Setting up Shop

Rated 13th in the NCBWA DII Top 25 Poll, Minnesota State (37-8) is set to take on fourth-seeded Arkansas Tech (28-15) as the third-seed in the opening game of the six-team double-elimination NCAA Division II Central Regional Tournament, Thursday at 11:00 a.m. in Warrensburg, Mo.


Facing Arkansas Tech (Fourth Seed)

Minnesota State is 7-4 all-time when taking on Arkansas Tech in a series that began in 1966. In the last matchup, the Mavericks upended the Wonder Boys 5-2 to advance to the 2014 NCAA DII Central Region championship game for the fourth consecutive season.

With a 28-15 overall record and 23-10 conference mark this season, the Wonder Boys secured the Great American Conference regular season championship. Arkansas Tech owns a team batting average of .330 with a team earned run average of 4.07.


Facing #2 Central Missouri (First Seed)

Minnesota State is 5-21 in an all-time series against Central Missouri that dates back to the 1971 season. In the last matchup, the Mavericks dropped one in the 2016 NCAA DII Central Regional Tournament to the Mules 3-0.

Central Missouri owns a 39-6 overall record and finished 30-3 in the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletcs Association to claim the conference regular season and postseason titles. This season, the Mules are batting .345 as a team with an ERA of 3.86.


Facing #18 Augustana (Second Seed)

Minnesota State is 64-23 in an all-time series against conference foe Augustana that dates back to the 1970 season. In the last 10 matchups, the Mavericks are 5-5 against the Vikings. During the regular season, the Vikings took both games of a weekday doubleheader from the Mavericks (April 28). Last week, the Mavericks sought revenge and took down the Vikings twice in the three matchups en route to winning the 2021 NSIC Tournament.

Augustana finished the regular season second in the NSIC with a 27-9 conference record. Behind a 36-11 overall record, The Vikings topped the NSIC in batting average at .327. When pitching, AU sports an earned run average of 3.77.


Facing Southern Arkansas (Fifth Seed)

Minnesota State is 3-0 vs. Southern Arkansas dating back to the first matchup between the two schools in 1990. In 2015, the Mavericks took down the Muleriders 7-2 to advance in the NCAA Regional Tournament.

The Muleriders stand 27-14 overall and finished the regular season 23-10 in the Great American Conference. As a team, the Muleriders are batting .303 this season with a team ERA of 4.83.


Facing Henderson State (Sixth Seed)

Minnesota State is 4-1 all-time against Henderson State. The Mavericks one loss vs. the Reddies came in their last matchup during the 2015 NCAA DII Central Regional.

Henderson State (26-17) made its way into the 2021 NCAA Central Regional with an automatic bid after winning the Great American Conference Tournament. The Reddies sport a team batting average of .304 this season with an ERA of 5.65.


Last Time on the Diamond

In its last action, Minnesota State won its sixth NSIC Tournament in program history with an 11-9 victory over Augustana. The Mavericks opened the tournament with a 15-9 victory over Minnesota Crookston before advancing to the championship with an 8-5 victory over Augustana. After AU rerouted itself back to the championship, they beat MSU 9-2 before MSU took the second and final game of the double-elimination tournament, 11-9.


Mavericks Remain 13th in the NCBWA Poll

The Minnesota State baseball team remained in 13th in last week's National Collegiate Baseball Writer's Association Division II Top 25 Poll (May 19). It marked MSU's eighth 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 reached greater heights last week, being named NSIC Player of the Year and a member of the All-NSIC First Team. Werner also made his way onto the NCBWA All-Central Region First Team this season.

Werner is the Mavericks' top hitter this season. He leads MSU in batting average (.439), home runs (12), RBI (54), total bases (119) and slugging percentage (.758). Werner had a team-high 40-game on-base streak that was snapped April 28 in a 1-0 loss to Augustana. The Hastings, Minn., native comes in at tenth on the national batting average ranks.


Take Two (or Four)

Teddy Petersen, recently named a member of the All-NSIC First Team,  leads MSU with 32 free passes this season in the form of 22 walks and 11 times being hit by a pitch. A native of Glencoe, Minn., Petersen, sports a .377 batting average, owns the Mavericks' second-most hits (61), home runs (9), RBI (34) and total bases (102). The Mavericks' everyday second baseman has homered in three of MSU's last four contests and was an instrumental part in the program securing its sixth NSIC Tournament Championship last week.


The Maverick Staff

The MSU pitching staff owns the nation's best ERA this year at a 3.03 mark. Over 45 games, opponents are batting .233 against MSU. Minnesota State led the NSIC in both categories during the regular season.


The MSU Rotation

The Mavericks have had six different starting arms this season. All together, MSU starters have combined for 45 starts and 61 appearances mustering 298.2 innings pitched. In that span, Maverick starting arms have struck out 296 of 1,043 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 (March 8) after allowing one run to Missouri-St. Louis in his Opening Day start on Feb. 26. Last week, Ludwig was named to the All-NSIC First Team. In the NSIC Tournament, Ludwig worked 8.1 innings with one start and a pair of relief appearances. While giving up five hits, Ludwig never surrendered a run while striking out 12 batters and issuing just two walks.

A product of Osseo HS, Ludwig owns a team-best and conference-high 103 strikeouts vs. 253 batters faced this season. In 10 starts, which is tied for the Maverick lead, Ludwig has MSU's most innings pitched (65.1) while garnering a 1.93 earned run average, .188 opponent batting average and .80 WHIP this season.


Dirty Denk

Sophomore right-handed pitcher Collin Denk owns the Mavericks' best ERA among the starting rotation at 1.83. Last week, Denk was named the NSIC Pitcher of the Year and to the All-NSIC First Team as well as the NCBWA All-Central Region First Team. This season, the Lakeville, Minn., native owns a .240 opponent batting average and a perfect 10-0 record in 10 starts which led the NSIC.


Maverick Closer

Senior right-handed reliever Hunter Even is the closer for the Mavericks. He leads MSU with nine saves this season and owns the Mavericks' best ERA at 1.00 over 20.2 innings pitched. He owns the Mavericks' second-lowest opponent batting average at .169 in 16 appearances this season. Even was recently named to the All-NSIC First Team as well as the NCBWA All-Central Region First Team. Last time out, Even shut the door in the Mavericks' 11-9 victory over Augustana in the NSIC Tournament championship game.


You Don't Knoll Me

Junior right-handed pitcher Brendan Knoll owns an 8-1 record in eight starts nd 12 appearances this season with a 2.48 ERA. In 54.1 innings, the product of Kasson-Mantorville HS owns MSU's third-best opponent batting average among starting pitchers at .222. Knoll was named a member of the All-NSIC First Team.


Slick Nick

Minnesota State sophomore right-handed pitcher Nick Altermatt was named NSIC Pitcher of the Week for his outing three weeks ago (May 5) vs. Sioux Falls. This marked Altermatt's first time being tabbed with NSIC weekly honors. The Wanda, Minn., native pitched a seven-inning one-hit complete game shutout to lead the Mavericks to a 2-0 victory. At the NSIC Tournament, Altermatt dropped his ERA to 2.06 and opponent batting average to .205 as he guided the Mavericks to a 15-9 win over Minnesota Crookston May 19 to advance MSU in the NSIC Tournament. 

Also a two-way threat, Altermatt is also the Mavericks' everyday shortstop where he's posted a .274 batting average in 44 starts.


Postseason Primed Kline

An All-American in 2019, Minnesota State baseball has another two-way player in junior Cam Kline who has mostly made his way this season by way of his arm. However, Kline carries a .219 batting average in 33 games this season. On the hill Kline owns a 4.06 ERA and .278 opponent batting average. He is 4-4 now after securing a win in the NSIC Championship game last Friday in Sioux Falls. Kline pitched five innings allowing three runs (two earned) on nine hits while walking and striking out two.


Fantastic Freshman 

Leading Maverick youngsters this season is freshman infielder Adam Schneider. He has appeared in 42 games and made 36 starts this season while owning the Mavericks fourth-best batting average at .298.


Big-Time Hitters

Among Minnesota State's best extra-base hitters this season are senior outfielder Ty Denzer, who leads the Mavericks with 11 doubles,  and senior catcher Ben Livorsi, who leads with three Maverick triples, while Werner leads the MSU home runs effort with 12 in 2021. He also frontruns the slugging percentage effort at a .758 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 45 games for the Mavericks and made 43 starts. Teddy Petersen and Nick Altermatt each have 44 starts and appearances this season in the purple and gold.


2021 Maverick Captains

The Minnesota State Maverick baseball captains this season are Teddy Petersen and Jack Waletich.


500-Win Plateau

Now in his 13th season as the MSU skipper, head coach Matt Magers hit the 500-win plateau this season following a Mavericks' 10-6 win over Sioux Falls, May 14. Last week, Magers was named the NCBWA Central Region and NSIC Coach of the Year. He has produced a 503-159 (.760) 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).


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 1,857-885-7 (.676) in 2,749 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 six NSIC Tournament crowns (2010, 2011, 2012, 2014, 2017, 2021). 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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