Aberdeen, S.D. – The Northern State University baseball team will kick off conference play with double-headers this Sunday and Monday against Southwest Minnesota State University. Due to poor weather forecasts in the Marshall area, the Wolves will face the Mustangs on Sunday at 12 p.m. from Creighton Prep (Omaha, Neb.) and Monday at 12 p.m. from Augustana University (Sioux Falls, S.D.).
About the Wolves:
The Wolves enter the second weekend of conference play with a 6-7 overall and a 1-3 NSIC record. The Wolves are out-scoring opponents 79-72 in the 2018 season. As a team, NSU is hitting .268 with 10 home runs, five triples, and 25 doubles on 102 hits. NSU as a pitching staff has a 5.59 earned run average, giving up 116 hits, 59 earned runs, striking out 82 hitters, while walking 40, and giving up a .296 batting average.
Jack Schmidt leads the team with .375 batting average, second on the team is
Kolin Kubitz with a .364 and
Justin Barreneche has a .357 average on the season. Schmidt also leads the Wolves with 18 hits, second is Dakota Stilson with 13, and Kubitz has 12 hits on the season. Kubitz and
Lucas Lorenz are tied with a team leading three home runs. Stilson leads the team with five doubles, while Schmidt is second with four.
Zach Hartford leads the team with two wins on the season.
Luke Chevalier leads the Wolves with 17.0 innings and 19 strikeouts,
Sam Krapf is second on the team with 15.0 innings pitched, while giving up a 4.20 earned run average leading Wolves starters.
Holt Hunziker has not given up a run in 8.0 innings while striking out 11. Fielding percentage for the Wolves is at .963 with 15 errors as a team in 405 chances.
About the Mustangs:
- The Mustangs come into the weekend with a 5-9 overall and a 0-4 NSIC record.
- SMSU as a team is hitting .297, with 137 hits, 30 doubles, two triples, and seven home runs.
- Spencer Rudnik leads the team with a .414 batting average, while Shane Sellner is second on the team with a .404 average.
- Jayden Fleck has four home runs for the Mustangs, while Ben Heichel has two.
- The Mustangs as a pitching staff has a 5.13 earned run average, giving up 64 earned runs, 111 strikeouts, and 57 walks.
- Justin Clark is the team leader in innings pitched (17.0), second on the team is John Bezdicek.
- Cole Petersen is posting a 2.35 earned run average in 15.1 innings, while striking out 13.
- Paul Blanchard is in his 22nd year at the helm for the Mustangs with a record of 501-453-2.
2017 Season:
- The Wolves took three out of four games from the Mustangs last season. Northern State outscored them 23-15 in the series.
- Northern State all-time against Southwest Minnesota State University is 21-56. Since 2015, the Wolves are 9-4 against the Mustangs.
