Sunday, March 17
Omaha, Neb.
7:00 PM
St. Cloud State
vs
Minnesota State University - Mankato
Photo by: Maddie MacFarlane
#6/7 St. Cloud State Opens NSIC Season against Minnesota State Mankato
3/15/2019 11:38:00 PM | Baseball
OMAHA, Neb. – Coming off of a 7-1 week at the Tucson Invitational Games, the #6/7 St. Cloud State baseball team (12-2, 0-0 NSIC) will open their NSIC regular season against Minnesota State Mankato March 17-18 at Millard North High School in Omaha, Nebraska.
SCSU and Mankato will square off on Sunday, March 17 at 7 PM CT, then play a double-header on Monday, March 18 that starts at 10 AM CT.
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SCOUTING THE MAVERICKS
Minnesota State enters the weekend with an 8-3 mark and a #7 rank in the NCBWA week four central region poll. The Mavericks have earned notable victories over NCAA Central Region opponent, Arkansas Monticello as well as UT-Tyler and Findlay (OH).
MSU boasts another strong pitching staff in 2019, led by Jon Ludwig, Cam Kline, Jimmy Larson and Trevor Diminski. Each have tossed at least 10 innings in MSU's first 11 games of the season, while Kline and Divinski have recorded three starts.
Ludwig (2-0) paces the staff with a 0.00 ERA through two starts in 14 innings pitched, while having struck out 18 and walked two. The right-hander has only allowed six hits and is holding opponents to a .125 batting average. Ludwig's first victory of the year came against Arkansas Monticello where he struck out nine, walked two and did not allow a run while scattering three hits across six innings. In his second start of the season, Ludwig went the distance against UT-Tyler. Tossing eight scoreless frames and striking out nine, the junior only allowed three hits in a 1-0 victory for MSU.
Kline (3-0) carries a 1.62 ERA through 16.2 innings thrown in three starts after having struck out 22, walking five and allowing 14 hits.
Larson (1-1) leads the team in strikeouts with 27 and owns a 3.18 ERA over 17 innings of work. Larson notched his first victory of the season in a six inning start against Florida Southern, where he struck out 11, walked one and only allowed one earned run on 12 hits. His next appearance, a seven-inning relief effort against Ashland ended in an 8-9 loss after the sophomore allowed five earned runs on seven hits while striking out eight.
Jordan Hart and Ty Buck are each hitting over .430, while Tom Imholte and Nick Altermatt are each above the .300 mark. Hart paces the Mavericks' order at .438, while also leading the team in RBI's (17), hits (21), home runs (5), doubles (5) and slugging percentage (.854). Hart also leads the team in strikeouts with 14, while having stolen one base.
Buck follows Hart with a .436 batting average while having posted 12 RBI's on 17 hits, including two doubles and a home run.
SERIES HISTORY
MSU leads all-time series 87-137 (since 1939)
SCSU is 3-2 in last five meetings
Last Series: (April 22-23, 2018, Bemidji, MN) 2-2 split
Game 1: SCSU 3, MSU 5
(WP, Graffeo | LP, Boser) Hammann, 2-4, 1 RBI, Ibarra, 2-4, 1 RBI, Matchinsky, 1-4 1 RBI
Game 2: SCSU 9, MSU 6
(WP, Osterberg, 4.2 IP, 5 ER, 5 SO, 7 H | LP: Divinski) Mallek, 2-4, 3 RBI; Goplen, 1-4, 3 RBI, Hammann 2-4, 2 RBI
Game 3: SCSU 2, MSU 1
(WP, Austing, 7 IP, 1 ER, 7 SO, 3 H | LP: Kline) Hammann, 1-2 RBI; Goplen, 1 RBI
Game 4: SCSU 2, MSU 8
(WP, Rozek | LP, Koenig) Hammann 1-3 1 RBI; Goplen, 1-3 (HR) 1 RBI
Minnesota State Mankato finished 31-16 (26-10 NSIC) last season and made the NSIC Tournament as the four seed, going 0-2 and failing to make the NCAA Central Region for the first time since 2005.
St. Cloud State finished last season with a 30-17 (21-8 NSIC) record and advancing to their fourth consecutive NCAA Central Region Tournament.
DOM'S PLAN
Dominic Austing is 3-0 all-time against MSU-Mankato, owning a 2.18 ERA over 20.2 innings. The senior has notched 25 strikeouts while only walking three. Of note, Austing has tossed two complete games against MSU and beat the Mavericks twice in 2017.
This season, Austing (2-0) owns a 1.04 ERA through 17.1 innings of work. The St. Cloud Cathedral graduate has picked up 25 strikeouts and opponents are hitting under .200 off of him.
NATIONAL ACCOLADES
St. Cloud State entered the 2019 season with a 39 preseason rank from Collegiate Baseball Newspaper and was receiving votes in the NCBWA's top 25 poll. Last week, the Huskies were #11 for the second consecutive week after jumping from 14 after a 3-0 start at the Houston Winter Invitational. After going 7-1 on the week in Tucson, SCSU moved from 11 to seven in the NCBWA's poll, while Collegiate Baseball Newspaper moved the Huskies up to six.
SCSU also received first six place votes in the week four NCBWA Central Region poll, earning them the top spot with 69 total points.
Lenny Walker earned NCBWA Central Region Hitter of the Week after recording 14 RBI's on 17 hits, including five doubles and a grand slam for his first collegiate home run.
The Huskies are among the highest ranks in various statistical categories across DII baseball as well. Through games played on March 11, SCSU's pitching staff leads the country in walks allowed per nine (2.17), strikeout-to-walk ratio (4.67) and is second in WHIP at 1.09. At the plate, SCSU owns the eighth highest batting average in the country (.341) and is averaging the 26th most runs per game with 8.2. St. Cloud State also ranks 17th in on-base percentage (.426), 39th in slugging percentage (.463) and 16th in ERA with 3.13.
STRONG ON THE STICKS
SCSU's lineup features three Huskies who are hitting over .400 and four who are hitting above the .300 mark. Mathew Meyer leads the team with a .426 average, while having driven in 16 RBI's on another team high of 23 hits in 14 starts. Walker follows with a .423 mark after hitting .531 in 32 at-bats at the Tucson Invitational Games. Of note, Walker leads the team with 19 RBI's and five stolen bases. Jordan Joseph owns a .408 average with 11 RBI's, 20 hits and a team high of seven doubles. Mitch Mallek is off to another hot start with 21 hits, 11 RBI's, 18 runs scored and a .389 average.
SCSU and Mankato will square off on Sunday, March 17 at 7 PM CT, then play a double-header on Monday, March 18 that starts at 10 AM CT.
FOLLOW LIVE
STATS
LISTEN
SCOUTING THE MAVERICKS
Minnesota State enters the weekend with an 8-3 mark and a #7 rank in the NCBWA week four central region poll. The Mavericks have earned notable victories over NCAA Central Region opponent, Arkansas Monticello as well as UT-Tyler and Findlay (OH).
MSU boasts another strong pitching staff in 2019, led by Jon Ludwig, Cam Kline, Jimmy Larson and Trevor Diminski. Each have tossed at least 10 innings in MSU's first 11 games of the season, while Kline and Divinski have recorded three starts.
Ludwig (2-0) paces the staff with a 0.00 ERA through two starts in 14 innings pitched, while having struck out 18 and walked two. The right-hander has only allowed six hits and is holding opponents to a .125 batting average. Ludwig's first victory of the year came against Arkansas Monticello where he struck out nine, walked two and did not allow a run while scattering three hits across six innings. In his second start of the season, Ludwig went the distance against UT-Tyler. Tossing eight scoreless frames and striking out nine, the junior only allowed three hits in a 1-0 victory for MSU.
Kline (3-0) carries a 1.62 ERA through 16.2 innings thrown in three starts after having struck out 22, walking five and allowing 14 hits.
Larson (1-1) leads the team in strikeouts with 27 and owns a 3.18 ERA over 17 innings of work. Larson notched his first victory of the season in a six inning start against Florida Southern, where he struck out 11, walked one and only allowed one earned run on 12 hits. His next appearance, a seven-inning relief effort against Ashland ended in an 8-9 loss after the sophomore allowed five earned runs on seven hits while striking out eight.
Jordan Hart and Ty Buck are each hitting over .430, while Tom Imholte and Nick Altermatt are each above the .300 mark. Hart paces the Mavericks' order at .438, while also leading the team in RBI's (17), hits (21), home runs (5), doubles (5) and slugging percentage (.854). Hart also leads the team in strikeouts with 14, while having stolen one base.
Buck follows Hart with a .436 batting average while having posted 12 RBI's on 17 hits, including two doubles and a home run.
SERIES HISTORY
MSU leads all-time series 87-137 (since 1939)
SCSU is 3-2 in last five meetings
Last Series: (April 22-23, 2018, Bemidji, MN) 2-2 split
Game 1: SCSU 3, MSU 5
(WP, Graffeo | LP, Boser) Hammann, 2-4, 1 RBI, Ibarra, 2-4, 1 RBI, Matchinsky, 1-4 1 RBI
Game 2: SCSU 9, MSU 6
(WP, Osterberg, 4.2 IP, 5 ER, 5 SO, 7 H | LP: Divinski) Mallek, 2-4, 3 RBI; Goplen, 1-4, 3 RBI, Hammann 2-4, 2 RBI
Game 3: SCSU 2, MSU 1
(WP, Austing, 7 IP, 1 ER, 7 SO, 3 H | LP: Kline) Hammann, 1-2 RBI; Goplen, 1 RBI
Game 4: SCSU 2, MSU 8
(WP, Rozek | LP, Koenig) Hammann 1-3 1 RBI; Goplen, 1-3 (HR) 1 RBI
Minnesota State Mankato finished 31-16 (26-10 NSIC) last season and made the NSIC Tournament as the four seed, going 0-2 and failing to make the NCAA Central Region for the first time since 2005.
St. Cloud State finished last season with a 30-17 (21-8 NSIC) record and advancing to their fourth consecutive NCAA Central Region Tournament.
DOM'S PLAN
Dominic Austing is 3-0 all-time against MSU-Mankato, owning a 2.18 ERA over 20.2 innings. The senior has notched 25 strikeouts while only walking three. Of note, Austing has tossed two complete games against MSU and beat the Mavericks twice in 2017.
This season, Austing (2-0) owns a 1.04 ERA through 17.1 innings of work. The St. Cloud Cathedral graduate has picked up 25 strikeouts and opponents are hitting under .200 off of him.
NATIONAL ACCOLADES
St. Cloud State entered the 2019 season with a 39 preseason rank from Collegiate Baseball Newspaper and was receiving votes in the NCBWA's top 25 poll. Last week, the Huskies were #11 for the second consecutive week after jumping from 14 after a 3-0 start at the Houston Winter Invitational. After going 7-1 on the week in Tucson, SCSU moved from 11 to seven in the NCBWA's poll, while Collegiate Baseball Newspaper moved the Huskies up to six.
SCSU also received first six place votes in the week four NCBWA Central Region poll, earning them the top spot with 69 total points.
Lenny Walker earned NCBWA Central Region Hitter of the Week after recording 14 RBI's on 17 hits, including five doubles and a grand slam for his first collegiate home run.
The Huskies are among the highest ranks in various statistical categories across DII baseball as well. Through games played on March 11, SCSU's pitching staff leads the country in walks allowed per nine (2.17), strikeout-to-walk ratio (4.67) and is second in WHIP at 1.09. At the plate, SCSU owns the eighth highest batting average in the country (.341) and is averaging the 26th most runs per game with 8.2. St. Cloud State also ranks 17th in on-base percentage (.426), 39th in slugging percentage (.463) and 16th in ERA with 3.13.
STRONG ON THE STICKS
SCSU's lineup features three Huskies who are hitting over .400 and four who are hitting above the .300 mark. Mathew Meyer leads the team with a .426 average, while having driven in 16 RBI's on another team high of 23 hits in 14 starts. Walker follows with a .423 mark after hitting .531 in 32 at-bats at the Tucson Invitational Games. Of note, Walker leads the team with 19 RBI's and five stolen bases. Jordan Joseph owns a .408 average with 11 RBI's, 20 hits and a team high of seven doubles. Mitch Mallek is off to another hot start with 21 hits, 11 RBI's, 18 runs scored and a .389 average.
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