BOLIVAR, Mo. – After a weekend away from competition on the diamond, the Beaver baseball team is heading back out on the road for a four-game series at Southwest Baptist on Saturday and Sunday.

The series was moved back a day and a game added as Minot State (6-2 overall) will battle the Bearcats (3-11) in a doubleheader starting at noon this Saturday, and at 1 p.m. this Sunday.

Through their first eight games, Minot State's offense has been hammering opposing pitching with 18 home runs, 78 runs scored, and a .338 team batting average.
Junior first baseman Gunnar Kozlowitz leads the way hitting .457 on the season with 4 home runs and 13 RBIs, while senior infielder Derek Kay is hitting .438 with 4 homers and 9 RBIs, and junior outfielder Javier Gutierrez also is hitting .387 with a team-high 5 home runs and 13 RBIs.

Leading the Minot State pitching staff have been senior right-handers Bryant Bagshaw, twice in a row named NSIC Pitcher of the Week, and teammate Dominick Parkhurst, as both are 2-0 this season. Bagshaw has a minuscule 0.75 ERA with 11 strikeouts and Parkhurst has a 2.70 ERA with 6 Ks.

Minot State takes on a Bearcats team looking to find its rhythm this season as Southwest Baptist is batting just .240 as a team, scores just over 5 runs a game, and has hit 11 home runs in nearly twice as many contests as the Beavers.

Junior outfielder Mel Mulholland leads the team with a .324 batting average and 9 RBIs, while senior outfielder Kayden Lewis is hitting .308, and junior infielder Tremayne Mungin has been the big bopper with a .265 average, but 4 home runs and 12 RBIs.

Lewis also leads the pitching staff with two relief appearances as the left-hander has a team-low 3.00 ERA with four Ks.

The weekend series provides the final pre-conference tune-up for the Beavers who open NSIC play with a 3-game series at Sioux Falls, March 18-19.