on the season, while senior righthander Preston Giltner is 4-1 with a 5.06 ERA through his first eight starts.
 
Junior righthander Bradyn McClure has a 2-0 record with a 3.28 ERA and four saves in 24.2 innings of relief work over seven appearances, while redshirt junior RHP Cason Long is 2-0 with a 3.78 ERA and 20 strikeouts in 16.2 innings of work. Senior RHP Cooper Crouch (0-0, 0.93) has four saves on the season, while junior RHP Ethan Froud is 1-0 with a 2.16 ERA and one save in nine appearances and redshirt junior Bradley Neill is 1-0 with a 3.68 ERA in 10 appearances. Redshirt junior LHP Ty Blecha is 2-1 with a 3.29 ERA and 21 strikeouts in 27.1 innings of work over eight appearances, including four starts over the last three weeks. Blecha was named the D2 Central Region Pitcher of the Year Wednesday after rolling a three-hit shutout in the Gorillas series clinching shutout win vs. UCO last Sunday.