On Tap: Fourth-ranked Minnesota State, the three-time defending NCAA Central Region Champions, will make its fourth appearance in the last five years and eighth overall at the NCAA DII Championships beginning Sunday at 1 p.m. ET against Atlantic Region champion, Seton Hill, as the Mavericks look to improve upon last season's national runner-up finish.
 
NCAA DII Baseball Championship First Round Schedule
Date   Teams                                               Time (ET)
5/24    Tampa vs. Southern Indiana                 1 p.m.
5/24    Lander vs. Cal State Chico                   5 p.m.
5/25    Minnesota State vs. Seton Hill              1 p.m.
5/25    Colorado Mesa vs. St. Thomas Aquinas                          5 p.m.
 
*All contests will be played at the USA Baseball National Training Complex in Cary, N.C.
 
Last Time on the Diamond:  The Purple and Gold went 4-0 last weekend at Tech Field in Russellville, Ark., to clinch its third consecutive NCAA Central Region title and fourth in the past five seasons. This postseason run marks the Mavericks' ninth straight trip to the NCAA postseason tournament and 33rd overall, ranking only behind Florida Southern's 40 appearances. MSU stands 58-52 all-time in NCAA regional play and will makes its eighth appearance at the NCAA DII Baseball Championship where the Mavericks are 9-13 all-time.
 
Minnesota State used strong starts by senior all-region righthanders Jason Hoppe (Rice, Minn.) and Bryce Bellin (Kimberly, Wis.) along with junior Mathias Butala (Cold Spring, Minn.) to record the first three victories last weekend as junior lefthander Matt Geislinger (Watkins, Minn.) recorded a save in each of MSU's final three wins.
 
Senior Stetson Olson (Renton, Wash.) went 10-for-25 (.400) on the weekend en route to capturing NCAA Central Region Tournament MVP honors and was joined on the All-Tournament Team by seniors Todd Standish (Brookings, S.D.) and Parker Sullivan (Rapid City, S.D.) along with sophomore Taylor Branstad (Apple Valley, Minn.).
 
A Look at the Griffins: Seton Hill stands 40-15 overall and will make its first-ever NCAA DII Baseball Championship appearance after topping Millersville, 3-0, in the Atlantic region championship. SHU is batting .307 as a team and averaging 5.6 runs/game led by junior Cody Herald, who is hitting .348 with four home runs, 15 doubles, 19 steals, 30 RBI and 42 runs. The Griffins hold a 3.58 team ERA and .269 opponent batting average with sophomore righthander Mike Bittel standing 8-2 with a 1.82 ERA and 52 strikeouts over 69.1 innings of work.
 
A Look at the Mavericks: Colorado Mesa, champions of the Southwest Region, owns a 44-11overall ledger and bested Texas A&M-Kingsville, 7-6, to clinch the berth in Cary. CMU is hitting .361 and averaging 8.5 runs/game carried by senior Austin Kaiser, who is batting .495 with 11 home runs, 23 doubles, 28 steals, 59 RBI and 68 runs to date. The Mavericks own a 3.88 team ERA and .266 opponent batting average guided by junior Mike Delay, who sits 9-0 with a 3.55 ERA and 55 strikeouts in 83.2 innings.
 
A Look at the Spartans: East Region champion, St. Thomas Aquinas, beat Dowling,3-0, in the title game and holds a 38-16 record this season. STAC is batting .300 and averaging 6.0 runs/game, while junior Rich Baerga is hitting .369 with 17 extra-base hits, 17 steals, 36 RBI and 43 runs. On the hill, the Spartans have a 3.33 team ERA and .240 opponent batting average keyed by sophomore Matt Kostalos with a 7-2 mark and 2.61 ERA plus 53 strikeouts in 58.2 innings.
 
A Look at the Screaming Eagles: Great Lakes Region champion, Southern Indiana, enters the weekend 45-12 on the eyar after knocking off Drury, 4-2. USI is hitting .286 and averaging 5.5 runs/game this season led by sophomore Kyle Kempf, who is batting .352 with three home runs, 21 steals, 33 RBI and 46 runs. The Screaming Eagle pitching staff owns a 2.52 team ERA and .250 opponent batting average guided by senior Jon Wandling, who stands 9-1 with a 2.60 ERA and 81 strikeouts over 93.1 innings.
 
A Look at the Spartans: Tampa, the defending National Champion and South Region champion, edged Florida Southern, 3-0, for the title and stands 51-2 this season. UT is hitting .334 as a team and averages 8.1 runs/game ignited by senior Tyler Ding, who is batting .393 with two homers, three steals, 38 RBI and 44 runs. The Spartan pitching staff boats a 3.11 team ERA and .248 opponent batting average led by sophomore Trey Oest who stands 8-0 with a 2.09 ERA and 56 strikeouts over 69.0 frames.
 
A Look at the Bearcats: Lander won the Southeast Region crown, 5-2 over Columbus State, to earn the program's first-ever berth in Cary. LU is batting .316 as a team and averaging 9.4 runs/game carried by senior Patrick Grady, who is hitting .400 with nine home runs, 25 doubles, 49 RBI and 91 runs scored. The Bearcat hurlers hold a 3.86 team ERA and .243 opponent batting average led by senior Dylan Wolchik, who stands 12-1 with a 3.13 ERA and 91 strikeouts over 114.1 innings pitched.
 
A Look at the Wildcats: Chico State bested UC-San Diego, 3-1, to advance to the NCAA DII Baseball Championship for the ninth time in the last 18 seasons. CSU is batting .292 as a team and averaging 5.1 runs/game led by senior Ryne Clark, who is hitting .329 with 11 extra-base hits, 13 steals, 25 RBI and 35 runs. The Wildcat pitching staff boasts a 2.57 team ERA and .241 opponent batting average carried by senior Nick Baker, who sits 10-1 with a 1.78 ERA, five complete games and 63 strikeouts over 106.1 innings of work.
 
Mavericks vs. The Field:  MSU all-time against this year's NCAA DII Baseball Championship field.
 
Seton Hill.............................................1-0
Colorado Mesa....................................1-0
St. Thomas Aquinas............................0-0
Tampa.................................................1-1
Southern Indiana................................1-1
Lander................................................0-0
Chico State.........................................0-0
 
Minnesota State History: The 2014 season marks the 74th for Maverick baseball. MSU owns a 1,625-822-7 (.663) all-time record in 2,455 total games. Minnesota State has five Northern Intercollegiate Conference titles (1968, 1969, 1979, 1980, 1981), 19 North Central Conference championships (1970, 1971, 1974, 1976, 1977, 1982, 1983, 1984, 1985, 1988, 1990, 1991, 1993, 1995, 1997, 1999, 2001, 2006, 2007) and four Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference crowns (2010, 2011, 2012, 2013). The program has 33 appearances in the NCAA Division II National Tournament (1968, 1969, 1970, 1971, 1974, 1976, 1977, 1978, 1979, 1980, 1982, 1983, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1996, 1997, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014) and eight in the NCAA Division II World Series (1971, 1979, 1980, 1986, 2010, 2012, 2013, 2014) including a third-place finish in 2012 and national runner-up performance in 2013.
 
Additionally, seven Mavericks have been selected All-Americans.

To view the complete 36-page PDF version of the media guide, click HERE.