Baseball | 4/25/2013 4:31:10 PM
Kansas City, Mo. -- The conference race heats up as MIAA baseball enters the final week of play.
Upcoming MIAA Previews:
#8 Central Missouri looks to wrap up home field
Record: 31-9, 25-8 MIAA
Team Stats: Batting Average .333, ERA 3.94
#8 Central Missouri took two of three from league leading Missouri Western over the weekend. At the plate Kevin Gratza is hitting .405 with four home runs and 38 RBI while Kyle Grieshaber has nine home runs and 49 RBI. On the mound Travis Higgs is 5-1 with a 4.73 earned run average with opponents hitting just .234 against him.
Central Oklahoma riding a six game winning streak
Record: 25-16, 21-15 MIAA
Team Stats: Batting Average .294, ERA 5.65
Central Oklahoma is on a six game winning streak as they make a push to finish in the league’s top four. At the plate Cesar Wong is hitting .362 with five home runs and 27 RBI. On the mound Edgar Loperz is 6-3 with a 4.10 earned run average and opposing hitters batting just .238 against him.
Emporia State looks to stay in top four
Record: 27-17, 24-14 MIAA
Team Stats: Batting Average .297, ERA 4.42
Emporia State split their only MIAA action last week as they look to remain among the top four. At the plate Blake Sturgeon is hitting .352 with 34 runs scored while Jordan Slade has five home runs and 28 RBI. On the mound Dakota McKaskle is 6-4 with a 2.97 earned run average.
Fort Hays State continues push to finish in top eight
Record: 23-18, 19-17 MIAA
Team Stats: Batting Average .350, ERA 6.65
Fort Hays State went 2-1 last week as they currently sit eighth in the MIAA standings. At the plate Clayton Garland is hitting .411 with 37 runs scored. On the mound Tayler Davis is 6-3 with a 5.97 earned run average.
Lincoln closes out regular season at home
Record: 6-32, 5-28 MIAA
Team Stats: Batting Average .269, ERA 9.20
Lincoln closes out the regular season with three home games. At the plate Ben Stewart is hitting .373 with four home runs and 21 RBI. On the mound Clint Cashen is 0-1 with a 1.08 earned run average in six relief appearances.
Lindenwood enters season’s final week on five game winning streak
Record: 21-22, 19-16 MIAA
Team Stats: Batting Average .317, ERA 5.38
Lindenwood is on a five game winning streak heading into the final week. At the plate Mike Failoni is on pace to set an MIAA record hitting .503 on the year. On the mound Austin Klein is 4-3 with a 3.63 earned run average.
Missouri Southern battles for top four finish
Record: 28-17, 22-15 MIAA
Team Stats: Batting Average .297, ERA 4.50
Missouri Southern will push to finish the season in the top four and earn first round home field in the MIAA Tournament. At the plate Dallas Burke is hitting .345 with three home runs and 20 RBI. On the mound Payton Walker is 5-4 with a 2.89 earned run average.
#5 Missouri Western earns MIAA Championship
Record: 34-7, 27-4 MIAA
Team Stats: Batting Average .361, ERA 4.91
#8 Missouri Western clinched an MIAA title with two wins last night over Washburn. At the plate Michael Schulze is hitting .436 with 54 runs scored while Grant Fink has 12 home runs and 45 RBI. Brandon Simmons set an MIAA record with his 33rd career win last week on the mound.
Nebraska-Kearney looks to battle back into top eight
Record: 20-22, 17-19 MIAA
Team Stats: Batting Average .315, ERA 6.87
Nebraska-Kearney looks to pick up some victories as they aim for the top eight. At the plate Brian Wuest is hitting .407 with 14 home runs and 60 RBI. On the mound Dalton Cowen is 5-2 with a 3.81 earned run average out of the bullpen.
Northeastern State scheduled to close out on the road
Record: 26-20, 24-19 MIAA
Team Stats: Batting Average 314, ERA 6.54
Northeastern State is scheduled to finish the regular season on the road. At the plate Kegan Knight is hitting .383 with six home runs and 38 RBI. On the mound Craig George is 6-3 with a 6.09 earned run average.
Northwest Missouri on five game winning streak
Record: 19-25, 16-22 MIAA
Team Stats: Batting Average .290, ERA 6.36
Northwest Missouri has won five straight as they look to get back in the conference race. At the plate JJ Baccari is hitting .330 with 22 runs scored. On the mound Ryker Fox is 5-4 with a 3.19 earned run average.
Pittsburg State begins push for seeding
Record: 24-20, 20-18 MIAA
Team Stats: Batting Average .314, ERA 4.82
Pittsburg State will look to turn things around as they attempt to finish in the top eight. At the plate Tory Stoffregen is hitting .369 with four home runs and 42 RBI. On the mound Ryan McKay is 3-1 with a 1.63 earned run average.
Southwest Baptist looking to make a move down the stretch
Record: 19-25, 17-19 MIAA
Team Stats: Batting Average .287, ERA 6.72
Southwest Baptist will battle down the stretch to try to finish as one of the league’s top eight. At the plate Spencer Blacksher is hitting .359 with six home runs and 59 RBI. On the mound Dustin Caplette is 5-2 with a 4.76 ERA.
Truman finishes regular season at home
Record: 11-32, 10-30 MIAA
Team Stats: Batting Average .279, ERA 7.35
Truman closes out the regular season at home. At the plate Blake Marino is hitting .369 with 20 runs scored and 21 driven in. On the mound Logan Siegler is 4-5 with a 5.27 earned run average.
Washburn closes things out at home
Record: 9-31, 8-30 MIAA
Team Stats: Batting Average .277, ERA 7.79
Washburn will close out their MIAA campaign at home. At the plate Riley Price is hitting .385 with 27 runs driven in. On the mound Taylor Gentry is 3-1 with a 2.95 earned run average out of the bullpen.