Saturday, February 11
Monticello, Ark.
2 p.m. CT
St. Cloud State
at
Arkansas Monticello
(RV) Huskies continue nonconference play at Arkansas Monticello
2/8/2023 5:00:00 PM | Baseball
St. Cloud State Baseball travels for three-game series at Boll Weevils
ST. CLOUD, Minn. – (RV) St. Cloud State Baseball continues the nonconference portion of their 2023 schedule with a trip to Monticello, Arkansas for a three-game series with Arkansas Monticello. The Huskies and Boll Weevils begin their set with a Noon doubleheader on Saturday before closing with a single game on Sunday beginning at 1:00 p.m. CT.
BROADCAST INFORMATION
All three games will be broadcast on the UAM Sports YouTube site with live stats provided by Arkansas Monticello Fans can find links to each coverage option online on the SCSU Baseball schedule page as well as following the Huskies on social media.
ABOUT LAST WEEK
The Huskies began their season 2-2 on Opening Weekend, taking two games from Southwest Baptist and falling twice to Missouri Southern State. SCSU's lineup impressed, producing 10.5 runs per game while hitting .346 with a 1.002 OPS. Drew Bulson (.583), Ethan Navratil (.500), John Nett (.471), Drew Beier (.429) and Garrett Bevacqua (.429) give the Huskies five positional starters hitting .400 or better while Riley Ahern, Ethan Lanthier and Sam Riola each gave St. Cloud State 5.0-plus innings of work in their first starts of the seasons.
THE TABLE IS SET
John Nett was named NCBWA Central Region Player of the Week on Wednesday following a phenomenal Opening Weekend. Nett was a monster at the top of the St. Cloud State order over the weekend, going 8-for-17 with five extra-base hits, seven runs scored and eight RBI. The centerfielder smashed three doubles and two home runs – including a leadoff home run on the third pitch he saw on Opening Day against Southwest Baptist – slashing .471/.526/1.000 for a 1.526 OPS. Nett hit .571 and produced a 1.857 OPS with runners in scoring position, anchoring a Huskies lineup that averaged 10.5 runs per game over the weekend. A product of Appleton, Wisconsin, Nett added 28.2 errorless innings in center with a 3.14 range factor/9 – converting all 10 chances with one outfield assist. Nett was named NSIC Player of the Week on Tuesday as he and Pitcher of the Week Riley Ahern swept the conference's weekly awards.
BIG RIG GETS RECOGNIZED
Riley Ahern earned his second career NSIC Pitcher of the Week honor on Tuesday following a splendid first start of 2023. Ahern was brilliant in his first career Opening Day start on February 3 against Southwest Baptist, striking out nine batters over 5.0 scoreless innings of two-hit ball. The righthander attacked the zone with his fastball, piling up 15 swinging strikes 83 pitches while walking just two. Ahern was named NSIC Pitcher of the Week after his first start of the season in 2020 – also in Joplin at Warren Turner Field – marking this his second weekly honor.
THE STEARNS COUNTY BULLPEN
Stearns County was well-represented by St. Cloud State's bullpen last weekend as Eli Emerson (Cold Spring), Grady Fuchs (Paynesville) and Payton VanBeck (Elrosa) combined for 8.1 scoreless innings of five-hit, one-walk baseball. The trio combined to strike out 13 batters and limited opponents to a .179 average.
MESS WITH THE BULLY...GET THE HITS
St. Cloud State catcher Drew Bulson enjoyed a stellar Opening Weekend, going 7-for-12 at the plate with two runs scored, two doubles and three RBI to close the weekend as the Huskies' leading hitter with a .583 average. Bulson went 2-for-3 with a pair of doubles in RISP opportunities while adding strong defense, throwing out a runner and allowing just one wild pitch on 267 total handled.
SCOUTING ARKANSAS MONTICELLO
The Boll Weevils enter 2023 looking to shrug off a disappointing 23-24 season that saw them go 0-2 in the 2022 Great American Conference Tournament. Pitching figures to be a strength for UAM as righthander Derek Potts and southpaw Mason Philley return to anchor a staff that posted the best K/BB ratio in the GAC while finishing top-three in FIP, batting average against, OPS against, BB/9 and walk percentage. Potts posted a 4.19 ERA across 86.0 innings of work last season, striking out 71 and walking just 11. Philley - a Monticello native - struck out 82 over 74.2 frames while limiting opponents to a .217 average. Righthander Connor Irvine joins the weekend rotation after going 7-3 across 15 starts at Lassen College last season, striking out 104 and walking just 21 over 88.1 innings of work in the California Community College Athletic Association. Second baseman Cade Thompson returns after slashing .355/.474/.634 for a 1.108 OPS with 16 doubles, 12 home runs and 51 RBI last season - forming a formidable up-the-middle pairing with shortstop Chase Cripps. The latter led Monticello with a .356 average and 18 doubles while posting a .940 OPS. Cade Cancilla enjoyed a phenomenal Opening Weekend, earning GAC Player of the Week honors after going 5-for-9 with a homer and seven RBI.
SERIES HISTORY
This weekend's series marks the first time St. Cloud State and Arkansas Monticello have squared off, although the clubs were scheduled to play a late-February series in 2015 before field conditions in Monticello forced a cancelation. The two programs are familiar with one another, both making the NCAA Central Region Tournament in 2016, 2017 and 2019 but never meeting.
DOLAN'S DUGOUT – QUOTING HEAD COACH PAT DOLAN
"We're finally getting some good weather here in Minnesota, some of the snow is melting, but we're looking forward to another fun trip down to Arkansas where it's supposed to be 55, 60 degrees. Nothing better than playing baseball in good weather."
"Three of the four games, we pitched unbelievably well. Riley, Ethan and Sam each gave us great starts - five-plus innings for each guy and all under 80 pitches, which was what we were planning. If we pitch like that, we're going to be in every single game. We just need to find a way to win that close game, that 2-1 ballgame. We faced an all-conference pitcher and we only had four hits - we really didn't have a lot of opportunities to score, and that's a credit to their team. Our relief threw extremely well - Eli Emerson came in and really saved us in game two, Payton VanBeck threw great and Grady Fuchs was unbelievable. We had three guys who were firm, pounding the zone with two to three pitches. That was nice to see. You pitch and play defense, how can't you be happy with that? The bottom line is 2-2 is disappointing, especially 0-2 against a good Missouri Southern team because those regional games are important. We played good enough, one out away from being 3-1, but we're 2-2. That's just the way it goes and we have to learn from that experience to hopefully win a series this weekend."
"John Nett's not really a home run hitter, but he hit some big ones this summer - he's changed his swing a little bit. If he wants to play at the next level, he's going to have to learn to get some lift on those balls when he's ahead in the count. He doesn't strike out, he puts the ball in play, works counts, sees pitches, he does a lot of things right. It makes coaching really easy. We've had some good leadoff hitters with Brandon Arnold, Najee Gaskins, Phil Imholte, but Nett might be the best we've had - that's a compliment to him, for sure."
"Drew Bulson could have been player of the week as well. We weren't going to catch him all three games, but we couldn't keep his bat out of the lineup. He was crushing balls everywhere - we've seen that for three years out of Drew, but not consistently. That's been his challenge. I've seen him hit balls 400-plus feet in Florida, at U.S. Bank. I think he's going to have a big year. Drew Beier really came in, and he's got to play for us. He's got to. He had a big triple, two big bunts, a couple other line shots. Both Grimm and Bevacqua had quality at-bats. Everything about that weekend, other than being 2-2, was just a positive."
"Coach Harvey has done a heck of a job with his program. They've been in regionals, they're one of the top teams in that conference - they've started off 3-0, they have two senior pitchers that threw a lot of innings last year and strike out a lot of guys. Both guys were lights-out last weekend, and that team is just fundamentally sound. To beat those top teams at the end of the year you have to play them at the start of the year, and Arkansas Monticello is definitely one of those."
NATIONAL NOTICE
St. Cloud State received votes in the 2023 National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association Preseason Top-25 poll, entering the season in the polls for the first time since they began 2019 receiving votes.
REGIONAL RECOGNITION
The Huskies were also tabbed sixth the 2023 NCBWA Preseason Central Region Poll, becoming one of three NSIC programs to be featured in the preseason rankings. Southern Arkansas tops the poll with 12 of 15 first place votes, earning 145 points. Central Missouri earned two first place votes and placed second with 128 points while Augustana added the final top vote to take third with 120 points. Minnesota State-Mankato is fourth with 104 points while Henderson State is fifth with 87 and St. Cloud State places sixth with 60. Northeastern State's 58 points place them seventh with Pittsburg State (50), Oklahoma Baptist (34) and Washburn (13) occupying the final three spots.
OH CAPTAINS, OUR CAPTAINS
Huskies Baseball is captained by four program veterans in graduate student Riley Ahern, redshirt senior Sam Riola and a pair of juniors in John Nett and Jack Habeck. The four share 12 combined years of experience at St. Cloud State as Ahern enters his sixth season, Nett and Habeck each start their fourth and Riola begins his second with the program.
For all the latest on St. Cloud State Baseball, stay tuned to SCSUHuskies.com and follow the team on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.
BROADCAST INFORMATION
All three games will be broadcast on the UAM Sports YouTube site with live stats provided by Arkansas Monticello Fans can find links to each coverage option online on the SCSU Baseball schedule page as well as following the Huskies on social media.
ABOUT LAST WEEK
The Huskies began their season 2-2 on Opening Weekend, taking two games from Southwest Baptist and falling twice to Missouri Southern State. SCSU's lineup impressed, producing 10.5 runs per game while hitting .346 with a 1.002 OPS. Drew Bulson (.583), Ethan Navratil (.500), John Nett (.471), Drew Beier (.429) and Garrett Bevacqua (.429) give the Huskies five positional starters hitting .400 or better while Riley Ahern, Ethan Lanthier and Sam Riola each gave St. Cloud State 5.0-plus innings of work in their first starts of the seasons.
THE TABLE IS SET
John Nett was named NCBWA Central Region Player of the Week on Wednesday following a phenomenal Opening Weekend. Nett was a monster at the top of the St. Cloud State order over the weekend, going 8-for-17 with five extra-base hits, seven runs scored and eight RBI. The centerfielder smashed three doubles and two home runs – including a leadoff home run on the third pitch he saw on Opening Day against Southwest Baptist – slashing .471/.526/1.000 for a 1.526 OPS. Nett hit .571 and produced a 1.857 OPS with runners in scoring position, anchoring a Huskies lineup that averaged 10.5 runs per game over the weekend. A product of Appleton, Wisconsin, Nett added 28.2 errorless innings in center with a 3.14 range factor/9 – converting all 10 chances with one outfield assist. Nett was named NSIC Player of the Week on Tuesday as he and Pitcher of the Week Riley Ahern swept the conference's weekly awards.
BIG RIG GETS RECOGNIZED
Riley Ahern earned his second career NSIC Pitcher of the Week honor on Tuesday following a splendid first start of 2023. Ahern was brilliant in his first career Opening Day start on February 3 against Southwest Baptist, striking out nine batters over 5.0 scoreless innings of two-hit ball. The righthander attacked the zone with his fastball, piling up 15 swinging strikes 83 pitches while walking just two. Ahern was named NSIC Pitcher of the Week after his first start of the season in 2020 – also in Joplin at Warren Turner Field – marking this his second weekly honor.
THE STEARNS COUNTY BULLPEN
Stearns County was well-represented by St. Cloud State's bullpen last weekend as Eli Emerson (Cold Spring), Grady Fuchs (Paynesville) and Payton VanBeck (Elrosa) combined for 8.1 scoreless innings of five-hit, one-walk baseball. The trio combined to strike out 13 batters and limited opponents to a .179 average.
MESS WITH THE BULLY...GET THE HITS
St. Cloud State catcher Drew Bulson enjoyed a stellar Opening Weekend, going 7-for-12 at the plate with two runs scored, two doubles and three RBI to close the weekend as the Huskies' leading hitter with a .583 average. Bulson went 2-for-3 with a pair of doubles in RISP opportunities while adding strong defense, throwing out a runner and allowing just one wild pitch on 267 total handled.
SCOUTING ARKANSAS MONTICELLO
The Boll Weevils enter 2023 looking to shrug off a disappointing 23-24 season that saw them go 0-2 in the 2022 Great American Conference Tournament. Pitching figures to be a strength for UAM as righthander Derek Potts and southpaw Mason Philley return to anchor a staff that posted the best K/BB ratio in the GAC while finishing top-three in FIP, batting average against, OPS against, BB/9 and walk percentage. Potts posted a 4.19 ERA across 86.0 innings of work last season, striking out 71 and walking just 11. Philley - a Monticello native - struck out 82 over 74.2 frames while limiting opponents to a .217 average. Righthander Connor Irvine joins the weekend rotation after going 7-3 across 15 starts at Lassen College last season, striking out 104 and walking just 21 over 88.1 innings of work in the California Community College Athletic Association. Second baseman Cade Thompson returns after slashing .355/.474/.634 for a 1.108 OPS with 16 doubles, 12 home runs and 51 RBI last season - forming a formidable up-the-middle pairing with shortstop Chase Cripps. The latter led Monticello with a .356 average and 18 doubles while posting a .940 OPS. Cade Cancilla enjoyed a phenomenal Opening Weekend, earning GAC Player of the Week honors after going 5-for-9 with a homer and seven RBI.
SERIES HISTORY
This weekend's series marks the first time St. Cloud State and Arkansas Monticello have squared off, although the clubs were scheduled to play a late-February series in 2015 before field conditions in Monticello forced a cancelation. The two programs are familiar with one another, both making the NCAA Central Region Tournament in 2016, 2017 and 2019 but never meeting.
DOLAN'S DUGOUT – QUOTING HEAD COACH PAT DOLAN
"We're finally getting some good weather here in Minnesota, some of the snow is melting, but we're looking forward to another fun trip down to Arkansas where it's supposed to be 55, 60 degrees. Nothing better than playing baseball in good weather."
"Three of the four games, we pitched unbelievably well. Riley, Ethan and Sam each gave us great starts - five-plus innings for each guy and all under 80 pitches, which was what we were planning. If we pitch like that, we're going to be in every single game. We just need to find a way to win that close game, that 2-1 ballgame. We faced an all-conference pitcher and we only had four hits - we really didn't have a lot of opportunities to score, and that's a credit to their team. Our relief threw extremely well - Eli Emerson came in and really saved us in game two, Payton VanBeck threw great and Grady Fuchs was unbelievable. We had three guys who were firm, pounding the zone with two to three pitches. That was nice to see. You pitch and play defense, how can't you be happy with that? The bottom line is 2-2 is disappointing, especially 0-2 against a good Missouri Southern team because those regional games are important. We played good enough, one out away from being 3-1, but we're 2-2. That's just the way it goes and we have to learn from that experience to hopefully win a series this weekend."
"John Nett's not really a home run hitter, but he hit some big ones this summer - he's changed his swing a little bit. If he wants to play at the next level, he's going to have to learn to get some lift on those balls when he's ahead in the count. He doesn't strike out, he puts the ball in play, works counts, sees pitches, he does a lot of things right. It makes coaching really easy. We've had some good leadoff hitters with Brandon Arnold, Najee Gaskins, Phil Imholte, but Nett might be the best we've had - that's a compliment to him, for sure."
"Drew Bulson could have been player of the week as well. We weren't going to catch him all three games, but we couldn't keep his bat out of the lineup. He was crushing balls everywhere - we've seen that for three years out of Drew, but not consistently. That's been his challenge. I've seen him hit balls 400-plus feet in Florida, at U.S. Bank. I think he's going to have a big year. Drew Beier really came in, and he's got to play for us. He's got to. He had a big triple, two big bunts, a couple other line shots. Both Grimm and Bevacqua had quality at-bats. Everything about that weekend, other than being 2-2, was just a positive."
"Coach Harvey has done a heck of a job with his program. They've been in regionals, they're one of the top teams in that conference - they've started off 3-0, they have two senior pitchers that threw a lot of innings last year and strike out a lot of guys. Both guys were lights-out last weekend, and that team is just fundamentally sound. To beat those top teams at the end of the year you have to play them at the start of the year, and Arkansas Monticello is definitely one of those."
NATIONAL NOTICE
St. Cloud State received votes in the 2023 National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association Preseason Top-25 poll, entering the season in the polls for the first time since they began 2019 receiving votes.
REGIONAL RECOGNITION
The Huskies were also tabbed sixth the 2023 NCBWA Preseason Central Region Poll, becoming one of three NSIC programs to be featured in the preseason rankings. Southern Arkansas tops the poll with 12 of 15 first place votes, earning 145 points. Central Missouri earned two first place votes and placed second with 128 points while Augustana added the final top vote to take third with 120 points. Minnesota State-Mankato is fourth with 104 points while Henderson State is fifth with 87 and St. Cloud State places sixth with 60. Northeastern State's 58 points place them seventh with Pittsburg State (50), Oklahoma Baptist (34) and Washburn (13) occupying the final three spots.
OH CAPTAINS, OUR CAPTAINS
Huskies Baseball is captained by four program veterans in graduate student Riley Ahern, redshirt senior Sam Riola and a pair of juniors in John Nett and Jack Habeck. The four share 12 combined years of experience at St. Cloud State as Ahern enters his sixth season, Nett and Habeck each start their fourth and Riola begins his second with the program.
For all the latest on St. Cloud State Baseball, stay tuned to SCSUHuskies.com and follow the team on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.
Players Mentioned
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