Tuesday, May 2
St. Cloud, Minn.
2:00 p.m. CT
St. Cloud State
vs
Northern State
Photo by: Ryan Roehl
Huskies welcome Wolves to open final regular season homestand
5/1/2023 5:40:00 PM | Baseball
SCSU hosts Northern State for Tuesday midweek at Joe Faber Field
ST. CLOUD, Minn. – St. Cloud State Baseball (26-15, 18-8 NSIC) begins their regular season-closing homestand with a Tuesday midweek series against Northern State (10-28, 5-22 NSIC) at Joe Faber Field. First pitch for the doubleheader is scheduled for 2:00 p.m. CT with key ground left to gain in the NSIC standings.
BROADCAST INFORMATION
Both games will be broadcast on the NSIC Network with live stats provided by SCSU. Links to each coverage option can be found on the SCSU Baseball schedule page.
LAST TIME OUT
Graduate righthander Riley Ahern struck out 11 over 7.0 innings of work while junior centerfielder John Nett (5-for-6, 3 R, 2B, HR, 4 RBI, SB) sparked the lineup with a five-hit game as St. Cloud State earned a series win over Minnesota Duluth on Sunday afternoon at Wade Stadium, dropping the Bulldogs 8-4. Ethan Navratil (2-for-4, BB, R, 2 2B) doubled twice as he, Ben Clapp (2-for-4, BB, RBI) and Noah Dehne (2-for-3, BB, 2B) added multi-hit games alongside Nett's monster day. Ahern fired a gem for his sixth win of the season, logging 7.0 innings of three-run ball while scattering eight hits and three walks. The righthander struck out a season-high 11 while throwing 81 of his 118 pitches for strikes. Nett led off the game with a double and scored two batters later on a Clapp RBI double, then Sam Riola (0-for-4, 2 BB, R, RBI) scored on a double-play grounder to make it 2-0 SCSU in the first. One inning later, Nett pushed the lead to 3-0 with an RBI single. After Minnesota Duluth cut their deficit to one with a pair in the third, Nett laced another RBI single in the fifth to add insurance. Brayden Jacobson (0-for-4, BB, R, SB) scored on a passed ball in the sixth, extending the Huskies lead to 5-2, then Nett blasted a solo shot in the seventh for a four run lead. UMD plated a run each in the seventh and eighth before the Huskies put things away with a pair in the ninth. Eli Emerson earned his first save of the season, striking out three over 2.0 innings of one-run ball.
STANDINGS & SUCH
The Huskies enter the week fourth in the NSIC standings, a game and a half behind Minnesota Crookston and two behind Minnesota State-Mankato with five to play. Following the midweek tilt with second-to-last Northern State, the Huskies will close out the regular season with current No. 8 seed Wayne State. Crookston is at UMD for a midweek and closes with a weekend at SMSU while the Mavericks travel to Wayne for a midweek before hosting Concordia-St. Paul on the final weekend of the regular season.
SCOUTING THE WOLVES
Northern State carries a 10-28 record into the midweek with a 5-22 conference mark, sitting second-to-last in the NSIC standings. The Wolves lineup has struggled to produce on a consistent basis - ranking among the bottom four in most statistical categories - but boasts a few dangerous bats headlined by Niko Pezonella (.307/.449/.584, 1.033 OPS, 10 2B, 6 HR) and Reece Ragatz (.316/.380/.684, 1.064 OPS, 6 2B, 9 HR, 32 RBI). Jack Paulson adds 10 doubles and a .341 average to the middle of the order while leading NSU with seven stolen bases. Zach Carolin (1-4, 10.02 ERA, 32.1 IP, 26:17 K:BB) and Cooper Tessendorf started the rotation's last midweek turn with the latter tossing 6.0 scoreless innings against Mary in his first start of the season.
A KING IS CROWNED
Redshirt senior second baseman Sam Riola has tied the St. Cloud State career home run record, blasting No. 35 of his Huskies career on Saturday at Minnesota Duluth. Riola now shares the career mark with legendary SCSU corner infielder Zak "Squatch" Hoffman, a 2016 graduate who feasted on NSIC pitching over his four-year Huskies career. Incredibly, Riola has matched the record in just two seasons - blasting 22 last season and 13 this spring.
EN FUEGO
Junior centerfielder John Nett went an incredible 16-for-24 (.667) last week as the Huskies enjoyed a 4-1 stretch, recording multi-hit games in all five contests with one five-hit performance and three three-knock games. The centerfielder slashed .667/.704/.958 for a whopping 1.662 OPS, scoring 10 runs and driving in seven while producing two doubles, a triple and a home run. Nett drew three walks and stole five bags to tableset a Huskies lineup that produced 48 runs in five games. Over his current 11-game hitting streak, Nett has produced a .600/.649/.860 slash line for a 1.509 OPS while going 30-for-50 with six doubles, two triples, a home run and 18 RBI. He has nine multi-hit games during his streak with three three-hit games, two four-hit games and a five-hit effort.
BOOM, CLAPP
Junior designated hitter Ben Clapp tore the cover off the ball across the Huskies' 4-1 stretch last week, going 10-for-17 (.588) at the dish with three doubles and a homer. Clapp slashed .588/.632/.941 for a 1.573 OPS while occupying a key spot in the middle of the order during the week in addition to flashing his defensive chops. The backstop has thrown out three of four attempted basestealers this season (75.0%) while owning the lowest catcher ERA on the roster with a 4.50 mark.
READY SET RIOLA
Redshirt senior second baseman and righthanded pitcher Sam Riola was named the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference Player of the Week last Tuesday following his incredible performance in St. Cloud State's weekend sweep of Mary. Riola went 7-for-10 (.700) at the plate with five runs scored, a double, two home runs and five RBI while slashing .700/.750/1.400 for a ridiculous 2.150 OPS in the three game set. The All-American opened the series with back-to-back three-hit contests while homering twice in the opener. He started game two on the mound and exited in line for the win before ultimately taking a no-decision, striking out nine over 6.0 innings of four-hit ball.
NSIC PLAYER OF THE YEAR WATCH
Junior centerfielder John Nett is enjoying an incredible campaign at the top of the Huskies order, currently leading the NSIC Batting Title race by a whopping 66 points by slashing .464/.538/.681 for a 1.219 OPS. He leads the NSIC in batting average, on-base percentage, hits (77) and doubles (18) while ranking fourth in OPS and stolen bases (19); fifth in runs scored (50), eighth in slugging and ninth in RBI (44). Nett's defensive work in center has been simply phenomenal as the junior has logged 310.2 errorless innings with four outfield assists and a stellar 2.40 range factor/9. Of note, Nett is also on pace to break the Huskies' modern-era single season batting average record of .457 held by Jordan Smith.
AN APRIL FOR THE AGES
Redshirt senior second baseman Sam Riola concluded his incredible April performance by slashing .449/.527/.923 for a 1.450 OPS across 19 games, belting six doubles, two triples and nine homers while scoring 30 runs and driving in 27. Riola produced a 3:12 K:BB ratio in April and stole seven bags. Junior centerfielder John Nett and redshirt senior catcher Drew Bulson hit a respective .488 and .432 in April, adding to a powerful top of the order for SCSU.
DANGEROUS DEHNE
Redshirt junior infielder Noah Dehne has been a revelation late in the season, going 5-for-15 (.333) over his last five games with a double, three home runs and six RBI. The righthanded bat provides plenty of punch to a lefthanded-heavy lineup, homering in his first start of April against Mary then blasting a pair in the Bemidji series finale.
PUT THE BALL IN PLAY, GOOD THINGS HAPPEN
St. Cloud State's lineup has been at the forefront of their success this season, currently leading the NSIC in runs per game, batting average and on-base percentage. A major factor has been the additional stat the club leads the league in - strikeout rate. SCSU has punched out in just 12.9% of their trips to the plate this season, a full 4.1% better than the next-lowest club. As expected with such a strong approach, four Huskies currently rank within the league's top 10 in on-base percentage.
PRO HUSKIES CHECK-IN
Huskies alumni Nick Anderson and Matt Osterberg have each opened their professional seasons. As of May 1, Anderson has made 12 appearances out of the Atlanta Braves bullpen with a 3.55 ERA, four holds and a save. The righthander has fanned 18 across 12.2 innings while allowing just nine hits and walking one. Matt Osterberg has made three starts with High-A Jersey Shore, boasting a 3.38 ERA with 10 strikeouts in 13.1 innings of work.
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
Both games will be broadcast on the NSIC Network with live stats provided by SCSU. Links to each coverage option can be found on the SCSU Baseball schedule page.
LAST TIME OUT
Graduate righthander Riley Ahern struck out 11 over 7.0 innings of work while junior centerfielder John Nett (5-for-6, 3 R, 2B, HR, 4 RBI, SB) sparked the lineup with a five-hit game as St. Cloud State earned a series win over Minnesota Duluth on Sunday afternoon at Wade Stadium, dropping the Bulldogs 8-4. Ethan Navratil (2-for-4, BB, R, 2 2B) doubled twice as he, Ben Clapp (2-for-4, BB, RBI) and Noah Dehne (2-for-3, BB, 2B) added multi-hit games alongside Nett's monster day. Ahern fired a gem for his sixth win of the season, logging 7.0 innings of three-run ball while scattering eight hits and three walks. The righthander struck out a season-high 11 while throwing 81 of his 118 pitches for strikes. Nett led off the game with a double and scored two batters later on a Clapp RBI double, then Sam Riola (0-for-4, 2 BB, R, RBI) scored on a double-play grounder to make it 2-0 SCSU in the first. One inning later, Nett pushed the lead to 3-0 with an RBI single. After Minnesota Duluth cut their deficit to one with a pair in the third, Nett laced another RBI single in the fifth to add insurance. Brayden Jacobson (0-for-4, BB, R, SB) scored on a passed ball in the sixth, extending the Huskies lead to 5-2, then Nett blasted a solo shot in the seventh for a four run lead. UMD plated a run each in the seventh and eighth before the Huskies put things away with a pair in the ninth. Eli Emerson earned his first save of the season, striking out three over 2.0 innings of one-run ball.
STANDINGS & SUCH
The Huskies enter the week fourth in the NSIC standings, a game and a half behind Minnesota Crookston and two behind Minnesota State-Mankato with five to play. Following the midweek tilt with second-to-last Northern State, the Huskies will close out the regular season with current No. 8 seed Wayne State. Crookston is at UMD for a midweek and closes with a weekend at SMSU while the Mavericks travel to Wayne for a midweek before hosting Concordia-St. Paul on the final weekend of the regular season.
SCOUTING THE WOLVES
Northern State carries a 10-28 record into the midweek with a 5-22 conference mark, sitting second-to-last in the NSIC standings. The Wolves lineup has struggled to produce on a consistent basis - ranking among the bottom four in most statistical categories - but boasts a few dangerous bats headlined by Niko Pezonella (.307/.449/.584, 1.033 OPS, 10 2B, 6 HR) and Reece Ragatz (.316/.380/.684, 1.064 OPS, 6 2B, 9 HR, 32 RBI). Jack Paulson adds 10 doubles and a .341 average to the middle of the order while leading NSU with seven stolen bases. Zach Carolin (1-4, 10.02 ERA, 32.1 IP, 26:17 K:BB) and Cooper Tessendorf started the rotation's last midweek turn with the latter tossing 6.0 scoreless innings against Mary in his first start of the season.
A KING IS CROWNED
Redshirt senior second baseman Sam Riola has tied the St. Cloud State career home run record, blasting No. 35 of his Huskies career on Saturday at Minnesota Duluth. Riola now shares the career mark with legendary SCSU corner infielder Zak "Squatch" Hoffman, a 2016 graduate who feasted on NSIC pitching over his four-year Huskies career. Incredibly, Riola has matched the record in just two seasons - blasting 22 last season and 13 this spring.
EN FUEGO
Junior centerfielder John Nett went an incredible 16-for-24 (.667) last week as the Huskies enjoyed a 4-1 stretch, recording multi-hit games in all five contests with one five-hit performance and three three-knock games. The centerfielder slashed .667/.704/.958 for a whopping 1.662 OPS, scoring 10 runs and driving in seven while producing two doubles, a triple and a home run. Nett drew three walks and stole five bags to tableset a Huskies lineup that produced 48 runs in five games. Over his current 11-game hitting streak, Nett has produced a .600/.649/.860 slash line for a 1.509 OPS while going 30-for-50 with six doubles, two triples, a home run and 18 RBI. He has nine multi-hit games during his streak with three three-hit games, two four-hit games and a five-hit effort.
BOOM, CLAPP
Junior designated hitter Ben Clapp tore the cover off the ball across the Huskies' 4-1 stretch last week, going 10-for-17 (.588) at the dish with three doubles and a homer. Clapp slashed .588/.632/.941 for a 1.573 OPS while occupying a key spot in the middle of the order during the week in addition to flashing his defensive chops. The backstop has thrown out three of four attempted basestealers this season (75.0%) while owning the lowest catcher ERA on the roster with a 4.50 mark.
READY SET RIOLA
Redshirt senior second baseman and righthanded pitcher Sam Riola was named the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference Player of the Week last Tuesday following his incredible performance in St. Cloud State's weekend sweep of Mary. Riola went 7-for-10 (.700) at the plate with five runs scored, a double, two home runs and five RBI while slashing .700/.750/1.400 for a ridiculous 2.150 OPS in the three game set. The All-American opened the series with back-to-back three-hit contests while homering twice in the opener. He started game two on the mound and exited in line for the win before ultimately taking a no-decision, striking out nine over 6.0 innings of four-hit ball.
NSIC PLAYER OF THE YEAR WATCH
Junior centerfielder John Nett is enjoying an incredible campaign at the top of the Huskies order, currently leading the NSIC Batting Title race by a whopping 66 points by slashing .464/.538/.681 for a 1.219 OPS. He leads the NSIC in batting average, on-base percentage, hits (77) and doubles (18) while ranking fourth in OPS and stolen bases (19); fifth in runs scored (50), eighth in slugging and ninth in RBI (44). Nett's defensive work in center has been simply phenomenal as the junior has logged 310.2 errorless innings with four outfield assists and a stellar 2.40 range factor/9. Of note, Nett is also on pace to break the Huskies' modern-era single season batting average record of .457 held by Jordan Smith.
AN APRIL FOR THE AGES
Redshirt senior second baseman Sam Riola concluded his incredible April performance by slashing .449/.527/.923 for a 1.450 OPS across 19 games, belting six doubles, two triples and nine homers while scoring 30 runs and driving in 27. Riola produced a 3:12 K:BB ratio in April and stole seven bags. Junior centerfielder John Nett and redshirt senior catcher Drew Bulson hit a respective .488 and .432 in April, adding to a powerful top of the order for SCSU.
DANGEROUS DEHNE
Redshirt junior infielder Noah Dehne has been a revelation late in the season, going 5-for-15 (.333) over his last five games with a double, three home runs and six RBI. The righthanded bat provides plenty of punch to a lefthanded-heavy lineup, homering in his first start of April against Mary then blasting a pair in the Bemidji series finale.
PUT THE BALL IN PLAY, GOOD THINGS HAPPEN
St. Cloud State's lineup has been at the forefront of their success this season, currently leading the NSIC in runs per game, batting average and on-base percentage. A major factor has been the additional stat the club leads the league in - strikeout rate. SCSU has punched out in just 12.9% of their trips to the plate this season, a full 4.1% better than the next-lowest club. As expected with such a strong approach, four Huskies currently rank within the league's top 10 in on-base percentage.
PRO HUSKIES CHECK-IN
Huskies alumni Nick Anderson and Matt Osterberg have each opened their professional seasons. As of May 1, Anderson has made 12 appearances out of the Atlanta Braves bullpen with a 3.55 ERA, four holds and a save. The righthander has fanned 18 across 12.2 innings while allowing just nine hits and walking one. Matt Osterberg has made three starts with High-A Jersey Shore, boasting a 3.38 ERA with 10 strikeouts in 13.1 innings of work.
For all the latest on St. Cloud State Baseball, stay tuned to SCSUHuskies.com and follow the team on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.
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