Live Stats

TAHLEQUAH, Okla. – The Northeastern State baseball team is set to play host to Southwest Baptist in a four-game MIAA series March 7-9 at Rousey Field.
 
The two teams will open the series with a noon doubleheader March 7, followed by single games beginning at 1 p.m. on both March 8 and March 9.
 
The series ends a 15-day hiatus for the RiverHawks (6-3, 2-2 MIAA), who have not played a game since Feb. 20. The team's last five games have all been canceled or postponed due to recent poor weather conditions.
 
NSU split its lone conference series of the year, halving a four-game series with Northwest Missouri State. The team also won three non-conference games against Pittsburg State and took its season opener over Oklahoma Christian.
 
Northeastern State's top three starting pitchers are a combined 6-1 this season and they are led by senior Kyle Shambaugh. Shambaugh (3-0), who has already been named MIAA Pitcher of the Week once earlier this year, owns a 1.29 ERA and is ranked No. 20 in the country and No. 1 in the MIAA with three victories on the mound. He has registered 13 strikeouts in 14.0 innings pitched, while conceding just 10 hits (one double) all season. Sophomore Ryan Helsley is 2-0 with a 1.93 earned-run average in 14.0 IP. He has 22 strikeouts and just 11 hits conceded.
 
Junior Gabriel Wurth leads the squad with a .400 batting average (12-for-30) through nine games. He has six RBI and eight runs scored. Senior Preston Cash is also batting .393 (11-for-28) with eight runs scored and four RBI.
 
Southwest Baptist (3-6, 0-4 MIAA) was swept in its lone league action of the season, dropping a four-game series to No. 9 Washburn. The Bearcats won three in a row against Wisconsin-Parkside and Winona State (twice) before the series with the Ichabods began. In their most recent action, the Bearcats lost a single game to Arkansas Tech (14-11) on March 3.
 
Christian Binger leads SBU with a .400 average (12-for-30) through nine games. He has tallied 10 RBI, 11 runs scored and two homers. Michael Proiette (1-0) is the top starter on the club, as he owns a 5.65 ERA in 14.1 IP. He has registered 20 strikeouts and just 18 hits allowed.
 
Since NSU joined the MIAA prior to the 2013 season, the green and white owns a 5-2 record over the Bearcats. Northeastern State swept a three-game series in 2013, and the two teams split a four-game set last year.
 
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