Box Score Cary, N.C. --- Junior Jason Hoppe tossed a four-hit, complete-game shutout helping Minnesota State reach the 40-win mark with a 2-0 win over Grand Valley State in the opening round of the NCAA DII Baseball Championship Saturday evening at the USA Baseball National Training Complex.
 
Hoppe has now tossed 51 and two-thirds consecutive scoreless innings bringing him two and one-thirds innings shy of the NCAA DII record of 54 straight innings set by Kyle Jones of SIU-Edwardsville in 2006.
 
The Mavericks threatened against GVSU senior Kyle Teague in the top of the third inning as junior centerfielder Parker Sullivan drew a leadoff walk before advancing to third on a single to right-centerfielder by sophomore third baseman Connor McCallum, who moved to second on a wild pitch one batter later. However, the Lakers would get out of the jam with an unconventional double play as Sullivan and McCallum got hung up in between their respective bases to end the inning.
 
MSU tallied the first run of the game an inning later when senior outfielder Scott Lindner blooped a two-out single just over the glove of the GVSU second baseman and scored on junior Mike Andries’ RBI single deep down the left field line putting the Mavericks up 1-0.
 
In the top of the fifth, Minnesota State loaded the bases with one out after junior shortstop Todd Standish reached on an error by the Laker shortstop, Sullivan laid a perfect bunt single down the first base line, and McCallum was hit by a pitch. But Teague would keep the Maverick lead at 1-0 after inducing a lineout and a groundout to end the frame. Junior righthander Jason Hoppe held the one-run cushion in the bottom of the fifth as he used a strikeout and groundout to strand junior Giancarlo Brugnoni at third, after he reached on a leadoff double that hit the warning track in left field.
 
Sullivan extended the MSU advantage to two in the top of the sixth when he was credited with an RBI after reaching on a one-out fielder’s choice that plated Lindner, who started the rally with a four-pitch walk. Hoppe held the 2-0 lead in the bottom of the inning as GVSU got a runner in scoring position after a bunt single and throwing error by sophomore catcher Nolan Johnson, but he induced back-to-back groundouts to end the threat and did not allow a runner to reach scoring position in the final three innings securing the 2-0 MSU win.
 
Hoppe (8-1) ended the contest with seven strikeouts after scattering four hits and walking none over nine shutout innings, while Teague (7-3) recorded seven strikeouts and allowed five hits, three walks, three hit batters and one earned run in nine innings of work.
 
Offensively, McCallum was two-for-four and Lindner was one-of-two with two runs scored, while Sullivan and Andries were both one-for-four with an RBI. Brugnoni was two-of-three for GVSU with a double.
 
Minnesota State (40-8) advances to play Franklin Pierce (37-17) in the second round of the NCAA DII Baseball Championship Monday, May 27 at 5 p.m. EST back at the USA Baseball National Training Complex in Cary, N.C.