Aberdeen, S.D. – Northern State baseball is back in action for the first time in three weeks as they travel to face Rockhurst University in a 4-game weekend series. Due to the weather and travel conditions the series schedule has been adjusted to doubleheaders on Saturday and Sunday, with a 7-inning game at 12 p.m. and a 9-inning game to follow at approximately 2 p.m. each day. The Wolves and Hawks will meet for the first time in series history on the ball diamond at Loyola Park Baseball Field in Kansas City, Missouri.
GAME & FAN INFORMATION
- Links to watch the games and follow live stats are attached above
- Sunday's doublehead does have the potential to be moved up to 10 a.m. (weather pending), follow @WolvesAthletics on Twitter and visit nsuwolves.com for any other pending updates
NORTHERN STATE STORYLINES
- Northern State enters this weekend's 4-game series with a 1-2 record on the season
- The Wolves last competed at the Edmond First Pitch Classic where they defeated Emporia State 9-6 on a walk-off 3-run homer from Niko Pezonella, but also lost to Central Oklahoma (14-4) and Pittsburg State (7-4)
- After three games Austin Portner leads the Wolves with a .400 batting average and a .455 on-base percentage, he tallied four hits with a double and RBI in the seasons opening weekend along with going 1-1 on the base paths on stolen base attempts
- Reece Ragatz is holding a 1.775 OPS percentage as well as a 1.375 slugging percentage, the highest in the NSIC in each category; Ragatz recorded three hits with a triple and two homeruns in the opening weekend of season and totaling three runs scored and seven RBI
- In one starting appearance Max Otto threw 6.0 innings against Emporia State on the mound, he holds a 4.50 ERA after one appearance where he allowed three earned runs and threw eight strikeouts
- Zach Carolin emerged as a key relief pitcher, throwing 4.0 scoreless innings against Pittsburg State, allowing only two hits while throwing one strikeout
- Carolin and Otto are second and third in the conference in opponent batting average, holding opponents to .154 and .174 batting averages respectively
- As a team Northern has hit .228 with 23 hits, two doubles, one triple, four homeruns, 15 RBI, and 17 runs scored through three games
- The Wolves' pitching staff has recorded an ERA of 7.71, allowing 29 hits and 16 walks, while throwing 27 strikeouts; opponents have held a .279 batting average against NSU pitchers
ROCKHURST STORYLINES
- Rockhurst enters this weekend's 4-game series with an 0-7 record on the season
- The Hawks lost at Central Missouri in a mid-week game last Tuesday by a score of 12-2, they were also swept in a 3-game series at Drury last weekend by scores of 4-0, 5-2, and 6-2
- Adonis Forte and Austin Murray are Rockhurst's two top batters, recording batting averages of .360 and .350 respectively; Forte has notched nine hits with one double, one run scored and five RBI while Murray has tallied seven hits with one double, three runs scored, and two RBI
- The Hawks are 18-20 on stolen base attempts early on in the season with Murray 6-6 on the base paths while Malik Stevenson and Landon Wagner are each 3-3
- Clayton Medlin and Sawyer Alen have been the two primary starting pitchers for RU, having posted ERA's of 1.98 and 6.52 respectively; Medlin and Sawyer have thrown nine and ten strikeouts respectively after each have started two games for the Hawks
- As a team Rockhurst has hit .183 with 38 hits, five doubles, one homerun, 13 RBI, and 14 runs scored through seven games
- The Hawks' pitching staff has recorded an ERA of 7.01, allowing 64 hits and 18 walks, while throwing 34 strikeouts; opponents have held a .306 batting average against RU pitchers
- Gary Burns is in his 29th season as the head baseball coach at Rockhurst, compiling a record of 799-678 with the Hawks
LAST MATCH-UP
- Saturday will mark the first ever meeting between the Northern State and Rockhurst baseball programs
