ST. JOSEPH – Griffon Baseball will make its eighth consecutive appearance in the MIAA Championships, Thursday, as the No. 6-seeded Griffons take on the host school, No. 3 seed Central Missouri at 9 a.m.
 
WHAT: MIAA Baseball Championships
WHEN: 9 a.m. Thursday, May 10
WHERE: Crane Stadium/Tompkins Field in Warrensburg, Missouri
TICKET INFO: Per Day - $5 students/$10 adults All Tournament - $20 students/$30 adults
THE TEAMS: #3 Central Missouri (33-15, 24-12 MIAA) vs #6 Missouri Western (28-22, 20-16 MIAA)
PREVIOUS MEETINGS: Central Missouri swept a three game series in Warrensburg on Feb. 25^th and 26^th
UP NEXT: The Griffons will face either #2 Northwest Missouri or #7 Emporia State on Friday. A win and the Griffons will face the winner of the 2-7 match-up at 4 p.m., Friday. A loss and Missouri Western will face elimination against the loser of the 2-7 game at 9 a.m. on Friday.
 
NOTES

• Missouri Western is back in the MIAA Championships as the No. 6 seed after going 20-16 in conference play this season. The Griffons tied for sixth with Emporia State in the final standings, but received the No. 6 seed after taking two of three from the Hornets in their regular season series.
• The Griffons are making their eighth consecutive MIAA Championships appearance and have won at least one game in the postseason tournament all but one of those eight years. Last year, MWSU advanced to the semifinals, falling to eventual runner-up Central Oklahoma in the round of four. In 2016, the Griffons were the runners-up, falling to Central Missouri in the championship game.
• In his 19th season at Missouri Western, Buzz Verduzco became the program's all-time wins leader earlier this season. Verduzco enters the weekend with a 561-412 all-time record and a 391-269 record in MIAA games. He ranks second among active MIAA head coaches and fourth all-time in wins and is just five away from passing Steve Bever (PSU) for third all-time.
• Missouri Western's 4.84 team ERA is the third lowest in the MIAA. The 22 home runs allowed by Griffon pitchers are the fewest in the MIAA by 11.
• The pitching staff has been aided by one of the best defenses in the MIAA. MWSU is tied for second with a .965 fielding percentage and the team's 68 errors are fifth fewest in the conference.
• Kellan Richards became MWSU's all-time leader in single season pitching appearances earlier this season. His 32 appearances are the most in NCAA Division II. The only NCAA pitcher with more appearances than Richards is Josh Bottenfield of Division I North Carolina A&T with 33.
• Casey Danley leads the Griffons in batting average, slugging percentage, on base percentage, runs, hits, home runs and stolen bases. The junior is the only player in the MIAA with at least 15 stolen bases and 11 home runs.
• Danley's 16-game hitting streak late in the season is the longest by a Griffon this season. Brooks Day had his 15-game hitting streak end in game one of the Nebraska Kearney game. Maurice Bruce owns the longest current hitting streak at seven.
• Ryan Smith has proved himself a true dual-threat player of late. The senior has a .244 batting average over 25 games, mainly as a designated hitter. Lately, he's also been mowing down opposing batters on the mound. Smith has five pitching appearances, four since April 9 and has allowed just four hits in nine innings pitched. On April 29 at Fort Hays State, he didn't allow a hit over three innings and struck out four batters.
• Fahd Shakeel has raised his batting average 25 points since April 22. The junior was batting .229 after game two at Central Oklahoma. After one game on the bench, he's started every game since, going 11-for-33.
• Day had a streak of 30-straight games reaching base. The current longest streak belongs to Ryan Smith at nine.
• Dusty Stroup has 23 multi-hit games this year, more than any of his teammates. The 2017 MIAA Co-Freshman of the Year has four three-hit games and 19 two-hit games.
• Levi Schreiner's consistency at the plate found him a consistent spot in the lineup. The senior has started his last 19 games and has went from a .217 batting average on April 7 to his current .289 clip.
• Bailey Zimmer has added 112 points to his batting average in the last five games. An early-season slump relegated the 2017 honorable mention All-MIAA pick to a reserve role, but injuries have forced him back into the lineup and now he enters the weekend 8-for his last-13.
• Mr. Versatility, Nate Hunter has 11 starts and seven appearances out of the pen. The 2017 third team All-MIAA pitcher got the win or the save in five-straight relief appearances to go from 1-3 to 6-3. His 95 innings are 23 more than any other Griffon pitcher.
• Jacob Miller has been the rock in a rotation that was fluid through much of the middle of the season. He hasn't taken a loss since Mar. 22 against Pittsburg State and won five-straight starts after that loss before taking a no decision in his last start; a game the Griffons won. Missouri Western is 6-0 in his last six starts.
• Levi Abrahamson seems to have solidified himself as the game three starter after mainly working out of the pen for most of the season. The Griffons have won both of Abrahamson's last two starts and three of his last four.
• The go-to arm out of the bullpen of late, Preston Bailey has thrown more than 50 innings through 24 appearances. The 2016 All-MIAA selection has bounced back from an injury that cost him the 2017 season to lead the team in saves and ERA.