Friday, March 21
Sioux Falls, S.D.
3:00 P.M. CT
St. Cloud State
at
Sioux Falls
Photo by: Nathaly Delgado
St. Cloud State Baseball Ready for NSIC Series at Sioux Falls
3/19/2025 3:39:00 PM | Baseball
Huskies and Cougars to play four-game series in Sioux Falls March 21-23
ST. CLOUD, Minn. – St. Cloud State Baseball (9-9, 5-3 NSIC) hits the road to continue conference play this weekend against Sioux Falls (7-15, 3-5 NSIC). The two teams will play a four-game series with single games on Friday, March 21 and Sunday, March 23, with a doubleheader scheduled in-between on Saturday, March 22.
FOLLOW THE HUSKIES
Game 1 vs. Sioux Falls (9 innings) – Friday, March 21 – 3:00 p.m. CT – Sioux Falls, S.D. – Sioux Falls Stadium – Live Stream – Live Stats
Game 2 vs. Sioux Falls (7 innings) – Saturday, March 22 – 12:00 p.m. CT – Sioux Falls, S.D. – Sioux Falls Stadium – Live Stream – Live Stats
Game 3 vs. Sioux Falls (9 innings) – Saturday, March 22 – 2:00 p.m. CT – Sioux Falls, S.D. – Sioux Falls Stadium – Live Stream – Live Stats
Game 4 vs. Sioux Falls (9 innings) – Sunday, March 23 – 12:00 p.m. CT – Sioux Falls, S.D. – Sioux Falls Stadium – Live Stream – Live Stats
WEAPON OUT OF THE 'PEN
Redshirt senior Frankie Volkers (Maple Grove, Minn.) has been a key contributor out of the bullpen for the Huskies, posting four saves with a 5.84 ERA in 12.1 innings pitched over seven outings. Volkers has been a strikeout machine, average 16.79 K/9 while holding opponents to a .239 batting average. The Husky senior's four saves is already tied for the ninth-most in a single season in program history, pulling even with Grady Fuchs in 2023.
Volkers earned two saves to clinch victories against Southwest Minnesota State, pitching 4.0 scoreless innings while only allowing one hit with eight strikeouts and a .077 opposing batting average. He notched his third save of the season in SCSU's 6-3 win on March 15, pitching 2.1 innings while only allowing one hit with three strikeouts. His outing was his third outing of 2.0+ innings this season. The Husky senior was then lights out in a 5-4 win on March 16, striking out all five batters he faced in 1.2 IP. He first worked the Huskies out of a two-men on jam in the eighth inning with back-to-back strikeouts and then struck out the side in the ninth to preserve the victory and clinch the series for SCSU.
SENIOR CAPTAIN NAVRATIL SAVING THE BEST FOR LAST
Four-year starting first basemen senior Ethan Navratil (Albany, Minn.) will look to forever etch his place in the St. Cloud State record book in his final collegiate season. The Husky senior has already jumped out to a scorching start to the season, hitting a career-best .368 with three home runs and a team-high 19 RBI. Previously, Navratil had not hit better than .289 which he hit in his 2023 sophomore campaign. The Husky captain has already produced a 16-game hit streak this season, as he has hit safely in all but two games.
His third long ball of the season was his 22nd career home run moved him into a tie for ninth place on SCSU's all-time home run list, pulling even with 2023 SCSU Hall of Famer Jordan Smith. Navratil is also nearing the top-10 list in numerous other stat categories, including games played (currently at 163, No. 10 at 188), RBI (currently at 124, No. 10 at 128) and extra base hits (currently at 53, No. 10 at 70).
In eight games against No. 5 Augustana (Feb. 24-25) and Adams State (Feb. 28-March 2), Navratil hit .406 (13-for-32) and hit safely in all eight games. He led the Huskies in hits (13), home runs (one) and RBI (eight).
STARTS AT THE TOP
Redshirt junior Liam Moreno (Sun Prairie, Wis.) has provided a spark from the leadoff spot in the lineup over the first month of the season. The Missouri State transfer leads the team in batting average (.377), OPS (1.047), runs (20) and on-base percentage (.506). Moreno has reached base in 16 of 18 games this season and has seven multi-hit games, including a team-high four hits against Augustana on Feb. 25.
Among conference leaders, Moreno ranks 11th in OBP (.506) and 20th in batting average (.377).
TOUGH ON THE MOUND
Redshirt junior Brady Nelson (Oro Valley, Ariz.) has been a bright spot on the mound for the Huskies through the first month of the season, boasting a 3-0 record with a 2.61 ERA in two starts and five appearances. Nelson has posted scoreless efforts in each of his three reliefs appearances this season, including a 3.2 inning outing against No. 5 Augustana on Feb. 24 where he struck out a season-high seven and allowed only one hit. In his two starts, Nelson has earned the victory in both, including a season-long 6.2 inning performance with four strikeouts and three runs allowed on March 15 against Southwest Minnesota State.
HUSKIES OPEN SEASON WITH RANKED WINS OVER MISSOURI SOUTHERN, AUGUSTANA
St. Cloud State opened the 2025 season with three wins over ranked opponents in its first two series, beating No. 11 Missouri Southern once in a three-game set (Feb. 7-9) and splitting a four-game series with No. 5 Augustana (Feb. 24-25).
Against Missouri Southern, the Huskies won the second game, 7-3 behind a two-run home run from senior Blaine Guthrie (Emerald, Wis.) and 5.2 scoreless innings of relief from redshirt junior Brady Nelson (Oro Valley, Ariz.) and redshirt senior Frankie Volkers (Maple, Grove, Minn.). Guthrie led the way offensively for the Huskies in the season-opening series, hitting .273 (3-for-11) with two home runs, a double, three RBI and two runs. He led the Huskies in home runs and RBI on the week and already matched his home run total from a season ago (41 games played in 2024). On the mound, redshirt junior Cael Kolacia (Fort Dodge, Iowa) provided a quality start in the season-opener, pitching six innings while only allowing one run on five hits with three strikeouts.
SCSU won the first and fourth games against Augustana to split or win its third consecutive series against the Vikings. SCSU got a strong start from Kolacia in the first game, as he pitched six innings while only allowing three runs on four hits with two strikeouts, but exited the game trailing. Redshirt junior Eric Bello (Manati, Puerto Rico) provided the clutch hit SCSU needed, launching a two-run home run in the seventh before Volkers recorded the save. In game four, the Huskies scored a season-high four runs behind four hits from redshirt junior Liam Moreno (Sun Prairie, Wis.) and first career home runs from junior Wyatt Tweet (Russell, Manitoba) and redshirt sophomore Hayden Konkol (Denmark, Wis.).
For all the latest on St. Cloud State Baseball, stay tuned to SCSUHuskies.com and follow the team on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.
FOLLOW THE HUSKIES
Game 1 vs. Sioux Falls (9 innings) – Friday, March 21 – 3:00 p.m. CT – Sioux Falls, S.D. – Sioux Falls Stadium – Live Stream – Live Stats
Game 2 vs. Sioux Falls (7 innings) – Saturday, March 22 – 12:00 p.m. CT – Sioux Falls, S.D. – Sioux Falls Stadium – Live Stream – Live Stats
Game 3 vs. Sioux Falls (9 innings) – Saturday, March 22 – 2:00 p.m. CT – Sioux Falls, S.D. – Sioux Falls Stadium – Live Stream – Live Stats
Game 4 vs. Sioux Falls (9 innings) – Sunday, March 23 – 12:00 p.m. CT – Sioux Falls, S.D. – Sioux Falls Stadium – Live Stream – Live Stats
WEAPON OUT OF THE 'PEN
Redshirt senior Frankie Volkers (Maple Grove, Minn.) has been a key contributor out of the bullpen for the Huskies, posting four saves with a 5.84 ERA in 12.1 innings pitched over seven outings. Volkers has been a strikeout machine, average 16.79 K/9 while holding opponents to a .239 batting average. The Husky senior's four saves is already tied for the ninth-most in a single season in program history, pulling even with Grady Fuchs in 2023.
Volkers earned two saves to clinch victories against Southwest Minnesota State, pitching 4.0 scoreless innings while only allowing one hit with eight strikeouts and a .077 opposing batting average. He notched his third save of the season in SCSU's 6-3 win on March 15, pitching 2.1 innings while only allowing one hit with three strikeouts. His outing was his third outing of 2.0+ innings this season. The Husky senior was then lights out in a 5-4 win on March 16, striking out all five batters he faced in 1.2 IP. He first worked the Huskies out of a two-men on jam in the eighth inning with back-to-back strikeouts and then struck out the side in the ninth to preserve the victory and clinch the series for SCSU.
SENIOR CAPTAIN NAVRATIL SAVING THE BEST FOR LAST
Four-year starting first basemen senior Ethan Navratil (Albany, Minn.) will look to forever etch his place in the St. Cloud State record book in his final collegiate season. The Husky senior has already jumped out to a scorching start to the season, hitting a career-best .368 with three home runs and a team-high 19 RBI. Previously, Navratil had not hit better than .289 which he hit in his 2023 sophomore campaign. The Husky captain has already produced a 16-game hit streak this season, as he has hit safely in all but two games.
His third long ball of the season was his 22nd career home run moved him into a tie for ninth place on SCSU's all-time home run list, pulling even with 2023 SCSU Hall of Famer Jordan Smith. Navratil is also nearing the top-10 list in numerous other stat categories, including games played (currently at 163, No. 10 at 188), RBI (currently at 124, No. 10 at 128) and extra base hits (currently at 53, No. 10 at 70).
In eight games against No. 5 Augustana (Feb. 24-25) and Adams State (Feb. 28-March 2), Navratil hit .406 (13-for-32) and hit safely in all eight games. He led the Huskies in hits (13), home runs (one) and RBI (eight).
STARTS AT THE TOP
Redshirt junior Liam Moreno (Sun Prairie, Wis.) has provided a spark from the leadoff spot in the lineup over the first month of the season. The Missouri State transfer leads the team in batting average (.377), OPS (1.047), runs (20) and on-base percentage (.506). Moreno has reached base in 16 of 18 games this season and has seven multi-hit games, including a team-high four hits against Augustana on Feb. 25.
Among conference leaders, Moreno ranks 11th in OBP (.506) and 20th in batting average (.377).
TOUGH ON THE MOUND
Redshirt junior Brady Nelson (Oro Valley, Ariz.) has been a bright spot on the mound for the Huskies through the first month of the season, boasting a 3-0 record with a 2.61 ERA in two starts and five appearances. Nelson has posted scoreless efforts in each of his three reliefs appearances this season, including a 3.2 inning outing against No. 5 Augustana on Feb. 24 where he struck out a season-high seven and allowed only one hit. In his two starts, Nelson has earned the victory in both, including a season-long 6.2 inning performance with four strikeouts and three runs allowed on March 15 against Southwest Minnesota State.
HUSKIES OPEN SEASON WITH RANKED WINS OVER MISSOURI SOUTHERN, AUGUSTANA
St. Cloud State opened the 2025 season with three wins over ranked opponents in its first two series, beating No. 11 Missouri Southern once in a three-game set (Feb. 7-9) and splitting a four-game series with No. 5 Augustana (Feb. 24-25).
Against Missouri Southern, the Huskies won the second game, 7-3 behind a two-run home run from senior Blaine Guthrie (Emerald, Wis.) and 5.2 scoreless innings of relief from redshirt junior Brady Nelson (Oro Valley, Ariz.) and redshirt senior Frankie Volkers (Maple, Grove, Minn.). Guthrie led the way offensively for the Huskies in the season-opening series, hitting .273 (3-for-11) with two home runs, a double, three RBI and two runs. He led the Huskies in home runs and RBI on the week and already matched his home run total from a season ago (41 games played in 2024). On the mound, redshirt junior Cael Kolacia (Fort Dodge, Iowa) provided a quality start in the season-opener, pitching six innings while only allowing one run on five hits with three strikeouts.
SCSU won the first and fourth games against Augustana to split or win its third consecutive series against the Vikings. SCSU got a strong start from Kolacia in the first game, as he pitched six innings while only allowing three runs on four hits with two strikeouts, but exited the game trailing. Redshirt junior Eric Bello (Manati, Puerto Rico) provided the clutch hit SCSU needed, launching a two-run home run in the seventh before Volkers recorded the save. In game four, the Huskies scored a season-high four runs behind four hits from redshirt junior Liam Moreno (Sun Prairie, Wis.) and first career home runs from junior Wyatt Tweet (Russell, Manitoba) and redshirt sophomore Hayden Konkol (Denmark, Wis.).
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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