ROLLA, Mo. – Entering the final week of the regular season, the Missouri S&T baseball team will close out their nine-game road trip this weekend as they head northeast for another Great Lakes Valley Conference matchup with Quincy at QU Stadium.
 
The Miners (19-22, 7-13) are coming off a split of their most recent series with Southern Indiana, falling in the first two games before rebounding to sweep Sunday's doubleheader to get back in the win column and snap a seven-game skid in the process.
 
Chase Burgess (Overland Park, KS/Blue Valley West) continues to lead the way at the plate with a .364 average this season with five doubles, 19 RBI and nine stolen bases, while Doug Wood (Liberty, MO/Liberty North), who blasted his seventh home run of the season over the weekend to move into a tie for the team lead, is hitting .361 with nine doubles and is also tied for the top spot in the clubhouse with 36 RBI. Garrett Weiner (Alton, IL/Marquette) is hitting .361 with seven doubles, seven home runs and has driven in 32 while scoring a team leading 42 times, while Brady Voss (Lake St. Louis, MO/Liberty), who went deep for the sixth time this year Sunday, is hitting .326 with nine doubles and 36 RBI and is 12-16 on stolen bases. Dakota Sill (Lansing, KS/Lansing), the team leader in stolen bases with 20 and doubles with 12, is back over the .300 mark at .307, as is Andrew Branson (St. James, MO/St. James) and .305.
 
On the mound, S&T was led over the weekend by freshman Ethan Morrow (Lenexa, KS/Shawnee Mission West), who worked his first career complete game in game one Sunday, striking out five and allowing just one run on six hits for record his second win of the season. He now sports a 6.35 ERA and is second on the team with 33 strikeouts in a team-high 39 2/3 innings. Cade Meier (Dakota, IL/Dakota) is 3-2 on the year with a 5.26 ERA and has fanned 30 in 39 1/3 innings while Dylan Mollett (St. Louis, MO/Oakville) is also 3-2 this season and has struck out 38 in 36 innings. Chasen Anderson (Moscow Mills, MO/Troy Buchanan) made three appearances in relief over the weekend and has now made 17 appearances this season and leads the team with four saves while striking out 17 in 18 innings. Elijah Gross (Lee's Summit, MO/Lee's Summit West) is 2-2 with a 5.65 ERA and a pair of saves on the year and has retired 25 on strikes in 28 2/3 innings. Matt Ellingson (Lenexa, KS/Olathe Northwest) recorded his first save of the year in his 13th appearance and is 1-0 in 2022, having struck out 15 in 18 1/3 innings of work.
 
The Hawks (27-19, 12-8), ranked fifth in the initial NCAA Midwest Regional poll last week, had their conference bye week last weekend but were still in action, hosting Saginaw Valley State and taking three out of four from the Cardinals in their penultimate series of the season.
 
The Hawks are led offensively by Dayson Croes, who enters the week with a .371 average to go with 11 doubles, seven home runs and 49 runs batted in, the second most on the club this season. Gina D'Alessio is hitting .355 with 47 runs scored and has seven doubles, seven home runs and 40 RBI, while Luke Napleton, the team leader in home runs with 15 and RBI with 50, is hitting .344. Brock Boynton is hitting .325 and leads QU with five stolen bases this season, while Nolan Wosman (.320 AVG, 12 2B, 9 HR, 37 RBI) and Lance Logsdon (.310 AVG, 10 2B, 11 HR, 37 RBI), the team leader with 47 runs scored, round out a group of regulars all hitting over .300.
 
On the mound, Spencer Walker leads the Hawks' rotation and is 7-1 on the season with a 3.06 ERA and has struck out 60 in 70 2/3 innings. Jay Hammel is close behind and is 6-2 with a 3.53 ERA with 66 strikeouts in 63 2/3 innings of action. The third and fourth spots in the rotation have been on a committee basis this season with six other pitchers starting a game this season. Griffin Kirn (4-3, 5.71 ERA, 44 K, 41 IP) figures to be one of those starters, While Michael McDonough, Tyler Carpenter and Brett Tacuher could also play into the mix. In relief, Cruz Meier has been a primary option, and it 0-1 with a 2.61 ERA and a save in 20 2/3 innings, while Sam Stephens is 0-5, but leads QU with four saves and has 24 strikeouts in 19 1/3 innings. Alex Pribyl has seen the lion's share of his innings in relief and is 3-1 with a save and a 3.51 ERA and 48 strikeouts in 25 2/3 innings.
 
Last season, S&T and Quincy split a four-game series in Rolla before the Hawks defeated S&T in the GLVC Tournament. All-time, QU leads the series 41-28.