Eleventh-Ranked Mavericks Look to Extend 15-Game Winning Streak

4/26/2011 11:32:26 AM

On Tap: Minnesota State, 27-8 overall, 19-3 in the NSIC, travels to Crookston, Minn. for a Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference doubleheader against Minnesota, Crookston on this afternoon before taking on Southwest Minnesota State in a home-and-home series Saturday and Sunday. Minnesota State will host the back end of the home-and-home at MSU Baseball Complex.

This Week's Schedule:
Date              Opponent                                    Location                            Time
4/26/11         Minnesota, Crookston (DH)*           Crookston, Minn.                 Noon
4/30/11          SW Minnesota State                     Marshall, Minn.                    1:30 p.m.
5/1/11            SW Minnesota State                    Mankato, Minn.                  1:30 p.m.
*: NSIC Contest, Bold: Home Game

A Look at the Golden Eagles: The Minnesota, Crookston Golden Eagles are 0-26 overall and own a 0-18 NSIC record...In UMC's last action, the Golden Eagles were swept by the Bemidji State University Beavers in a Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference doubleheader...Josh Brehmer leads the Golden Eagles with a team-best .371 batting average, with 13 hits and one double...Ryan Kitzhaber owns the teams third highest batting average batting, .263 with 21 hits, three doubles, one triple, a team-high two home runs and a team-best 12 RBI...On the mound, pitcher Nick Kelzer has pitched a team-high 36.2 innings while recording a 0-7 record...Gau holds a 8.59 ERA with a team-best 24 strikeouts.

A Look at the Mustangs: The Southwest Minnesota State Mustangs own a 9-15 overall mark and are 5-8 in NSIC action...In their last action, the Mustangs dropped a NSIC tilt against Northern State, 1-7...Adam Thygesen leads the Mustangs with a .367 batting average and a team-best 14 RBI...Another successful Mustang at the plate is Tyler Faden who owns a .326 battings average and a team-best 30 hits...Leading the Mustangs on the mound is Tyler Jendro who owns a 2.12 ERA and 18 strikeouts.

Last Action: Minnesota State played six games this past week and won all of them...The week began with a postponed doubleheader with the Augustana Vikings at home in which the Mavericks swept the Vikings, 16-1 and 7-4, then swept the Peacocks in four games, 9-8, 4-3. 21-2 and 3-0...With the six wins, MSU now owns sole possession of first place in the NSIC and has won 15 straight games...Senior catcher Steven Helget played in all six of Minnesota State's baseball games this past weekend in which the Mavericks won all six and extended their winning streak to 15 games. Helget led the team at the plate with an impressive .571 batting average (8-for-14), including a double and home run. The catcher also racked up a team-best nine runs batted in, four runs scored, a .857 slugging percentage, walked once and had two sacrifice hits. Helget also finished the week week with 39 put outs, three assists for a perfect fielding percentage...Another successful Maverick at the plate was junior infielder Jeremy Sudbeck who went 9-for-22 (.400) with two doubles and a triple, six RBI and six runs scored...On the mound, senior Danny Miller (7-1), junior Blake Schwartz (7-1), senior Luke Putz (4-1), freshman Bryce Bellin (4-0) and freshman TJ Larson (1-1) all picked up wins...Sophomore right-handed closer Mahlon Zimmermann earned saves six and seven.

Career Marks: Senior Danny Miller already has two program records, and is closing in on many...The senior currently sits first in career triples (17) and RBI (143), and is tied for first in walks with 111...Other categories Miller is close to earning the top spot include: games played (196: 21 away), at bats (641: 44 away), runs scored (155: 27 away), hits (216: 14 away), doubles (40: 5 away) and home runs (20: nine away).

Winning Streak: MSU currently holds a 15-game winning streak, the longest since the 2007 season when the Mavericks were able to rattle off 19 straight victories under coach Dean Bowyer.

Win #100: Minnesota State head coach Matt Magers and his team picked up win number 18 on 4/9/11 this season, bumping his career record to 100-41, becoming the third MSU coach to earn 100 win in a career in baseball program history...The two others to reach 100 career wins was Jean McCarthy (250-127) and Dean Bowyer (990-487-7)...Magers was the quickest of the three coaches to reach the milestone, accomplishing the feat in 141 games.

3-of-4 at Home: In a series against SCSU on 4/1-4/2 MSU lost three of four games...The Last time that happened in a conference home series prior to this weekend was in 2008 when Nebraska Omaha accomplished the feat...Before that was in 2003 when Nebraska Omaha won all four games vs. MSU in Mankato.

Leading the Way: Senior infielder Zach Rowles leads the Mavericks in hits this season with 43, while Junior infielder Pat Dockendorf owns 40, which ranks second on the team...Miller and Rowles are the only two Mavericks to have played in and started all 35 games this season...Junior infielder Jeremy Sudbeck leads the Mavericks in batting average (.390)...Junior infielder Matt Kuchenbecker has hit a team-best 14 doubles, senior outfielder/pitcher Danny Miller leads the team in triples, having tagged five on the year...Dockendorf has hit a team-best six home runs on the season...Junior right-handed pitcher Blake Schwartz (2.54 ERA) and senior lefty Danny Miller (2.19 ERA) lead MSU on the mound, each with 7-1 records...Miller owns a team-best 51 strikeouts, while Schwartz has tallied 49 strikeouts on the season...Sophomore closer Mahlon Zimmernann has racked up a team-high seven saves on the year.

NSIC Player of the Week: Senior outfielder Aaron Berner was named NSIC Player of the Week on 4-11-11... Berner finished the week with a hit in every game, going 9-for-17 with two doubles, one home run, 10 RBI and 11 runs scored...Berner also reached four times on walks.

--- To view the complete set of Minnesota State baseball notes, click here.

Print Friendly Version

Scoreboard

Minnesota State University - Mankato Athletics

Scoreboard

Eleventh-Ranked Mavericks Look to Extend 15-Game Winning Streak