Aberdeen, S.D. – With Friday afternoon's announcement of a site change to Mankato, Minnesota, the Northern State baseball team is set to travel to face the preseason conference favorite and current NSIC leader Minnesota State for a three-game weekend series. The Wolves and Mavericks will play a doubleheader on Saturday afternoon starting at 1:30 and 3:30 p.m., and a single game at 12 p.m. on Sunday afternoon. The games will now be played at Bowyer Field on the campus of Minnesota State University.
GAME & FAN INFORMATION
- Live stats and live video are available at the links above
NORTHERN STATE STORYLINES
- Northern State enters the weekend series with a record of 9-11 (4-3 NSIC), the Wolves are currently tied for sixth in the conference standings
- The Wolves attempted to move their mid-week doubleheader with Wayne State up one day to Tuesday, however they were unable to complete game one and were forced to cancel the doubleheader
- Northern is hitting .240 with 154 hits, 36 doubles, three triples, nine homeruns, 78 RBI, and 85 runs scored
- Karson Hesser currently leads the team with a batting average of .317, he has accumulated a total of 20 hits, four doubles, two triples, one homerun, five RBI, and nine runs scored this season
- Ramon Vega Jr. and Jack Paulson are second and third respectively with batting averages of .309 and .305
- The NSU pitching staff has recorded an ERA of 5.11, allowing 165 hits and 80 walks, while throwing 156 strikeouts; opponents hold a .266 batting average against NSU pitchers
- Max Otto is the top starting pitcher with a record of 5-1 in six starts; he has allowed 33 hits and 11 walks, while striking out 36 batters
- Otto is tied for the most wins this season among pitchers in the NSIC (5) and ranks eighth in ERA (2.43)
- Christian Mundt and Michael Chevalier have made five and four appearances respectively, holding ERA's of 2.45 and 3.21; Chevalier has struck out 20 batters and Mundt has struck out ten
MINNESOTA STATE STORYLINES
- Minnesota State enters the weekend series with a record of 18-4 (11-2 NSIC), the Mavericks currently lead the conference standings
- The Mavericks swept a mid-week doubleheader against Southwest Minnesota State, winning the games by scores of 13-1 and 6-2
- MSU is hitting .327 with 240 hits, 37 doubles, ten triples, 29 homeruns, 186 RBI, and 212 runs scored
- Nick Altermatt leads the NSIC in batting average, hitting .461 with 35 hits, ten doubles, one triple, ten homeruns, 39 RBI, and 28 runs scored
- Altermatt leads the NSIC in five statistical categories, batting average (.461), slugging percentage (1.013), on base percentage (.523), on base + slugging percentage (1.536), and runs batted in (39)
- The Minnesota State pitching staff has recorded an ERA of 2.69, allowing 130 hits and 54 walks, while throwing 228 strikeouts; opponents hold a .197 batting average against MSU pitchers
- Brendan Knoll is the Mavericks top starting pitcher holding an ERA of 0.86 and has recorded a record of 4-1 on the season; other key starting pitchers in MSU's rotation is Nick Altermatt (5-0) and Cam Kline (3-0)
- Knoll leads the NSIC in opponent batting average (.155) and ranks second in earned run average (0.86)
- In relief, Derek Lilledahl and Jackson Uner have each pitched 8.0 innings and both have ERA's of 1.13
- Matt Magers is in his 14th season as the head coach at Minnesota State, he holds a career record of 523-165 with the Mavericks
LOOKING BACK TO 2021
- Minnesota State swept Northern State during a mid-week doubleheader in their last meeting on March 30, 2021; the Mavericks won by scores of 4-2 and 9-1
- Minnesota State leads the all-time series 29-5, Northern State's last win in the series came in 2018 when they earned a 2-0 home win
