Wednesday, April 28
Minot, ND
1:30 p.m.
St. Cloud State
at
Minot State University
Photo by: Kylie Macziewski
Red-hot Huskies begin seven-game road trip with Minot State midweek
4/27/2021 3:00:00 PM | Baseball
St. Cloud State Baseball (15-10, 13-7 NSIC) opens their final road swing of 2021 with a two-game midweek series at Minot State (17-12, 15-9 NSIC) on Wednesday, April 28. The doubleheader is set to begin at 1:30 p.m. CST in Minot, North Dakota at Corbett Field.
SCSU and the Beavers have met 25 times in the all-time series since it began in 2012, with the Huskies owning a 20-5 advantage. Minot State is led by Scott Eul, formerly St. Cloud State's pitching coach from 2015-16. In their last regular-season series, the Huskies swept Minot State 2-1 and 5-0 at home in 2019. Dominic Austing and Matt Osterberg combined for 12.1 scoreless frames of eight-hit, four-walk baseball with 15 strikeouts while the "M&M Boys" Mat Meyer and Mitch Mallek each homered in the sweep.
Scouting the Huskies
Beginning their first road trip in the month of April, the Huskies enter the midweek red-hot having won five straight and seven of their last eight. SCSU sits fourth in the NSIC standings, a game up on Minot State and one behind Minnesota-Crookston. Over their last five, the Huskies are averaging 8.2 runs per game.
Reigning NSIC Player of the Week Jake Shusterich (.412/.517/.735, 1.253 OPS, 10 2B, 4 HR, 22 RBI) anchors the heart of the order, fresh off a week in which he slashed .625/.727/1.188 for a jaw-dropping 1.915 OPS and a .749 wOBA with six doubles, a home run and 10 RBI. Centerfielder John Nett sets the table better than most in the country, presently slashing .367/.496/.589 for a 1.085 OPS with 33 runs scored, seven doubles, two triples, three home runs while drawing walks at an incredible 18.1% clip to go with 13 steals. Matt Quade rounds out the trio of Huskies carrying OPS marks north of 1.000, slashing .395/.474/.642 with six doubles, a triple, four home runs and a team-high 27 RBI. Max Gamm (.319/.407/.415, 4 2B, 3B, HR, 13 SB) and Paul Steffensen (.295/.373/.455, 3 2B, 3B, 3 HR, 17 RBI, 13 SB) join Nett as the team leaders with 13 stolen bases.
The Huskies' pitching staff has been fantastic in conference play, leading the NSIC with a 2.55 ERA while ranking second overall at 3.88. In their last midweek rotation, Tommy Thompson and Mack Larson carved up Bemidji State to earn a sweep on April 21. Thompson guided the Huskies to a 9-4 win in game one by tossing his first collegiate complete game, scattering four hits and five walks over 7.0 innings of four-run baseball while striking out six. Larson provided St. Cloud State with 7.0 brilliantly efficient innings, allowing just one earned on five hits and zero walks on 80 pitches. The veteran righthander worked at a fantastic pace and kept his defense active throughout his start en route to earning his first win in a Huskies uniform. Righthander Fabian Villegas is scheduled to return to the mound in the midweek, owning a 3.72 ERA and a 7:1 K:BB ratio across two starts in conference play. Relievers Nick Brauns (4 APP, 2.70 ERA), Eli Emerson (6 APP, 1.23 ERA, 7.1 IP, 8 K), Jacob Bradley (2 APP, 0.00 ERA), Riley Ahern and Adam Winkles have anchored the bullpen in NSIC action.
Scouting the Beavers
Minot State enters the midweek series sitting fifth in the NSIC standings, one game behind SCSU. The Beavers are playing .500 baseball at home this season, and have gone 3-2 over their current homestand with a midweek split against U-Mary and a weekend series win over Southwest Minnesota State.
Shortstop Declan Buckle is the Beavers' leading hitter at .333 with an .893 OPS, while outfielder Jordan Williams slashes .304/.375/.620 with a double, two triples along with a team-best 15 steals, eight home runs and 27 RBI. Outfielder Drew Behling has six homers and 20 RBI, while catcher Nolan Monthei and corner infielder Kaiden Cardoso have each gone deep three times.
Lefthander Zach Newman and righty Carson Tonini make up Minot State's midweek pairing. Newman is 2-3 over seven appearances and six starts with a 6.66 ERA over 25.2 innings, owning a 23:9 K:BB ratio and a .300 opponent average. Tonini has struggled to an 8.10 ERA across his four starts, allowing 12 hits and walking 11 in 10.0 frames. Aaron Kern (15 APP, 15.1 IP, 24:7 K:BB, 6.46 ERA) serves as the Beavers' closer with five saves to his credit, while southpaw Jordan Chappell (4-0, 11 APP, 18.2 IP, 0.96 ERA, 37:9 K:BB, .152 BAA) has become one of the Central Region's very best firemen out of the pen.
Broadcast Information
The series will be broadcast on 97.5 RadioX and the NSIC Network with Live Stats provided by Minot State.
SCSU and the Beavers have met 25 times in the all-time series since it began in 2012, with the Huskies owning a 20-5 advantage. Minot State is led by Scott Eul, formerly St. Cloud State's pitching coach from 2015-16. In their last regular-season series, the Huskies swept Minot State 2-1 and 5-0 at home in 2019. Dominic Austing and Matt Osterberg combined for 12.1 scoreless frames of eight-hit, four-walk baseball with 15 strikeouts while the "M&M Boys" Mat Meyer and Mitch Mallek each homered in the sweep.
Scouting the Huskies
Beginning their first road trip in the month of April, the Huskies enter the midweek red-hot having won five straight and seven of their last eight. SCSU sits fourth in the NSIC standings, a game up on Minot State and one behind Minnesota-Crookston. Over their last five, the Huskies are averaging 8.2 runs per game.
Reigning NSIC Player of the Week Jake Shusterich (.412/.517/.735, 1.253 OPS, 10 2B, 4 HR, 22 RBI) anchors the heart of the order, fresh off a week in which he slashed .625/.727/1.188 for a jaw-dropping 1.915 OPS and a .749 wOBA with six doubles, a home run and 10 RBI. Centerfielder John Nett sets the table better than most in the country, presently slashing .367/.496/.589 for a 1.085 OPS with 33 runs scored, seven doubles, two triples, three home runs while drawing walks at an incredible 18.1% clip to go with 13 steals. Matt Quade rounds out the trio of Huskies carrying OPS marks north of 1.000, slashing .395/.474/.642 with six doubles, a triple, four home runs and a team-high 27 RBI. Max Gamm (.319/.407/.415, 4 2B, 3B, HR, 13 SB) and Paul Steffensen (.295/.373/.455, 3 2B, 3B, 3 HR, 17 RBI, 13 SB) join Nett as the team leaders with 13 stolen bases.
The Huskies' pitching staff has been fantastic in conference play, leading the NSIC with a 2.55 ERA while ranking second overall at 3.88. In their last midweek rotation, Tommy Thompson and Mack Larson carved up Bemidji State to earn a sweep on April 21. Thompson guided the Huskies to a 9-4 win in game one by tossing his first collegiate complete game, scattering four hits and five walks over 7.0 innings of four-run baseball while striking out six. Larson provided St. Cloud State with 7.0 brilliantly efficient innings, allowing just one earned on five hits and zero walks on 80 pitches. The veteran righthander worked at a fantastic pace and kept his defense active throughout his start en route to earning his first win in a Huskies uniform. Righthander Fabian Villegas is scheduled to return to the mound in the midweek, owning a 3.72 ERA and a 7:1 K:BB ratio across two starts in conference play. Relievers Nick Brauns (4 APP, 2.70 ERA), Eli Emerson (6 APP, 1.23 ERA, 7.1 IP, 8 K), Jacob Bradley (2 APP, 0.00 ERA), Riley Ahern and Adam Winkles have anchored the bullpen in NSIC action.
Scouting the Beavers
Minot State enters the midweek series sitting fifth in the NSIC standings, one game behind SCSU. The Beavers are playing .500 baseball at home this season, and have gone 3-2 over their current homestand with a midweek split against U-Mary and a weekend series win over Southwest Minnesota State.
Shortstop Declan Buckle is the Beavers' leading hitter at .333 with an .893 OPS, while outfielder Jordan Williams slashes .304/.375/.620 with a double, two triples along with a team-best 15 steals, eight home runs and 27 RBI. Outfielder Drew Behling has six homers and 20 RBI, while catcher Nolan Monthei and corner infielder Kaiden Cardoso have each gone deep three times.
Lefthander Zach Newman and righty Carson Tonini make up Minot State's midweek pairing. Newman is 2-3 over seven appearances and six starts with a 6.66 ERA over 25.2 innings, owning a 23:9 K:BB ratio and a .300 opponent average. Tonini has struggled to an 8.10 ERA across his four starts, allowing 12 hits and walking 11 in 10.0 frames. Aaron Kern (15 APP, 15.1 IP, 24:7 K:BB, 6.46 ERA) serves as the Beavers' closer with five saves to his credit, while southpaw Jordan Chappell (4-0, 11 APP, 18.2 IP, 0.96 ERA, 37:9 K:BB, .152 BAA) has become one of the Central Region's very best firemen out of the pen.
Broadcast Information
The series will be broadcast on 97.5 RadioX and the NSIC Network with Live Stats provided by Minot State.
Players Mentioned
RHP
/ Baseball
RHP
/ Baseball
RHP
/ Baseball
RHP
/ Baseball
RHP
/ Baseball
RHP
/ Baseball
OF
/ Baseball
LHP
/ Baseball
INF/OF
/ Baseball
1B
/ Baseball
OF
/ Baseball
RHP
/ Baseball
RHP
/ BaseballSt Cloud State Baseball Vs Southwest Minnesota State Game 4
Sunday, March 16
St Cloud State Baseball Vs Southwest Minnesota State Game 3
Sunday, March 16
St Cloud State Baseball Vs Southwest Minnesota State Game 2
Thursday, March 13
St Cloud State Baseball Vs Southwest Minnesota State Game 1
Thursday, March 13
