CLAREMORE, Okla. – No. 2 seed, ninth-ranked Rogers State Baseball (38-12) will open the postseason tomorrow in the MIAA Tournament against No. 7 seed Missouri Western in Edmond.
 
The quarterfinal matchup is scheduled for 4 p.m. at Well Simmons Field. The winner will face the winner of No. 3 seed Missouri Southern vs. No. 6 seed Emporia State on Friday at 4 p.m. The championship game will be held on Saturday at 1 p.m.
 
The winner of the MIAA Tournament will receive an automatic bid for the NCAA Central Region Championships on May 14-17. RSU has appeared in every regional ranking, checking in at No. 2 in the latest poll released this afternoon.
 
BACK TO THE MIAA TOURNAMENT
The Hillcats will make their sixth consecutive appearance in the MIAA Tournament, aiming to claim their first tournament title since 2019 when they were crowned the final Heartland Conference champion. RSU holds a 2-9 record in the MIAA Tournament and is looking for its first win since 2021. Last season, they fell to eventual champion UCO, 10-4, in the quarterfinal round.
 
This season, the Hillcats achieved their highest ranking in the tournament following a second-place finish in the MIAA Regular Season Standings. Rogers State concluded the regular season with an impressive 38-12 overall record, including 26-10 in conference play. Notable achievements this season feature a program-tying 19-game winning streak and an all-time best national ranking of fifth. The team also recorded 13 run-rule victories and secured significant MIAA series wins against Central Missouri, Emporia State, Missouri Southern and Northwest Missouri State.
 
HILLCATS IN THE NATIONAL POLLS
Rogers State was ranked in both the American Baseball Coaches Association (ABCA) and the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association (NCBWA) polls this week. They were ranked 14^th in the ABCA poll with 170 points and remained ninth in the NCBWA poll with 326 points.
 
KLIMAS NAMED MIAA COACH OF THE YEAR
Head coach Chris Klimas was named the Steve Anson MIAA Baseball Head Coach of the Year earlier this week by the conference office. 
 
In the 2026 season, Klimas has led the Hillcats to their best season in the NCAA Division II era, finishing second in the MIAA Regular Season standings and securing the No. 2 seed in the MIAA Tournament. The Hillcats are also currently ranked second in the NCAA Division II Central Region.
 
Now in his 12th season at the helm, Klimas has compiled a 312-247 record, making him the all-time winningest coach in the program's history. He achieved his 282nd career win against Missouri Southern and celebrated his 300th victory in a series opener against Emporia State. Under his leadership, the Hillcats captured the Heartland Conference Tournament title in 2019, their final season in that conference.
 
MEET THE HILLCATS
*All stats are regular season*
 Senior Andrew Ramirez was named to the All-MIAA First Team for the second consecutive year, this time recognized as a utility player. The Ramona, California, native started all 50 games this season in the middle infield, posting an impressive slash line of .327/.441/.492. He recorded 65 hits, 54 RBIs—ranking eighth in the MIAA—52 runs and 36 walks in 199 plate appearances, which is seventh in the conference. Ramirez has also notched 10 extra-base hits, including 13 doubles, six home runs and one triple. Furthermore, he was selected for the ABCA All-Defensive Team and received the MIAA Gold Glove award in 2025.
 
Senior Andres Contreras was named to the All-MIAA Second Team as a designated hitter, marking his second consecutive selection. The Chula Vista, California native has excelled at the plate, posting a .377 batting average, a .483 on-base percentage and a .541 slugging percentage. He recorded 69 hits, which ranks tied for ninth in the MIAA, along with 52 RBIs, 50 runs and 34 walks in 183 plate appearances. Of his hits, 17 have been for extra bases, including 10 doubles, six home runs and one triple. Contreras also earned MIAA Player of the Week honors on March 16.
 
Second baseman Kade Goeke was selected for the second team in his first season on the Hill. The senior from Enid, Oklahoma, has made a significant impact at the plate, tallying 58 runs (tied for sixth in the MIAA), 52 hits (including six doubles and one triple), a team-high 43 walks (tied for fifth in the MIAA) and 25 RBIs. Defensively, Goeke boasts a .966 fielding percentage with 103 putouts, 67 assists  and 23 double plays.
 
Senior Sammy Harris of the Hillcats received two prestigious MIAA honors, being named to the All-MIAA Second Team and winning the Third Base Gold Glove award. The transfer from Arkansas-Little Rock started 48 games this season, compiling 61 hits, 50 RBIs, 38 runs and 27 walks in 198 plate appearances, ranking eighth in the MIAA. His performance included 20 extra-base hits, with 15 doubles and five home runs. Defensively, Harris posted a .914 fielding percentage, recording 69 assists, 37 putouts and turning nine double plays in 116 chances. 

Senior right-handed pitcher Ricardo Landeros has been a dependable reliever for the Hillcats this season, earning second-team All-MIAA honors. The Chula Vista, California, native has made 15 appearances, throwing 33.0 innings with a 2.18 ERA and a 1.24 WHIP. He has tallied 27 strikeouts and registered five saves, which are tied for the third-most in the conference, while walking just seven batters.
 
Damon Anderson-Wolf (9-0) was recognized for his strong performance as a midweek starter for RSU by earning a spot on the All-MIAA Third Team. The right-handed pitcher from Aliso Viejo, California, made nine starts and 13 appearances, posting a team-high 3.55 ERA, which ranks fourth in the MIAA. He allowed 34 earned runs, tied for the sixth-fewest in the league. Anderson-Wolf's nine wins are tied for the most in a single season in program history and rank third in the conference. Additionally, his 63.1 innings pitched are tied for eighth in the league, and he recorded 36 strikeouts.
 
Dillon Dibrell (8-3), a transfer from the University of Central Oklahoma and a native of Piedmont, Oklahoma, has had a standout first season with the Red and Navy. He earned All-MIAA Third Team honors as a starting pitcher, making 13 starts and recording 59 strikeouts, which ranks eighth in the league, over 61.2 innings. Dibrell's 4.52 ERA is ninth in the MIAA, and his opponent batting average of .250 places him 10th. His eight victories this season put him fifth in the conference, just one shy of the program's single-season record.
 
Nathan Gutierrez, a transfer from Castle Rock, Colorado, made an immediate impact at the plate and in the outfield, earning All-MIAA Third Team honors. The senior posted a slash line of .368/.481/.620 with 60 hits, 51 runs, 45 RBIs and 31 walks. Eighteen of his hits were extra-base hits, including a team-leading 10 home runs—two of which were grand slams—five doubles, and three triples. Additionally, Gutierrez's 22 stolen bases are tied for the fifth-most in the MIAA.
 
 Zach Horwith (5-3), a senior from Castle Rock, Colorado, and a transfer from Bellarmine, has earned All-MIAA Third Team honors as a starting pitcher. He has made 13 starts this season, amassing 40 strikeouts in 70.0 innings, ranking fourth in the MIAA. With an earned run average of 4.50, he is eighth in the league and has allowed only one sacrifice fly, which is tied for first in the MIAA. On March 27, he became just the second player in Hillcat history to throw a no-hitter during a victory against Emporia State. His achievement earned him NCBWA Central Region Pitcher of the Week honors on March 31, along with MIAA Pitcher of the Week honors on March 30.
 
Trevor Spainhoward received All-MIAA Third Team honors as a catcher in his first season after transferring from California Baptist. In 35 games, including 32 starts, the senior from Bakersfield, California, has been a standout at the plate, recording 38 hits, 29 RBIs and eight walks in 126 plate appearances. Among his hits, 11 have been for extra bases, featuring six doubles and five home runs. Additionally, he has caught nine runners stealing, ranking him tied for fourth in the league.
 
Luis Fuentes, an outfielder from Bakersfield, California, earned All-MIAA Honorable Mention honors this season. He recorded 53 hits, 43 runs, 30 RBIs and 21 walks. Fuentes has a .384 batting average, ranking eighth in the MIAA, and his .517 on-base percentage is the seventh-best in the league. Additionally, he tied for seventh in the conference with 17 hit-by-pitches, bringing his school record total to 39.
 
Jake Mitchell, a native of Pawnee, Oklahoma, earned his first All-MIAA honor, receiving honorable mention recognition. Over his collegiate career, he has started 47 games primarily at first base, accumulating 51 hits, 45 runs and 40 RBIs. This season, he launched eight home runs, which has propelled him into second place on the school's all-time home runs list. Additionally, Mitchell registered 38 walks, bringing his program-leading total to 136. He has been an integral part of the Hillcat program throughout his college years.
 
Zak Nelson has been a mainstay in the starting lineup in the outfield. The junior has a slash line of .315/.457/.472 with 34 hits, 30 runs, 29 RBIs and 25 walks. Eleven of his hits have gone for extra bases, with seven doubles, two triples and two home runs.
 
Spencer Hatch (4-2) has started in 13 games for the Hillcats. The Las Vegas, Nevada, has collected a team-leading 61 strikeouts in 54.1 innings of work. He heads into the postseason with a 4.47 ERA and 1.29 WHIP.
 
Other notable pitching staff members to watch include Michael Klein (2-2, 2 saves), Mason Trotter (5-0, 3 saves) and Cole Abbott (2-0).
 
ABOUT THE GRIFFONS
Missouri Western has a record of 27-23 after a 7-5 victory over Fort Hays State in the opening round of the MIAA Tournament. They earned the No. 7 seed after finishing seventh in the MIAA regular-season standings.
 
Tomorrow will mark the 19th all-time meeting between the two programs, with Rogers State holding a 13-8 advantage. The two teams faced off in the finale series of the regular season, with the Griffons edging the Hillcats 2-1 after a late rally in game three.
 
Junor Seth Winkler, an All-MIAA Second Team honoree, is a player to watch for MWSU. The St. Charles, Illinois, native has slashed .341/.381/.643 with 44 hits, 43 RBIs, 30 runs, and six walks in 36 appearances (31 starts). He tallied 19 extra-base hits with 10 homers and nine doubles.
 
The projected starting pitcher for the Griffs is senior RHP Sebastian Gutierrez (2-2). The Westchester, Illinois, native heads into the matchup with a 7.46 ERA and 2.13 WHIP. In 44.2 innings, he has tallied 38 strikeouts and has walked 33 batters. Other notable arms included Cole Evan (All-MIAA HM) and Cam Saleh (All-MIAA HM).