Aberdeen, S.D. – The Northern State baseball team continues to make their way through the early portion of the NSIC schedule as they travel to Wayne State for a pair of games on Wednesday. Both teams will be looking for their first conference win of the season as they both fell victims to a 3-game sweep in their conference openers. Due to field conditions in Wayne, the teams have agreed to move the doubleheader to Frerichs Legion Field in Elkhorn, Nebraska, where a first pitch time of 10 a.m. and 12 p.m. is set for Wednesday morning.

GAME & FAN INFORMATION

• Links to follow live stats for the games are attached above

NORTHERN STATE STORYLINES

• Northern State enters the mid-week doubleheader with a record of 5-9 (0-3 NSIC)
• Last weekend's 3-game series for the Wolves at Minnesota State was moved to Minneapolis and U.S. Bank Stadium, where NSU was swept by scores of 12-2, 5-2, and 5-2
• As a team Northern has hit .255 with 111 hits, 25 doubles, one triple, 12 homeruns, 56 RBI, and 61 runs scored through 14 games played
• At the plate, Niko Pezonella leads the Wolves with a .387 batting average, .839 slugging percentage, .486 on-base percentage, and a 1.325 on-base plus slugging percentage
• Austin Portner leads the team with 14 hits this season and is tied with Pezonella for the team lead with five doubles
• Reece Ragatz has recorded the lone triple of the season for NSU and he is also tied for the team lead with Pezonella having notched three homeruns
• Jordan DeMarce, Jack Paulson, and Portner each have two stolen bases to lead Northern on the base paths this season
• Portner and Kai Brisk bring a seven and six game hit streak respectively into Wednesday's doubleheader; DeMarce leads the Wolves with four multi-hit games this year while Pezonella and Portner each have three multi-hit games
• The Wolves' pitching staff has recorded an ERA of 6.09, allowing 113 hits and 58 walks, while throwing 110 strikeouts; opponents have held a .267 batting average against NSU pitchers
• Zach Carolin (1-1) and Michael Chevalier (2-1) have recorded the lowest ERA's on the mound so far this season at 2.84 and 3.43 respectively
• Chevalier leads the Wolves with 30 strikeouts in four appearances and starts, while Max Otto (0-3) is a close second with 27 strikeouts in five appearances with four starts
• Otto has pitched a team high 22.2 innings this season and has recorded the lone save by a NSU pitcher

WAYNE STATE STORYLINES

• Wayne State enters the mid-week doubleheader with a record of 6-11 (0-3 NSIC)
• The Wildcat's home opening 3-game series was moved from Wayne to Elkhorn, Nebraska, where WSC was swept by scores of 6-3, 21-5, and 13-2
• As a team Wayne State has hit .225 with 108 hits, 21 doubles, three triples, 11 homeruns, 58 RBI, and 69 runs scored through 17 games played
• At the plate, Colin Lynam leads the team with a .333 batting average, .667 slugging percentage, and 1.081 on-base plus slugging percentage; Carter Thomas has the highest on-base percentage at .446
• Colin Lynam leads WSC with 20 hits and five homeruns, while Cade Lynam and Thomas join Lynam as the only players to record a triple with one a piece; Quinn McCafferty leads Wayne State with five doubles
• Colin Lynam leads the Wildcats on the base paths having gone 5-5 on stolen base attempts while McCafferty is 4-5 this season
• McCafferty is riding a 5-game hit streak in the mid-week doubleheader, while Collin Lynam, McCafferty have the most multi-hit games this season with seven and six respectively
• The Wildcats' pitching staff has recorded an ERA of 9.28, allowing 181 hits and 91 walks, while throwing 107 strikeouts; opponents have held a .332 batting average against WSC pitchers
• Wayne State's top starting pitchers include Ryan Obrecht (3-1) and Corbin Kirk (0-2), Obrecht has recorded an ERA of 4.50 while Kirk has an ERA of 6.48
• Corbin leads the team with 22 strikeouts in five starts and appearances, while Obrecht and Josh Kilzer each have 14 strikeouts
• In his six relief appearances this season, Braden Cannon has the only two saves for the Wildcats and has an ERA of 0.66 in 13.2 innings pitched
• Alex Koch is in his ninth season as the head baseball coach at Wayne State where he has recorded a record 169-186 with the Wildcats

LAST MATCH-UP

• Last season Northern State and Wayne State only met in a single non-conference match-up in Auburndale, Florida, at the RussMatt Invitational, where the Wildcats held off a late Wolves rally to secure a 9-7 win
• WSC leads the all-time series 56-12 and have won seven of the last eight meetings