Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 MANKATO, Minn. --- Sixth-ranked Minnesota State defeated Wayne State 14-4 and 14-3 in a doubleheader on Friday afternoon at the MSU Baseball Complex to extend its winning streak to 15 games and clinch its fourth Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference regular season championship in the last five seasons.
 
The Mavericks now stand 38-7 overall with a 26-4 ledger in the league, while the Wildcats fell to 25-22 on the season and 18-13 in league play.
 
MSU got off to a quick start scoring four runs in the bottom of the first inning. Freshman Eric Peterson had a leadoff single, and two batters later, junior Max Waletich reached on an error by WSC to put Peterson in scoring position. The next batter, junior Nolan Johnson, hit a double to left field to plate Peterson and advance Waletich to third. Senior Stetson Olson scored both Waletich and Johnson with a single to right field. Johnson later scored to give the Mavericks a 4-0 lead after one inning of play.
 
The Purple and Gold struck for six more runs in the third inning highlighted by Olson's 10th home run of the season plating Johnson and Waletich in the process.
 
The Wildcats pushed across four runs in the top of the fourth, but the Mavericks answered by scoring one run in the fourth, two in the fifth, and one in the sixth to take game one, 14-4.
 
Senior righthander Jason Hoppe improve to 10-1 and matched the program's career record with his 27th victory as a Maverick. Hoppe struck out six over five innings scattering six hits, four runs - none earned - and a walk.
 
In the second contest, the Mavericks lit up the scoreboard first as they scored three runs in the bottom of the third. Junior Connor McCallum and sophomore Taylor Branstad each scored on a throwing error by the Wildcat's third baseman to score the first two runs. Senior Mike Andries later scored on a sacrifice by senior Parker Sullivan.
 
The Wildcats countered with back-to-back home runs to tie the score up at three in the top of the fourth. MSU bounced right back in the bottom of the inning to reclaim the lead with a three-run home run off the bat of senior Todd Standish bringing the score to 7-3.
 
In the bottom of the fifth, the Mavericks pushed three more runs across off four walks, a wild pitch and passed ball to extend their lead to seven with a score of 10-3. MSU capped the victory with a four-run sixth inning keyed by Standish's second three-run shot of the afternoon over the fence in left field.
 
Senior righthander Bryce Bellin struck out six against five hits and three earned runs across six frames to improve to 4-1 on the year.
 
Johnson ended the day eight-of-nine with two RBI, three runs, four doubles and a 1.333 slugging percentage, while Standish finished three-of-six with two home runs, three runs, nine RBI and a 1.500 slugging percentage.
 
Minnesota State will conclude the regular season with a doubleheader against Wayne State tomorrow at 12 p.m. The Mavericks will recognize the program's nine seniors before the start of the second contest.