TAHLEQUAH -- Northeastern State faces an in-state test on Tuesday at RiverHawks Park, hosting Oklahoma Baptist (2/4 p.m.) in non-conference action. 

The RiverHawks (24-17, 11-9 MIAA) aim to build off of a pair of MIAA sweeps last week in Tahlequah against Fort Hays State and Nebraska-Kearney. The pair of triumphs pushed NSU back above .500 in conference play, while they sit just one win away from matching their win total across the 2024 and 2025 seasons. 

In the four-game stretch against the Tigers and Lopers, the trio of Mattison Hamilton, Annsleigh Morris and Madison Nance each collected five hits. Emily Carpenter connected on a grand slam in game one on Friday against FHSU, while Jersey Retzloff also sent one over the wall in walk-off fashion to secure the win over the Tigers in game two.

Jensyn Elder pitched in all four games last week at home, allowing just four earned runs across 16.2 innings in the circle en route to two winning decisions and a save in the weekend finale against UNK.

Oklahoma Baptist (34-8) ranked No. 16 in the latest NFCA/GoRout Division II Top 25 Coaches Poll, dropping two of three last week to Harding since the poll's release last Tuesday. The pair of defeats marked the first consecutive losses for OBU since Mar. 29, 2025.

The Bison are led at the plate by Greenlee Wells, who holds a .463 batting average with 19 home runs and 56 RBI across starting appearances in all 42 games. As an offense, the Bison have scored 287 runs (6.8/game) and are at the top of the Great American Conference (GAC) in homers (59). In the circle, the duo of Jaycee Kelln and Jaycee Shaffer have combined to start 37 games on a pitching staff that paces the GAC in strikeouts (266). 

The RiverHawks have dropped all eight meetings to the Bison since the series was revived in 2021 after a 20-year stoppage. NSU claimed a win in the last meeting before the break in 2001 and hold an all-time record of 7-10-1 against OBU (4-3-1 in Tahlequah).