TAHLEQUAH – No. 25 ranked Northeastern State will host Rogers State for the second consecutive year in the MIAA Tournament Quarterfinal Friday at Thomas C. Rousey Memorial Field in a best-of-three game series. 

The RiverHawks (34-14) claimed the No. 2 seed in the tournament after finishing the MIAA season with a 22-11 record and heading into the tournament, winning 15 of their last 17 games. 

With over six inches of rain falling in Tahlequah over the last week, the series was pushed back one day to give the field an extra day to dry off.   In the previous 30 days, the area has seen nearly 12 inches of precipitation fall. 

Northeastern State has won five of the previous six regular-season meetings with Rogers State, with the Hillcats being the lone blemish in April for the RiverHawks.

Much of the story of the series is about redemption for NSU after being swept out of the Quarterfinal one year ago to the Hillcats.  The RiverHawks held an 8-0 lead into the eighth inning of game one, and Rogers State scored ten unanswered runs to take game one and the series momentum. 

Brock Reller, the MIAA Co-Player of the Year in baseball, headlines the NSU attack at the plate with 24 home runs.  NSU had each player in its everyday lineup named All-MIAA, with six holding double-digit long balls.  In home runs, the RiverHawks are second nationally with 107, in doubles they are 20th with 108, and eighth* in stolen bases with 120.

Rogers State (26-23) has won its last three road contests and is 9-11 this season away from Claremore.

First pitch on Saturday is at 2 p.m., Sunday's is 1 p.m., and the if-necessary game is slated for 1 p.m. Monday.  Single-game tickets for the series are $5 and will be sold on-site the day of the game.

* Benedict, with a 5-42 record, leads the nation with 272, with 119 more than the team in second place.