Please note that the series will now start on Saturday, rather than Friday.

TAHLEQUAH – The RiverHawks embark on their northernmost trip of the regular season Friday to open a three-game series at Northwest Missouri. 

Northeastern State enters the weekend with a 17-9 overall mark and is 7-6 in the MIAA coming off a series win over Pittsburg State.  In the latest NCBWA Central Region poll released on Wednesday, the RiverHawks were tied with Pittsburg State for eighth and behind Washburn, who is in seventh.  The RiverHawks won the season series over the Ichabods one week ago. 

Against the Bearcats, the RiverHawks lead the overall series 21-15, with Northwest holding onto a 5-4 lead at home.   Northeastern State took two of the three games in the 2020 series.  Northwest is winless in four ties at home, is 6-18 overall, and has lost six of the last seven games.  The Bearcats are second to last in the MIAA in home runs, hits, and stolen bases.  Max Spitzmiller has highlighted the season for Northwest on the mound with three complete games, and he is second in the MIAA with 53 strikeouts. 

The RiverHawks are tenth in the nation in batting average (.338), eighth in home runs (44), and eighth in stolen bases (44).  Brock Reller is second nationally with 92 total bases, fifth in RBI (39), and fourth in home runs.  Matt Kaiser has climbed into the home run race with five in the last week and matched Reller with 12 for the year.   Blake Freeman is second nationally with 48 hits and is only nine off from his career mark last season. 

The first three games of the series will have audio broadcasts on GoRiverHawksGo.com and Lakes Country locally in Tahlequah, with Blake Turner on the call.