MANKATO, Minn.­ — The #1-seeded Minnesota State baseball squad (36-12 overall, 25-7 NSIC) will take part in the post-season conference tournament which takes place Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, and Saturday, May 5-8, 2010 at Joe Faber Field in St. Cloud, Minn. The Mavericks will face the sixth-seeded Wayne State College Wildcats tomorrow afternoon in St. Cloud, Minn. at 3:30 p.m. to open the tournament.

Last Action: The Mavericks took three-of-four games from St. Cloud State last weekend, in Mankato, to earn the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference regular season championship.

NSIC Tournament Website:
http://www.stcloudstate.edu/athletics/sports/baseball/NSICBBTourney.asp

Live Stats:
http://www.stcloudstate.edu/athletics/sports/livestats/sportsstats1/xlive.htm

About #2-Seeded Winona State: The Warriors finished the regular-season 35-12 overall and 24-8 in NSIC action. Warrior sophomore Tony Mueller leads WSU at the plate with a .438 clip and a team-low 4.83 ERA. The Warriors are coached by Kyle Poock.

About #3-Seeded St. Cloud State: The Huskies finished the regular-season 36-13 overall and 23-9 in the NSIC. St. Cloud freshman Jordan Smith leads the Huskies in nearly all offensive categories, while David Deminsky owns a team-low 2.95 ERA. The Huskies are coached by Pat Dolan.

About #4-Seeded Minnesota Duluth: The Bulldogs finished the regular-season 34-18 overall and 22-10 in NSIC action. Minnesota Duluth junior Tyler Erickson leads UMD at the plate, owner of a .439 batting average. Junior Josh Foreman leads the team in wins with six. The Bulldogs are coached by Bob Rients.

About #5-Seeded Southwest Minnesota State: The Mustangs finished the regular-season 26-16 overall and 22-10 in the NSIC. SWMS junior Cody Curry leads the Mustangs at the plate with a .460 clip, while senior Adam Schrader has been successful on the mound, going 5-3 with a team-low 2.97 ERA. The Mustangs are coached by Paul Blanchard.

About #6-Seeded Wayne State: The Wildcats finished the regular-season 26-21 overall and 21-10 in the NSIC. Wayne State senior Joe Wendte leads WSC in nearly all offensive categories, while sophomore Austen Wisroth owns a 5-3 record and a team-low 3.00 ERA. The Wildcats are coached by Brian Disch.

Team Notes:
- MSU has outscored their opponents 366-177 on the season and out hit their opponents 517-327.
- The Mavericks have scored the majority of their runs in the fifth (54) innings this season, while also having given up the most runs in the fifth (31).
- As a team, the Mavericks sit first in the NSIC in earned run average (3.58), first in hits (327) and runs (177) allowed, second in batters struke out (342),  second in sacrifice bunts (36) and second in stolen bases (111).

Player Notes:
- Senior third baseman Kosuke Hattori a native of Kanagawa, Japan, set a new single-season steals record last weekend, earning his 33rd, then 34th of the season (his 34 steals ranks third in the NSIC). The former record was set by Gene Glenn who recorded 32 steals in 1978. Hattori also sits first on MSU's all-time list in stolen bases with 94, first in games played with 205 and first in career walks with 105. The third baseman also sits second in career runs (165), second in career at bats (637), second in career hits (215) and tied for fourth in career triples (9).
- Junior shortstop Zach Rowles, a native of Sun Prairie, Wis., leads the team in severeal offensive categories including: 181 at bats, 63 runs, 72 hits, 19 doubles, 109 total bases and is second on the team in steals with 26 and a .398 batting average. Rowles 63 runs became a new single-season record. The previous record was 59 held by Hattori.
- Sophomore right-handed pitcher Blake Schwartz, a native of Rosemount, Minn., started game one on Sunday against St. Cloud State and the righty pitched his fourth complete game, a 5-0 shutout, as the Mavericks downed the Huskies on their way to the NSIC Regular Season Championship. In his nine innings of action, Schwartz scattered six hits, walked one and sat down six on strikes. Schwartz owns a team and NSIC-best, 10-1 record and a team-low and NSIC-best, 2.69 ERA for the Mavericks. Schwartz was names NSIC Pitcher of the Week.
- Junior designated-hitter Patrick Dockendorf, a native of Eagan, Minn., owns a team-best .414 batting average, while extending his hitting streat to 13 games.
- Senior right-handed pitcher Patrick Lenton, a native of Maple Grove, Minn., leads the team in starts this season with 13, and owns a 8-3 record and 2.77 ERA, which ranks second in the NSIC. Lenton sits sixth in career win with 22, ranks fifth in career strike outs with 213 and sixth in career innings pitched with 206.2.

2009-10 Maverick NSIC Players/Pitchers of the Week:

Date    Player    Position/Stats
Feb. 24    Patrick Lenton     Pitcher (W, 3 H, 1 ER, 9 K, 3 BB)
March 3    Kosuke Hattori        Player (.857 BA, 1.429 SLG%, 6 H, 2 2B, 1 3B, 2 R, 3 RBI)
March 15    Bret Mitchell    Pitcher (CG SO W, 4 H, 0 ER, 11 K, 1 BB )
April 4      Ben Kincaid      Pitcher  (CG W, 5 H, 0 ER, 6 K, 0 BB)
May 3    Blake Schwartz    Pitcher (CG SO W, 6 H, 0 ER, 6 K, 1 BB)

MSU's Single-Season Doubles Record
1. Scott Geiger (2000)        19
    Zach Rowles (2010)        19
3. Brady Ranweiler (2000)    18
4. Mike Carroll (1980)        16
    Jay Nessler (2003)        16

MSU's Career Triples List
1. Mike Carroll (1978-80)    11
    Danny Miller (2008-PA)    11
3. Travis Helling (1994-97)    10
4. Kosuke Hattori (2007-SA)     9
    Eric Halstrom (1988-91)     9
    Jay Bresnahan (2006-09)     9

On Deck: MSU will await their post-season fate, which will be announced Sunday.