Setting up Shop

Rated 14th in this week's National Collegiate Baseball Writer's Association DII Top 25 Poll, Minnesota State (22-4, 18-3 NSIC) continues Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference action on the road at Wayne State (10-16, 9-13 NSIC) with a three-game series this weekend.


Facing Wayne State 

Minnesota State holds a 29-8 all-time record against Wayne State dating back to its first matchup during the 2001 postseason. The Mavericks have won seven out of the last eight matchups against the Wildcats.

So far this season, Wayne State is in 10th place in the NSIC and currently riding a four-game losing streak. The Wildcats are batting .289 as a team and sport a team earned run average of 7.76 and opponent batting average of .311.


Last Time on the Diamond

Minnesota State baseball is 22-3 this season and 18-3 in conference play to lead the NSIC. Last weekend at Upper Iowa, the Mavericks swept the series with 2-1 and 8-0 wins in Saturday's doubleheader before 5-1 and 12-6 wins, Sunday.


Mavericks in the NCBWA Poll

The Minnesota State baseball team was ranked 25th in this week's National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association Division II Top 25 Poll just two weeks after breaking into poll for the first time since Feb. 5, 2020, (No. 25 in 2020 NCBWA DII Preseason Poll).


The Big One

Two weeks ago, Maverick senior outfielder Joey Werner was named NSIC Player of the Week for the second straight week. The Hastings, Minn., native batted 8-for-19 (.421) in five games from March 24-28 and owned a slugging percentage of .842 with nine RBI. 

This season, Werner leads the Mavericks in batting average (.419), home runs (6), RBI (29) and total bases (61) and slugging percentage (.709). Werner also leads the Mavericks with a 37-game on-base streak and 11 stolen bases on 13 attempts.


Take Two (or Four)

Teddy Petersen leads MSU with 21 free passes this season in the form of 14 walks and seven times being hit by a pitch. A native of Glencoe, Minn., Petersen owns the Mavericks' second-most hits (30), home runs (4), RBI (21) and total bases (50).


The Maverick Staff

The MSU pitching staff owns the fourth-best ERA in NCAA DII baseball so far this season at a 2.88 mark. Over 26 games, opponents are batting .224 against MSU. Minnesota State leads the NSIC in both categories.


The MSU Rotation

The Mavericks have had six different starting arms this season. All together, the MSU starters have combined for 26 starts and 35 appearances mustering 155 innings pitched. In that span, Maverick arms have struck out 196 of 720 opposing batters.


Minnesota State Ace

For the second time in his career, senior right-handed pitcher 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. Last time out, Ludwig pitched six complete innings allowing one run, a solo home run, and surrendering two hits. The Plymouth, Minn., native struck out 11 of 20 MISU batters faced and did not allow a walk despite taking his first loss of the season (5-1). 

The Osseo HS product has not looked back since, striking out a team-best 68 of 154 batters faced this season. In a team-high six starts, Ludwig has pitched the most innings (40) for the Mavericks while sporting a 2.47 earned run average, .185 opponent batting average and .75 WHIP this season. He owns MSU's best pitching record at 5-1.


You Don't Knoll Me

Junior right-handed pitcher Brendan Knoll garners the Mavericks' best starter ERA this season at 0.37. In 24.1 innings over seven games this season, the Kasson-Mantorville HS product owns MSU's best opponent batting average among starting arms at a .178 mark.


Dirty Denk

Sophomore right-handed pitcher Collin Denk sports the Mavericks' second-best ERA among the MSU starting rotation. This season, the Lakeville, Minn., native owns a .230 opponent batting average.


Can You "Zig" It?

Sophomore right-hander Jack Zigan has pitched in 12.1 innings this season over seven games which featured one start (March 25). A product of Eden Prairie HS, Zigan sports a 2.92 ERA and .319 opponent batting average.


Maverick Closer

Senior right-handed reliever Hunter Even is the Mavericks closer. Last weekend, the Chanhassen, Minn., native shut the door once in the series at Upper Iowa with one strikeout in one inning to earn his team-high seventh save of the season. Even sports the Mavericks' best ERA having not gave up a run in the 2021 season and has allowed only a pair of hits for a team-best .065 opponent batting average in nine appearances for 10.1 innings.


Maverick Two-Way Players

Minnesota State baseball has a pair of two-way players this season in junior Cam Kline and sophomore Nick Altermatt. Kline has five starts on the mound and sports a 4.45 ERA while Altermatt has pitched five  starts on the hill for a 2.16 ERA. With the bat, Altermatt is hitting .282 this season while Kline carries a .208 batting average.


Fantastic Freshman 

Leading Maverick youngsters this season is freshman infielder Adam Schneider. In 23 appearances, Schneider has made 19 starts this season and owns the Mavericks fifth-best batting average at .303.


Big-Time Hitters

Among Minnesota State's best extra-base hitters this season are outfielder Jack Waletich and Teddy Petersen, leading the Mavericks with six doubles, catcher Ben Livorsi, leading in triples with a pair, and outfielder Joey Werner, who leads MSU with six roundtrippers in 2021. Werner frontruns the slugging percentage effort at a .709 mark.


Maverick Ironmen

Among the Mavericks roster are two players who have appeared in each of MSU's 26 games this season. They are Nick Altermatt and Jack Waletich. Among the two of them, Altermatt is the only Maverick player with starts in each of MSU's 26 games this season.


Career Records

Senior Teddy Petersen is currently the lone Maverick on the career record list. His 30 sacrifice hits stand fifth 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.


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 488-155 (.759) record and 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 as 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).


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 1,842-881-7 (.675) all-time record in 2,724 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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