Setting up Shop

Rated 19th in this week's National Collegiate Baseball Writer's Association DII Poll, Minnesota State continues Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference action on the road at St. Cloud State for a 7/9-inning doubleheader at 1:30 p.m. on Friday before one nine-inning battle at noon Saturday.


Facing St. Cloud State

The MSU baseball program is 101-64 in the all-time series against in-state rival St. Cloud State. In the last 10 matchups, the Huskies have had the upperhand with a 6-4 record. The last meeting came on March 8, 2020, when MSU took down SCSU 7-1 in Davenport, Fla., as part of its spring trip.


Last Time on the Diamond

Minnesota State baseball is off to an 13-1 start overall and 10-0 start in conference action after sweeping its first four series against Bemidji State, Minnesota Duluth, UMary and Northern State. On Tuesday, the Mavericks took 4-2 and 9-1 decisions from the Wolves to extend their winning streak to 12 games.


Back in the NCBWA Poll

The Minnesota State baseball team is back in the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association Division II Poll for the first time since Feb. 5, 2020 (No. 25 in NCBWA DII Preseason Poll).


Back-to-Back NSIC Player of the Week

Maverick senior outfielder Joey Werner was named NSIC Player of the Week for the second straight week, Tuesday. The Hastings, Minn., native batted 8-for-19 (.421) in five games last weekend and owned a slugging percentage of .842 with nine RBI. This season, Werner leads the Mavericks in batting average (.449), home runs (six), RBI (26), total bases (46), slugging percentage (.918) and is tied for team-best with a .500 on-base percentage. Werner also leads the Mavericks with a 27-game on-base streak and six steals.


NSIC Pitcher of Week One

For the second time in his career, Jon Ludwig was named NSIC Pitcher of the Week (Week One - March 8) after allowing one run to Missouri-St. Louis in his Opening Day start, Feb. 26. The Mavericks opened the season with a win behind Ludwig's 15 strikeouts against 26 batters faced. The Osseo HS product has not looked back since, striking out a team-best 42 of 85 batters faced this season. In a team-high four starts, Ludwig has pitched the most innings (22) for the Mavericks while sporting a 2.05 earned run average, .154 opponent batting average and .68 WHIP this season.


Career Records

Senior Teddy Petersen is currently the lone Maverick on the career record list. His 28 sacrifice hits are tied sixth all-time at MSU.

Junior Cam Kline is approaching the top-10 list for career triples. After hitting three last season, Kline now has seven for his career which is one behind Patrick Dockendorf (2008-12) and Josh Wenzel (2014-18) for tenth on the list with eight.


Going Streaking

Petersen leads the Mavericks with 15 free passes this season in the form of 11 walks and four times being hit by a pitch. A native of Glencoe, Minn., Petersen owns the Mavericks' second-most hits (14), home runs (six), RBI (18) and total bases (32).


The MSU Rotation

The Mavericks have had six different starting arms this season. All together, the MSU starters have combined for 14 starts and 21 appearances mustering 91 innings pitched. In that span, Maverick arms have struck out 126 of 460 opposing batters.


Fantastic Freshman 

Among Maverick youngsters this season is freshman infielder Adam Schneider. In 12 games, Schneider had made eight starts this season and sports the Mavericks second-best batting average at .385.


Big-Time Hitters

Minnesota State has three different leaders for each of its extra-base hit categories this season. Senior outfielder Jack Waletich frontruns the doubles race with five this season while catcher Ben Livorsi owns a pair of triples. Werner leads MSU with six roundtrippers in 2021.


Maverick Ironmen

Among the Mavericks roster are four players who have appeared in each of MSU's 14 games this season. They are: Altermatt, Petersen, Waletich and Werner. Among them, Altermatt, Waletich and Werner each have 14 consecutive starts this season.


2021 Maverick Captains

The Minnesota State Maverick baseball captains for the 2021 season are Petersen and Waletich.


Preseason Prognostications

Minnesota State, which garnered 2 first-place votes and 181 voting points, was selected to finish second in the 2021 Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference Preseason Coaches' Poll.


Sensational Skipper

Head coach Matt Magers is in his 13th season at the helm of the Mavericks. Magers has produced a 479-152 (.759) record and now sits in second place for all-time wins at Minnesota State behind his predecessor Dean Boyer (1977-2008 / 990 wins). Magers is 1-of-3 coaches at MSU who has passed the 200-win mark (Jean McCarthy: 1964-76 / 250 wins).


Looking Back at 2020 

Minnesota State finished the 2020 season with an 8-5 record after the season was shortened due to the COVID-19 virus. All of the Mavericks' games were nonconference games after the season stopped right before NSIC play began.


Returning Player Breakdown

The 2021 Minnesota State baseball roster features 34 previous letterwinners. The Mavericks return 15 pitchers from last year's staff and in the field they return 19 position players (10 infielders, six outfielders and three catchers).


2020 Returning Leaders

Senior right-handed pitcher Ludwig pitched a team high 18.2 innings in three starts for the Mavericks, collecting a team high 24 strikeouts. Junior right-hander Jimmy Larson (12 innings) and sophomore right hander Jack Zigan (9.1 innings) both did not allow an earned run, while Larson held opponents to a team-low .056 batting average against. 

Kline led the Mavericks in many offensive categories including batting average (.340), triples (3), RBI (11), total bases (26) and walks (11). Kline also tied for the team lead for hits with 16 with sophomore infielder Nick Altermatt, while Altermatt also led the team with five doubles and four stolen bases. Junior catcher Livorsi had a team high two home runs, a .667 slugging percentage and a .500 on base percentage. Petersen scored a team high 10 runs, while also stealing four bags.


40-Win Club

Minnesota State has recorded nine 40-or-more-win seasons in its 80 previous seasons of competition. Seven of those seasons have come under current head coach Matt Magers.


Minnesota State History

The 2021 season marks the 81st for Maverick baseball. MSU owns an 1,833-878-7 (.674) all-time record in 2,716 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 five Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference Tournament crowns (2010, 2011, 2012, 2014, 2017). The program has made 37 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, 2015, 2016, 2017 and 2019) and eight in the NCAA Division II World Series (1971, 1979, 1980, 1986, 2010, 2012, 2013, 2014) including third-place finishes in 2012 and 2014 and a national runner-up performance in 2013. Additionally, the Mavericks have earned All-American selections 19 times.

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