The Lindenwood baseball team will play its final regular season series against Pittsburg State this weekend for a three-game set in Pittsburg, Kan.  The final MIAA opponent will host Lindenwood starting on Thursday at 7 p.m.
 
Last Week
Lindenwood played behind Brendan Kleekamp who was named MIAA Co-Pitcher of the Week for his outstand performance in the week prior.  Kleekamp racked up a 1.50 ERA in 12.0 innings pitched while registering 10 strikeouts.  Kleekamp held the opponents to a .209 batting average and tallied a combined shutout against Lincoln.  Brendan went 1-1 on the week and allowed just two runs on nine hits for the week.
 
The Lions put together an impressive 21-0 win over Lincoln to kick off the week.  Drew Quinones went 3-for-5 with four RBI in the game with one double.  Kyle Teter registered three hits, two RBI, two runs scored, as both hits were triples.  Kleekamp tossed four innings and had seven strikeouts, while Lucas Tibbs went three innings with four strikeouts.
 
Lindenwood opened up the three-game set against Northeastern State with a big 11-4 win.  Jackson Fuller started the scoring in the second inning with a two-RBI double.  Wes Degener drove in Fuller with a double, only to be driven in by Nathan Prindle on a two-run home run.  The RiverHawks cut into the lead with two runs in the top of the third, while the Lions responded with another big inning.  Lindenwood hit four RBI-singles including two two-RBI singles to add six runs. 
 
After taking an 11-2 lead, the Lion surrendered two more runs, but held on for the 11-4 victory.  Brendan Feldmann tossed six innings, allowed four runs, and compiled eight strikeouts.  Wes Degener tallied three doubles, one RBI, and two runs scored.
 
In the second game of the series, Lindenwood took an early 4-1 lead after posting two runs in each of the first two innings.  Degener tied the game in the first inning with a solo blast to right field, and Teter hit an-RBI single to put the Lions up 2-1.  Mike Ehrhard extended the lead with a two-RBI double, but the RiverHawks battled back.  Northeastern State scored two runs in the fifth, one in the sixth, and two in the seventh to take a 6-4 lead.  Prindle homered in the bottom of the seventh to pull within one run, but the RiverHawks put up two more runs in the ninth to take an 8-5 win over the Lions.
 
Kleekamp made his second start of the week in game three, and gave Lindenwood a solid chance to win the series.  Ehrhard put the Lions on the board first with a single to bring in Prindle for the 1-0 lead.  The RiverHawks scored in the top of the fifth and again in the eighth to take a 2-1 lead.  Kleekamp finished his day by tossing eight innings, compiling three strikeout, and allowed just two runs on seven hits.  Lindenwood could not find a way back and fell 3-1 in the final home game of the season.
 
On the Season
Degener is leading the team in batting average (.370), hits (68), triples (6), walks (38), stolen bases (16-for-17), and games played (47).  Degener is also the co-leader with 59 runs scored, while racking up 11 doubles, six triples, and four home runs.  Prindle is hitting .365 with a 59 runs scored and 48 RBI.  Nathan has a team-high .737 slugging percentage and a .487 OBP, while hitting 15 doubles, five triples, and 11 home runs.
 
Feldmann leads the pitching staff with a 2.70 ERA while tossing 46.2 innings in eight appearances.  While holding a 3-2 record, Feldmann has two complete games, one save, and registered 48 strikeouts to date.  Connor Law has been the most consistent pitcher on the squad with 75.2 innings pitched, 53 strikeouts, and a 2.74 ERA.  Law holds a 6-2 record on the year with two complete games, one shutout, and one save.  Kleekamp has been hot as of late with a 3.47 ERA, three complete games, one shutout with a combined shutout, a 5-5 record, and 52 strikeouts in 80.1 innings pitched.
 
This Week in Lindenwood Baseball
5/5/16 – at. Pittsburg State at Ortolani Field in Pittsburg, Kan. at 7 p.m.
5/6/16 – at. Pittsburg State at Ortolani Field in Pittsburg, Kan. at 6 p.m.
5/7/16 – at. Pittsburg State at Ortolani Field in Pittsburg, Kan. at 1 p.m.
 
Lindenwood will conclude the 2016 season with a three-game series against Pittsburg State beginning on Thursday at 7 p.m. in Pittsburg, Kan.  The Lions did not face the Gorillas in the 2015 season, but did sweep Pittsburg State in four game the year before.  Geoff Hartlieb pitched up a win in his 6.1 innings pitched, in which he allowed two runs on three hits and registered four strikeouts.  Prindle tallied six hits with three RBI, and 22 assists in the field.
 
MIAA Players of the Week
March 21-27 – Hitter of the Week – Nathan Prindle
April 4-10 – Pitcher of the Week – Connor Law
April 18-24 – Co-Pitcher of the Week – Brendan Kleekamp
 
*MIAA Players of the Week will be announced each Tuesday afternoon at TheMIAA.com
**National Rankings will be released each Tuesday at NCAA.org
Follow the Lions at lindenwoodlions.com, on Twitter (@LU_Lions), and on Instagram (Lindenwood_Lions).