Wednesday, May 19
Sioux Falls, SD
6:00 p.m.
St. Cloud State
vs
Augustana University (SD)
Photo by: Kylie Macziewski
St. Cloud State Baseball begins NSIC Championships Second Round with bout against No. 19 Augustana
5/18/2021 4:30:00 PM | Baseball
St. Cloud State Baseball (22-12, 18-9 NSIC) continues their NSIC Championships run this week as they open the Second Round with a 6:00 p.m. first pitch against No. 19 Augustana (33-9, 29-9 NSIC) on Wednesday, May 19 at Karras Park in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. The Second Round of the NSIC Championships is comprised of a four-team, double-elimination format featuring the four winners of last weekend's Opening Round matchups.
Wednesday's matchup stands to serve as Day One's main event with two of the hottest teams in the NSIC going toe-to-toe. The Huskies have won 12 of their last 14, scoring at least six runs in all but one of those 14 games. Augustana enters winning 10 of their last 11, plating six or more in eight games during the span. Historically St. Cloud State and Augustana have been bitter rivals in NSIC Tournament play, with the Vikings edging SCSU in their last two matchups in 2018 and 2019. Prior to the 2018 Championships, the Huskies had defeated Augie in four straight Tournament games including twice to close out their 2015 NSIC Championship run in St. Cloud.
Scouting the Huskies
St. Cloud State took care of business against the University of Mary 6-4 and 8-5 in their Opening Round series, receiving fantastic starts from Matt Osterberg (5.1 IP, 3 H, 2 ER, 3 BB, 10 K) and Trevor Koeing (7.0 IP, 6 H, ER, BB, 10 K) and plenty of offensive production from the top of their order.
The Huskies' one-two-three of centerfielder John Nett (.387/.525/.597, 45 R, 9 2B, 2 3B, 4 HR, 27 RBI, 15 SB), shortstop Max Gamm (.313/.387/.410, 29 R, 4 2B, 3 3B, HR, 18 RBI, 18 SB) and leftfielder Paul Steffensen (.331/.389/.598, 35 R, 7 2B, 3 3B, 7 HR, 30 RBI, 16 SB) set the table for the NSIC's best-hitting lineup. First baseman Jake Shusterich (.398/.504/.673, 24 R, 12 2B, 5 HR, 33 RBI) and rightfielder Matt Quade (.370/.433/.613, 20 R, 9 2B, 3B, 6 HR, 37 RBI) make up a formidable heart of the order with added production from third baseman Tate Wallat (.785 OPS, 5 2B, 2 3B, 3 HR), catcher Drew Bulson (.797 OPS, 4 2B, 2 HR), second baseman Kyle Rodriguez (13 R, 2 2B, 3B, HR) along with the designated hitter platoon of Tyler Schiller (.317/.419/.508, 3 2B, 3 HR) and Lenny Walker (.716 OPS, 4 2B, 2 HR, 7 SB)
Huskies ace Matt Osterberg is sure to get the Wednesday start, owning a stellar 2.59 FIP and a 3.02 ERA across eight starts. He has allowed just 29 hits over 44.2 innings while striking out 62 batters for a 32.3% strikeout rate. The lefthander holds opponents to a meager .542 OPS and leads the NSIC with a .182 batting average against. Osterberg has struck out at least 10 batters in four of his last five starts. St. Cloud State's bullpen has been a key ingredient in their recent success, anchored by Nick Brauns (2-1, 8 APP, 4.30 FIP, 11.2 IP, 15 K, .699 OPSA), Mack Larson (2 SV, 12 APP, 29.2 IP, 19 K), Fabian Villegas (1-1, SV, 7 APP, 22.1 IP, 19:8 K:BB), Eli Emerson (9 APP, 4.35 ERA, 10.1 IP, 11 K), Riley Ahern (3 APP, 2.2 IP, 3 K, 0 H, 0 R) and Adam Winkels (3 APP, 4.0 IP, 0.00 ERA, 3 K).
Scouting the No. 19 Vikings
No. 19 Augustana dispatched Winona State last weekend 12-0 and 7-4 in their Opening Round series, receiving 7.0 shutout innings of five-hit, nine-strikeout baseball from ace Ryan Jares in the opener and four-hit series performances from Carter Howell and Sam Baier to handily dispatch the Warriors.
Leadoff man Carter Howell paces a formidable Augustana lineup, slashing .419/.503/.688 for a 1.190 OPS with 12 doubles, two triples, nine homers, 52 runs scored and 40 RBI to go with 27 steals on 29 tries. Third baseman Jordan Barth (.333/.369/.586, 47 R, 14 2B, 10 HR, 46 RBI), catcher Will Olson (.344/.444/.744, 31 R, 9 2B, 1 3B, 13 HR, 38 RBI), shortstop Sam Baier (.331/.405/.566, 38 R, 5 2B, 1 3B, 9 HR, 35 RBI, 20 SB) and centerfielder Riley Johnson (.304/.369/.449, 33 R, 7 2B, 2 3B, 4 HR, 31 RBI, 16 SB) are familiar cogs in the Viking lineup. First baseman Christian Kuzemka (.340/.386/.532, 10 2B, 1 3B, 5 HR, 41 RBI) has provided some additional juice to the heart of the order, and the Vikings are dangerous on the basepaths with 111 steals on an 88.8% success rate.
The Vikings feature one of the most lethal pitching staffs in the Central Region, fronted by the foursome of Ryan Jares (6-1, 12 APP/9 GS, 1 CGSHO, 1 SV, 1.68 ERA, 1.86 FIP, 59.0 IP, 85:9 K:BB, .523 OPSA, 37.2% K, 3.9% BB), 2019 NSIC Pitcher of the Year Max Steffens (8-1, 9 GS, 2.50 ERA, 2.99 FIP, 54.0 IP, 52:6 K:BB, .664 OPSA, 24.1% K, 2.8% BB), Koby Bishop (6-1, 10 APP/5 GS, 3 CG, 2 SHO, 1 SV, 2.23 ERA, 3.12 FIP, 48.1 IP, 65:18 K:BB, .606 OPSA, 31.9% K, 8.8% BB) and Tanner Brown (5-0, 9 APP/8 GS, 2 CGSHO, 3.11 ERA, 3.60 FIP, 46.1 IP, 59:13 K:BB, .696 OPSA, 29.4% K, 6.5% BB). SCSU is likely to face either Jares or Steffens on Wednesday. The Huskies handed Jares a no-decision in their 3-2 weekend series win during the opening week of the NSIC season, with the righthander going 7.0 frames of six-hit, zero-walk baseball and allowing two runs while striking out seven. Steffens is fresh off the best postseason start of his collegiate career against Winona State, allowing a career postseason-low three earned runs over 6.1 innings of work in the clincher. Augustana's bullpen contains plenty of swing-and-miss stuff, as every single reliever with at least 3.0 innings of work has a strikeout rate of 21.4% or better. Caleb Kranz has been the feature arm out of the pen, striking out 41 batters over 23.0 innings with a 1.96 ERA.
Broadcast Information
The series will be broadcast on 97.5 FM RadioX and the NSIC Network with Live Stats provided by the NSIC.
Second Round Schedule
Wednesday, May 19
12:00pm No. 13 Minnesota State vs Minnesota-Crookston (1)
6:00pm No. 19 Augustana vs St. Cloud State (2)
Thursday, May 20
12:00pm Elimination - Loser 1 vs Loser 2 (3)
3:00pm Winner 1 vs Winner 2 (4)
6:00pm Elimination - Winner 3 vs Loser 4 (5)
Friday, May 21
11:00am Winner 4 vs Winner 5 (6)
2:00pm Winner 6 vs Loser 6 (If Necessary)
Wednesday's matchup stands to serve as Day One's main event with two of the hottest teams in the NSIC going toe-to-toe. The Huskies have won 12 of their last 14, scoring at least six runs in all but one of those 14 games. Augustana enters winning 10 of their last 11, plating six or more in eight games during the span. Historically St. Cloud State and Augustana have been bitter rivals in NSIC Tournament play, with the Vikings edging SCSU in their last two matchups in 2018 and 2019. Prior to the 2018 Championships, the Huskies had defeated Augie in four straight Tournament games including twice to close out their 2015 NSIC Championship run in St. Cloud.
Scouting the Huskies
St. Cloud State took care of business against the University of Mary 6-4 and 8-5 in their Opening Round series, receiving fantastic starts from Matt Osterberg (5.1 IP, 3 H, 2 ER, 3 BB, 10 K) and Trevor Koeing (7.0 IP, 6 H, ER, BB, 10 K) and plenty of offensive production from the top of their order.
The Huskies' one-two-three of centerfielder John Nett (.387/.525/.597, 45 R, 9 2B, 2 3B, 4 HR, 27 RBI, 15 SB), shortstop Max Gamm (.313/.387/.410, 29 R, 4 2B, 3 3B, HR, 18 RBI, 18 SB) and leftfielder Paul Steffensen (.331/.389/.598, 35 R, 7 2B, 3 3B, 7 HR, 30 RBI, 16 SB) set the table for the NSIC's best-hitting lineup. First baseman Jake Shusterich (.398/.504/.673, 24 R, 12 2B, 5 HR, 33 RBI) and rightfielder Matt Quade (.370/.433/.613, 20 R, 9 2B, 3B, 6 HR, 37 RBI) make up a formidable heart of the order with added production from third baseman Tate Wallat (.785 OPS, 5 2B, 2 3B, 3 HR), catcher Drew Bulson (.797 OPS, 4 2B, 2 HR), second baseman Kyle Rodriguez (13 R, 2 2B, 3B, HR) along with the designated hitter platoon of Tyler Schiller (.317/.419/.508, 3 2B, 3 HR) and Lenny Walker (.716 OPS, 4 2B, 2 HR, 7 SB)
Huskies ace Matt Osterberg is sure to get the Wednesday start, owning a stellar 2.59 FIP and a 3.02 ERA across eight starts. He has allowed just 29 hits over 44.2 innings while striking out 62 batters for a 32.3% strikeout rate. The lefthander holds opponents to a meager .542 OPS and leads the NSIC with a .182 batting average against. Osterberg has struck out at least 10 batters in four of his last five starts. St. Cloud State's bullpen has been a key ingredient in their recent success, anchored by Nick Brauns (2-1, 8 APP, 4.30 FIP, 11.2 IP, 15 K, .699 OPSA), Mack Larson (2 SV, 12 APP, 29.2 IP, 19 K), Fabian Villegas (1-1, SV, 7 APP, 22.1 IP, 19:8 K:BB), Eli Emerson (9 APP, 4.35 ERA, 10.1 IP, 11 K), Riley Ahern (3 APP, 2.2 IP, 3 K, 0 H, 0 R) and Adam Winkels (3 APP, 4.0 IP, 0.00 ERA, 3 K).
Scouting the No. 19 Vikings
No. 19 Augustana dispatched Winona State last weekend 12-0 and 7-4 in their Opening Round series, receiving 7.0 shutout innings of five-hit, nine-strikeout baseball from ace Ryan Jares in the opener and four-hit series performances from Carter Howell and Sam Baier to handily dispatch the Warriors.
Leadoff man Carter Howell paces a formidable Augustana lineup, slashing .419/.503/.688 for a 1.190 OPS with 12 doubles, two triples, nine homers, 52 runs scored and 40 RBI to go with 27 steals on 29 tries. Third baseman Jordan Barth (.333/.369/.586, 47 R, 14 2B, 10 HR, 46 RBI), catcher Will Olson (.344/.444/.744, 31 R, 9 2B, 1 3B, 13 HR, 38 RBI), shortstop Sam Baier (.331/.405/.566, 38 R, 5 2B, 1 3B, 9 HR, 35 RBI, 20 SB) and centerfielder Riley Johnson (.304/.369/.449, 33 R, 7 2B, 2 3B, 4 HR, 31 RBI, 16 SB) are familiar cogs in the Viking lineup. First baseman Christian Kuzemka (.340/.386/.532, 10 2B, 1 3B, 5 HR, 41 RBI) has provided some additional juice to the heart of the order, and the Vikings are dangerous on the basepaths with 111 steals on an 88.8% success rate.
The Vikings feature one of the most lethal pitching staffs in the Central Region, fronted by the foursome of Ryan Jares (6-1, 12 APP/9 GS, 1 CGSHO, 1 SV, 1.68 ERA, 1.86 FIP, 59.0 IP, 85:9 K:BB, .523 OPSA, 37.2% K, 3.9% BB), 2019 NSIC Pitcher of the Year Max Steffens (8-1, 9 GS, 2.50 ERA, 2.99 FIP, 54.0 IP, 52:6 K:BB, .664 OPSA, 24.1% K, 2.8% BB), Koby Bishop (6-1, 10 APP/5 GS, 3 CG, 2 SHO, 1 SV, 2.23 ERA, 3.12 FIP, 48.1 IP, 65:18 K:BB, .606 OPSA, 31.9% K, 8.8% BB) and Tanner Brown (5-0, 9 APP/8 GS, 2 CGSHO, 3.11 ERA, 3.60 FIP, 46.1 IP, 59:13 K:BB, .696 OPSA, 29.4% K, 6.5% BB). SCSU is likely to face either Jares or Steffens on Wednesday. The Huskies handed Jares a no-decision in their 3-2 weekend series win during the opening week of the NSIC season, with the righthander going 7.0 frames of six-hit, zero-walk baseball and allowing two runs while striking out seven. Steffens is fresh off the best postseason start of his collegiate career against Winona State, allowing a career postseason-low three earned runs over 6.1 innings of work in the clincher. Augustana's bullpen contains plenty of swing-and-miss stuff, as every single reliever with at least 3.0 innings of work has a strikeout rate of 21.4% or better. Caleb Kranz has been the feature arm out of the pen, striking out 41 batters over 23.0 innings with a 1.96 ERA.
Broadcast Information
The series will be broadcast on 97.5 FM RadioX and the NSIC Network with Live Stats provided by the NSIC.
Second Round Schedule
Wednesday, May 19
12:00pm No. 13 Minnesota State vs Minnesota-Crookston (1)
6:00pm No. 19 Augustana vs St. Cloud State (2)
Thursday, May 20
12:00pm Elimination - Loser 1 vs Loser 2 (3)
3:00pm Winner 1 vs Winner 2 (4)
6:00pm Elimination - Winner 3 vs Loser 4 (5)
Friday, May 21
11:00am Winner 4 vs Winner 5 (6)
2:00pm Winner 6 vs Loser 6 (If Necessary)
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