Live Stats

TAHLEQUAH, Okla. – The Northeastern State baseball team is set to play host to rival Central Oklahoma April 2-4 at Rousey Field.
 
The RiverHawks (17-10, 11-9 MIAA) and Bronchos (12-17, 7-12 MIAA) are scheduled to open the series with a nine-inning contest at 1 p.m. April 2. The two teams will then play two seven-inning doubleheaders beginning at 1 p.m. April 3, and the series will wrap with a final nine-inning contest at 1 p.m. April 4.
 
The forecast calls for rain during the series, so there is a chance the Friday-Saturday schedules will flip. A final determination will be made Thursday morning.
 
The RiverHawks currently sit in a three-way tie for sixth in the MIAA standings, while the Bronchos are 10th. NSU is 8-7 at home this year, while UCO owns a 7-7 road record.
 
Northeastern State will compete following a 3-1 series victory at Fort Hays State last weekend. The RiverHawks also picked up a midweek victory over Southeastern Oklahoma State on March 24 and have now won four of their last five games.
 
Junior Charles Sims leads the team with a .422 (27-for-64) batting average. He has recorded at least two hits in each of his last seven games and is batting .567 (17-for-30) over that span. He has a total of 18 runs scored, 15 runs batted in and five doubles this season. Junior Gabriel Wurth (.366, 37-for-101) is the team leader in hits, runs scored (26) and steals (7-for-10), and he also has 17 RBI. Sophomore Bryce Davenport (.369, 31-for-84) and senior Preston Cash (.341, 30-for-88) are tied for the team lead in both home runs (3) and RBI (19). Cash has scored 23 times and Davenport has 14 runs scored. Sophomore Caleb Hill (.333, 23-for-69) has three round-trippers and 18 RBI to go along with 14 runs scored. Sophomore Jared Aschbrenner (.222, 18-for-81) ranks fourth in the country in sacrifice bunts (9).
 
Northeastern State features three of the top pitchers in the MIAA in senior Kyle Shambaugh, junior Jake Kern and sophomore Ryan Helsley. Shambaugh is 4-0 on the mound with a 5.79 earned-run average. He has conceded 18 runs and struck out 29 batters in 28.0 innings pitched. Helsley owns a 2.57 ERA in 35 IP. He leads the MIAA and is ninth in the nation in strikeouts per nine innings (13.9). Kern (2.20 ERA) is fifth in the entire country with eight saves.
 
Central Oklahoma is coming off a midweek road split with Arlington Baptist College. The Bronchos also lost last weekend's four-game MIAA series 3-1 at Central Missouri.
 
UCO ranks third in the nation in home runs per game (1.41) and seventh in total home runs (38). Five different members of the team have hit at least five homers this year.
 
Ethan Elroy (.372, 32-for-86) leads a group of eight Bronchos hitting better than .300 this season. Josh Ingram (.342, 39-for-114) is the team leader in hits and runs scored (28), while Isaac Hellbusch (.337, 33-for-98) is the team leader in home runs (7) and RBI (32).
 
Daulton Leiker (1-2) is the team's top starting pitcher. He owns a 3.74 ERA on the mound and has made eight starts in 43.1 innings pitched. He leads the MIAA with 61 strikeouts. Dennis Morelli (2-3) has posted a 5.76 earned-run average in nine appearances. He has thrown 29.2 IP and has also thrown one complete game. Brent Backlund (3-1) leads UCO in wins and has a 5.79 ERA in 28.0 IP. Tanner Ferrell (3.50 ERA) is the top reliever. He has two saves and is 2-2 in 18.0 IP.
 
Since NSU joined the MIAA prior to the 2013 season, the Bronchos lead the series 5-3. The RiverHawks won a home-and-home set three games to one in 2013, and UCO swept NSU in Edmond in 2014.
 

2015 MIAA TEAM RANKS
Batting Average
6.	Northeastern State	.311
7.	Central Oklahoma	.311
Slugging Percentage
3.	Central Oklahoma	.502
9.	Northeastern State	.445
On-Base Percentage
5.	Northeastern State	.412
9.	Central Oklahoma	.383
Runs Scored
T7.	Northeastern State	185
	Central Oklahoma	185
Hits
5.	Central Oklahoma	287
8.	Northeastern State	267
Runs Batted In
5.	Central Oklahoma	175
8.	Northeastern State	165
Doubles
T6.	Northeastern State	53
10.	Central Oklahoma	46
Triples
6.	Central Oklahoma	8
11.	Northeastern State	4
Home Runs
T2.	Central Oklahoma	38
10.	Northeastern State	18
Stolen Bases
T6.	Northeastern State	31
14.	Central Oklahoma	9
Earned Run Average
2.	Northeastern State	4.16
9.	Central Oklahoma	6.04
Opposing Batting Average
3.	Northeastern State	.265
9.	Central Oklahoma	.296
Batters Struck Out
2.	Northeastern State	223
5.	Central Oklahoma	208
2015 MIAA INDIVIDUAL LEADERS (TOP 10)
Runs Batted In
T8.	Isaac Hellbusch, UCO	31
Doubles
T7.	Preston Cash, NSU	11
Triples
T6.	Josh Ingram, UCO	3
Home Runs
T7.	Isaac Hellbusch, UCO	7
Hit By Pitch
T8.	Preston Cash, NSU	8
Sacrifice Bunts
1.	Jared Aschbrenner, NSU	9
T5.	Bryce Davenport, NSU	5
Strikeouts
T1.	Cody Begovich, NSU	28
Earned Run Average
6.	Ryan Helsley, NSU	2.57
Opposing Batting Average
2.	Ryan Helsley, NSU	.208
3.	Daulton Leiker, UCO	.209
Innings Pitched
2.	Daulton Leiker, UCO	43.1
Batters Struck Out
1.	Daulton Leiker, UCO	61
2.	Ryan Helsley, NSU	54
Wins
T1.	Ryan Helsley, NSU	5
T6.	Kyle Shambaugh, NSU	4
Saves
1.	Jake Kern, NSU	8
Appearances
1.	Jake Kern, NSU	15

 
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