What's on Tap: Minnesota State baseball begins Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference play with a four-game series against Southwest Minnesota State at Omaha Westside High School in Omaha, Neb. Doubleheaders are scheduled for 4:30 p.m., on Saturday and 12:00 p.m., on Sunday. Southwest Minnesota State is the home team on Saturday and Minnesota State is the home team on Sunday.
 
Last Time on the Diamond: The Mavericks opened up the 2018 season by going 5-4 in nine neutral-site games in Florida. They wrapped up the Florida trip with a 19-7 win over Lewis on March 8. 
 
King of the Hill: Senior right-handed pitcher Dalton Roach (2-0) moved into first place on the program's all-time strikeout list when he recorded his 296th career strikeout, in the third inning of the Mavericks' 10-3 win over Lewis on March 6 in Auburndale, Fla. Roach, who struck out 12 batters and limited the Flyers to three runs on five hits and one walk over seven innings in the win, finished the game with 303 career strikeouts. The previous high for career strikeouts by a Maverick was 295 — achieved by Jason Hoppe (2011-14).
 
Roach earned All-American honors three times in 2017. He was named to the NCAA Division II Conference Commissioners Association All-America First Team, the ABCA/Rawlings NCAA Division II All-America First Team and the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association All-America Second Team. In addition, Roach joined Hoppe as the only two Mavericks to earn three All-American honors in one year. Hoppe did so in 2014. Roach is also the first Maverick to earn two All-American first team honors in the same season. Roach also became the first Maverick to earn the Brett Tomko Award — bestowed to a college baseball pitcher whose on the field performance is deemed the most outstanding at the NCAA Division II level.
 
Sensational Southpaw: Senior left-hander Aaron Rozek was named the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference Pitcher of the Week after pitching Minnesota State to a 4-1 win over Notre Dame College on March 6 in Aburndale, Fla. Rozek garnered career highs in innings pitched (8) and strikeouts (15), while limiting the Falcons to one run on five hits and one walk in a 117 pitch effort.
 
Waldek's World: Senior shortstop Luke Waldek is off to a torrid start to 2018 — leading the Mavericks in six offensive categories: batting average (.517), on-base percentage (.583), runs scored (8), hits (15), doubles (5) and walks (5). In four games last week, Waldek batted .727.
 
Got Hart?: Junior right fielder Jordan Hart is off to a hot start in 2018 — batting .406 with a .459 on-base percentage .813 slugging percentage, 13 hits, seven extra-base hits (three doubles, two triples and two home runs) three walks, seven runs scored and a team-best 16 RBI. In Minnesota State's 19-7 win over Lewis on March 8, Hart went 4-of-5 with a career-high eight RBI and three runs scored.  All four of Hart's hits against Lewis were extra-base hits (two doubles, one triple and one home run). He was a single shy of hitting for the cycle.
 
Scouting Southwest Minnesota State: The Mustangs (5-5) have won three of their last four games, but are coming off a 2-1 loss to Jamestown (N.D.) on Sunday in Tuscon, Ariz.
 
Last season, the Mavericks went 4-0 against the Mustangs. The Mavericks won two games at home and two games in Marshall, Minn. — outscoring the Mustangs a combined 35-5 over the four games.
 
Up Next: Minnesota State is slated to face Minot State in a four-game series at Bowyer Field on March 24-25.