Setting up Shop

Rated 15th in last week's NCBWA DII Top 25 Poll, Minnesota State (32-7, 28-6 NSIC) is set to host Sioux Falls (16-19, 21-19 NSIC) at Bowyer Field Thursday for game one of a best-of-three series in the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference Baseball Tournament before concluding it with game two starting at noon Friday and game three following it up if necessary.


Facing Sioux Falls

The Mavericks are 23-1 in an all-time series against the Cougars that dates back to March 30, 2012. The series features MSU on an 20-game winning streak against USF. Last week, the Mavericks took down the Cougars 2-0, Wednesday, before claiming a 7-3 victory, Thursday.

With a 16-19 overall record and 21-19 conference mark this season, Sioux Falls finished in the eighth spot of the NSIC standings. The Cougars own a team batting average of .278 and .412 slugging percentage. When pitching, USF sports a team earned run average of 5.82 and an opponent batting average of .274.


Last Time on the Diamond

Minnesota State (32-7, 28-6 NSIC) concluded the 2021 regular season with its best finish since the 2017 campaign where the Mavericks finished the regular season 40-9 with a 35-5 record in NSIC action. Last week, the Mavericks swept a series against Sioux Falls with 2-0 and 7-3 victories May 5-6 before taking two of three games at Winona State May 7-8 with a 3-1 loss in game one Friday before a 5-1 win in game two and 4-1 victory in the final game, Saturday.


500-Win Watch

Head coach Matt Magers is in his 13th season as the Mavericks skipper and stands two wins away from the 500-win plateau. Magers has produced a 498-158 (.759) record and sits in second place for all-time wins at Minnesota State behind his predecessor Dean Bowyer (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).


Mavericks Ranked 15th in the NCBWA Poll

The Minnesota State baseball team was ranked 15th in last week's National Collegiate Baseball Writer's Association Division II Top 25 Poll. It marked MSU's sixth consecutive week in the poll since breaking into the Top 25 ranking for the first time since Feb. 5, 2020, (No. 25 in 2020 NCBWA DII Preseason Poll).


The Big One

Maverick senior outfielder Joey Werner has been named NSIC Player of the Week twice this season (March 22 & 28). The Hastings, Minn., native batted 14-for-30 (.467) during the hot stretch with a home run in five-straight games that helped him rake in 17 RBI and the back-to-back weekly honors. 

This season, Werner is the Mavericks' top hitter this season. He leads MSU in batting average (.425), home runs (9), RBI (46), total bases (92) and slugging percentage (.724). Werner's team-high 40-game on-base streak was snapped April 28 in MSU's 1-0 loss to Augustana.


Take Two (or Four)

Teddy Petersen leads MSU with 27 free passes this season in the form of 19 walks and 8 times being hit by a pitch. A native of Glencoe, Minn., Petersen, sports a .375 batting average, owns the Mavericks' second-most hits (51), home runs (6), RBI (27) and total bases (80).


The Maverick Staff

The MSU pitching staff owns the nation's best ERA in DII baseball so far this season at a 2.54 mark. Over 39 games, opponents are batting .217 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, MSU starters have combined for 39 starts and 48 appearances mustering 234 innings pitched. In that span, Maverick starting arms have struck out 279 of 1,030 opposing batters faced.


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 on Feb. 26. Last weekend, Ludwig pitched five complete innings allowing three runs on six hits for his second loss of the season to drop to a record of 7-2 on the season. The Plymouth, Minn., native walked one and struck out 10 of the 22 WSU batters he faced.

A product of Osseo HS, Ludwig owns a team-best 91 strikeouts vs. 221 batters faced this season. In 10 starts, which leads the Mavericks, Ludwig has MSU's most innings pitched (57) while garnering a 2.53 earned run average, .191 opponent batting average and .79 WHIP this season.


You Don't Knoll Me

Junior right-handed pitcher Brendan Knoll garners the Mavericks' best earned run average of any starting arm this season and comes in at second in the national rankings as a result with a 1.25 ERA. In 43.1 innings over 10 appearances this season, the Kasson-Mantorville HS product owns MSU's second-best opponent batting average among starting pitchers at .209.


Dirty Denk

Sophomore right-handed pitcher Collin Denk has the Mavericks' second-best ERA among the MSU starting rotation at 1.29. In NCAA DII, Denk's ERA is third in the rankings. This season, the Lakeville, Minn., native owns a .212 opponent batting average and a perfect 8-0 record in eight starts.


Slick Nick

Minnesota State sophomore right-handed pitcher Nick Altermatt was named NSIC Pitcher of the Week for his outing last week (May 5) vs. Sioux Falls.This marked Altermatt's first time being tabbed with NSIC weekly honors.The Wanda, Minn., native pitched seven-inning one-hit complete game shutout to lead the Mavericks to a 2-0 victory. Altermatt walked two in the win while moving to 4-1 in seven starts this season. He struck out a season-high 11 of the 24 Cougar batters he faced.


Can You "Zig" It?

Sophomore right-hander Jack Zigan has pitched in 20.2 innings this season over 12 games which featured one start (March 25). A product of Eden Prairie HS, Zigan sports a 2.61 ERA and .295 opponent batting average.


Maverick Closer

Senior right-handed reliever Hunter Even is the Mavericks closer. Even leads MSU with nine saves this season. Even owns the Mavericks' best ERA at 1.06 over 17 innings pitched. He has allowed only eight hits, five runs (two earned) and walked five while striking out 23 batters. He owns a .140 opponent batting average in 14 appearances this season.


Fantastic Freshman 

Leading Maverick youngsters this season is freshman infielder Adam Schneider. In 36 games, Schneider has made 30 starts this season and owns the Mavericks fifth-best batting average at .284.


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 seven starts on the mound and sports a 3.43 ERA while Altermatt has pitched seven starts on the hill for a 1.42 ERA. With the bat, Altermatt is hitting .271 this season while Kline carries a .219 batting average.


Big-Time Hitters

Among Minnesota State's best extra-base hitters this season are senior outfielder Teddy Petersen, who leads the Mavericks with nine doubles, senior catcher Ben Livorsi, who leads Maverick triples with a pair, and senior outfielder Joey Werner, who leads MSU with nine home runs in 2021. Werner frontruns the slugging percentage effort at a .724 mark.


Maverick Ironmen

This season the Mavericks have one player who has appeared in each MSU game during the 2021 campaign. Senior outfielder Jack Waletich has touched the field in all 39 games for the Mavericks and made 37 starts. Teddy Petersen and Nick Altermatt each have 38 starts and appearances this sseason in the purple and gold.


2021 Maverick Captains

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


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 all-time record of 1,852-884-7 (.675) in 2,743 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), six Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference championships (2010, 2011, 2012, 2014, 2017, 2021) and five NSIC 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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