TAHLEQUAH – After upending one in-state rival, Northeastern State will look to do it again Thursday, where they will open a three-game series with Rogers State.  

An important note about the series: Northeastern State hosts the Thursday and Saturday contests, with the RiverHawks traveling to Claremore Friday. 

For the NSU returners, the series is a chance to get back at the Hillcats, who upended them one year ago in the MIAA Tournament, to see their campaign end with heartbreak. Northeastern State has won the previous three regular-season contests and holds a 14-13 mark against RSU. 

Northeastern State carries an eight-game winning streak and a 26-12 record. With 11 games remaining in the regular season, they are making a climb to its first 30-win season since 2002. Nine MIAA games remain, and NSU is 15-9 overall, holding a half-game lead on Washburn for third place in the standings. Northeastern State is a full game ahead of fifth place and five games up on eighth place. The top four in the standings get to host a best-of-three series in the opening round, with the top-eight qualifying. 

The RiverHawks are second in the nation in slugging 78 home runs, four back of its NCAA era record set in 2003. In stolen bases, they are fifth with 99 and have blown the cap off the previous program high of 66 that was accomplished in 2001. Blake Freeman is second nationally in hits with 66, four back of the national leader, and is tenth in batting average (.443). Freeman is 15th in stolen bases with a new program mark of 22. 

Brock Reller is second nationally in home runs with 19, tying an NSU program high, and one back of the leader. He is also second in total bases (124) and is nine back of the NCAA era mark.  

Rogers State comes into the series at .500 (19-19, 12-12 MIAA) and on a three-game skid. They are batting .285 as a team with one home run less than Reller.  

First pitch in Tahlequah is at 2 p.m. on both days; the contest Friday in Claremore is at 3 p.m.