JOPLIN, Mo. — Griffon Baseball is back on the road back to facing some of the best teams in Division II, as they are set to compete in the MIAA/GLVC Crossover this weekend at Warren Turner Field. 

WHERE TO WATCH
Fans yearning to watch to Missouri Western Baseball can tune into the MIAA Network for all three games this weekend. Click on the "MIAA Network" tab above to sign in and purchase a subscription if you have not already.

THE BATS ARE BACK
After an offseason with many changes, Missouri Western (2-1) showed it can hang with the best that DII has to offer in last weekend's season opener at the Henderson State Invitational. it was a mix of the Griffons' young bucks and their battle-tested veterans who helped MWSU go 2-1 against teams either receiving votes or ranked in both national top-25 polls. Freshman infielder Jackson Bryant began his collegiate career with a 3-for-4 day vs. Ouachita Baptist, driving in the first Griffon run of the 2023 season. Jackson found another multi-hit day against Oklahoma Baptist, ripping home an RBI while going 2-for-4 at the plate.

Junior utility player Brenden Andersen started 2023 in a big way, hitting 3-for-4 and driving in a career-high four RBI against Ouachita. He went 2-for-4 vs. No. 2/2 Southern Arkansas, eventually landing him ninth in the MIAA with a .455 batting average. Although the season is young, Bryant is currently fifth in the conference with a .500 mark at the plate. Overall, the Griffs' bats caught fire with runners on base, hitting .426 (20-for-47) in their first three games of the season. 

SCOUTING THE OPPS
Minnesota State Mankato | Feb. 17, 1 p.m.
Receiving love and votes in DII Collegiate Baseball's Preseason Top-25 Poll, the Mavericks of Mankato have yet to play a game in 2023. Friday's game will be Mankato's first game of the season after going 39-9 last season, ending its run after two games played in the 2022 NCAA Central Regional Tournament.

McKendree | Feb. 18, 10 a.m.
Already 0-3 so far, McKendree also played at the Henderson State Invite. Dropping their first two games against teams the Griffons are familiar with, the Bearcats fell to Oklahoma Baptist on Feb. 10, 6-4, and then lost to Ouachita on Saturday, 10-2. Henderson State completed McKendree's reverse sweep and dropped the Bearcats by 10 runs last Saturday, 11-1. While McKendree is only hitting .221 as a team through just three games, its bat do possess power, with junior infielders Noah Nelson, Chyran Cruse and Michael Paule all going yard for a home run apiece in their opening weekend.  

Probable starting pitcher Owen Gross got off to a decent start in his loss to OBU, striking out five batters in four innings while giving up two earned runs and four hits while yielding two walks. The right-handed, junior pitched only allowed one extra-base hit against the Bison, giving up a leadoff double in the top of the third. Before McKendree meets MWSU on Saturday, it will face off with Missouri Southern (7-2) on Friday at 4 p.m.

No. 10/14 Illinois Springfield | Feb. 19, 4 p.m.
While UIS has games under its belt so far, the Prairie Stars fell behind to a 1-3 start in a four-game series with No. 16 Lenoir-Rhyne in a pair of doubleheaders last weekend, salvaging the final game with a 10-3 win. It's UIS's pitching staff that has somewhat stumbled in its first four games, giving up four home runs and five doubles so far on the young season. One particular diamond in the pitching rough for UIS is junior right-hander Ryan Caemack, who set the Prairie Stars' single-game strikeout record with 14 batters sent down in his first game as a Bearcat.

Illinois Springfield also tied its single-game team strikeouts record with 19 last Saturday, preparing itself for a 1-7 Northwest Missouri State team on Friday at 10 a.m. The Prairie Stars will then play MSSU on Saturday at 1 p.m. before turning their attention to Missouri Western.

ON THIS DAY IN GRIFFON BASEBALL HISTORY: FEB. 17
Box Score
Opening up MIAA play early on in 2013, the Griffons completed a three-game sweep of Emporia State, swatting the Hornets down with a 12-2 victory at the Trusler Sports Complex in Emporia, Kansas. Missouri Western blew up to an 11-0 lead through seven innings thanks to 14 hits. First baseman Nate Ramier went raking that day, hitting 3-for-5 with a two-run home run and an RBI double, giving him a game-high three RBI. Brandon Simmons earned the win with five strikeouts while putting up a goose egg on the scoreboard through five innings of work.