Reid Williams

Baseball 3/22/2021 10:30:00 AM Ronan Khalsa

NSU heads to Durant for a Tuesday matinee with the Savage Storm

TAHLEQUAH – Northeastern State baseball travels to Durant Tuesday at 2 p.m. for a midweek game with Southeastern Oklahoma State.

THE LEAD OFF

The RiverHawks bring a 10-4 (8-4 in MIAA) record into the series. They are third in the MIAA standings. NSU has won the first four series in MIAA play for the first time in its history.
At the plate five RiverHawks are hitting over .300. Blake Freeman leads the group hitting .439, which is third in the MIAA, carrying a 19-game hitting streak and leads the nation in doubles. Switch hitting catcher Brayden Rodden has a .386 average and is slugging .825. Rodden is tied for 12th nationally with six home runs on the season. C.D. White has a nine game hitting streak.
Northeastern State is hitting .303 as a team and leads the MIAA in home runs despite playing the second-fewest games. All but one in the typical starting lineup have hit a home run. The RiverHawks are slugging .512.
The RiverHawks infield has seen a major change from 2020 as the shortstop Collin Klingensmith is the only player to return to the same position. Phipps has moved to the hot corner. In the outfield, NSU returns experience in the outfield as left-to-right, Chaz Orr, Reid Fehr and Blake Freeman roam.
NSU returns 86 percent of its innings from a season ago in which the staff had a 5.11 earned run average. The staff has a 5.20 mark this season as a collective group. Of those that have started a game, the group has a combined 4.55.
Nic Swanson leads all MIAA pitchers with a 0.57 ERA and he has guided NSU to four wins. In the first game of the season, he earned the save. Swanson, with 31.1 innings, has the lowest ERA nationwide for a pitcher who has thrown more than 15.2 innings.
NSU returns 23 of its student-athletes from the 9-12 roster that had their season cut short just as conference play got underway. The RiverHawks were picked to finish tenth in the conference.
Head coach Jake Hendrick is in his sixth year at the program's helm and has amassed 108 wins. His 100th came in the conference-opening series versus Northwest Missouri.

LAST WEEKEND RECAP

NSU won the series at Washburn. The win Saturday was the first victory in Topeka since March 30, 2013. NSU split the doubleheader Sunday afternoon.
Nine pitchers saw the mound in the first game of series while Jonathan Smithey went 6.1 innings in the second game and Nic Swanson threw the first complete game since April 29, 2016 for NSU.
The RiverHawk bats came alive late as, for the series, NSU scored a combined 10 runs in the ninth inning.

ABOUT THE SAVAGE STORM

Southeastern is 10-6 (7-5 in GAC) to open the season. They are coming off back-to-back series wins.
NSU is 8-17 against the Savage Storm in meetings dating back to 2007. NSU won the first meeting this season 11-10 on March 9 at Thomas C Rousey Field.
Freshman Seth Morrow is hitting .509 with six home runs to lead the Savage Storm. Four other players are batting over .310.
The pitching staff has a 5.64 ERA.

SUPER SENIORS

The entire RiverHawks roster received an additional year of eligibility. NSU has three 2020 seniors taking advantage of the opportunity to continue their collegiate careers; third baseman Phipps, first baseman Michael Conn and center fielder Fehr. Redshirt-junior Smithey is in his fifth season with the RiverHawks while junior John Rains has been playing collegiate baseball since 2016.

MIAA PLAYER OF WEEK

Phipps was named the MIAA Hitter of the Week in the second week of the season in which he was 5-10, hit two doubles, two home runs, drove in five runs and walked three times. It was the first time a RiverHawk claimed the award in two seasons.

ALL ABOUT CONNECTIONS

Northeastern State has developed talent pipelines from multiple junior colleges and the local area. Throughout the history of the program it has included at least one player from Cherokee County.
From the Northeastern Oklahoma area (18): Seth Key– Arkoma, Conner West – Berryhill, Spencer Carlin and Nic Swanson – Bixby, Braedan Warwick and Tucker Dunlap – Broken Arrow, Chandler Wheeler and Ryan Summers – Coweta, Seth Knight – Council Hill, Matt Erwin – Muskogee, Brayden Rodden – Oktaha, C.D. White – Owasso, John Rains and Dakodah Jones – Sapulpa, Cody Jeanes and Trey Havens – Tahlequah, Tatum Watie – Tulsa, Dylan Hight – Verdigris.
From Cowley County Community College (5): Blaze Brothers, Reid Fehr, Corbin Lill, C.D. White, Cade Gonzales.
From Seminole State Community College (5): Cal Howard, Chaz Orr, Tucker Dunlap, Nic Swanson, Brayden Rodden.
From Grayson College (3): Connor Bell, Cohen Bell, T.J. Mullins.

FAN INFORMATION

Fans are permitted at Mike Matheny Field and asked to socially distance the best they can.
Live stats and NSU Digital Network coverage will be available for the game via goriverhawksgo.com.

WEATHER IMPACTING SCHEDULE

NSU has played just six of its originally scheduled games in the correct timeslot.
The RiverHawks were forced into a 17-day layoff due to winter weather. The five games impacted were offset by adding six midweek games with GAC member schools throughout the spring.
The Newman series was bumped up two days as rain threatened the area. It was moved to a brand-new turf field at Pryor High School.
Last weekend's series at Washburn was pushed back one day so that the outfield could dry out completely.

UP NEXT

Northeastern State plays at Missouri Western for three games beginning Friday at 3 p.m. The Saturday doubleheader will get underway at 1 p.m.

Print Friendly Version

Players Mentioned

#32 Cohen Bell: LHP; 6' 3"; Junior; L/L

#39 Connor Bell: LHP; 6' 3"; Junior; L/L

#13 Spencer Carlin: LHP; 6' 1"; Sophomore; L/L

#19 Michael Conn: OF/1B; 5' 9"; Senior; L/R

#14 Reid Fehr: CF; 5' 11"; Redshirt Senior; R/R

#4 Blake Freeman: RF; 5' 10"; Sophomore; L/L

#24 Dylan Hight: C; 5' 8"; Sophomore; R/R

#33 Cal Howard: RHP; 5' 9"; Junior; R/R

#16 Dakodah Jones: RHP; 6' 1"; Junior; R/R

#29 Seth Key: RHP; 6' 1"; Redshirt Sophomore; R/R

Players Mentioned

#32 Cohen Bell
: 6' 3"; Junior; L/L
: LHP

#39 Connor Bell
: 6' 3"; Junior; L/L
: LHP

#13 Spencer Carlin
: 6' 1"; Sophomore; L/L
: LHP

#19 Michael Conn
: 5' 9"; Senior; L/R
: OF/1B

#14 Reid Fehr
: 5' 11"; Redshirt Senior; R/R
: CF

#4 Blake Freeman
: 5' 10"; Sophomore; L/L
: RF

#24 Dylan Hight
: 5' 8"; Sophomore; R/R
: C

#33 Cal Howard
: 5' 9"; Junior; R/R
: RHP

#16 Dakodah Jones
: 6' 1"; Junior; R/R
: RHP

#29 Seth Key
: 6' 1"; Redshirt Sophomore; R/R
: RHP