A New Season

Minnesota State opens the 2022 season with 10 games in eight days from March 3-10 in Davenport, Fla., at the RussMatt Central Florida Baseball Invitational. The Mavericks will take on nine different opponents throughout the week-long tournament.


The 2021 Overview

Minnesota State wrapped up the 2021 season with a 39-10 overall record and finished 28-6 in conference play. The Mavericks were the 2021 NSIC Regular Season and Tournament Champions and finished third in the NCAA DII Central Regional with a 2-2 record in the tournament.


Last Time on the Diamond

In its last action, Minnesota State finished the season third in the 2021 NCAA Division II Baseball Central Regional Tournament in Warrensburg, Mo. The third-seed Mavericks opened the tournament with a 9-8 win over fourth-seed Arkansas Tech, May 28, 2021. MSU took on fifth-seed Southern Arkansas in game two and dropped the contest in walk-off fashion, 2-1. After overcoming sixth-seed Henderson State in an elimination game May 30, 2021, the Mavericks were eliminated from the tournament with another loss to Southern Arkansas by a final score of 5-1.


Maverick All-Americans

Following last season's historic run for Maverick baseball, five players received All-American honors in Joey Werner (D2CCA & ABCA/Rawlings First Team), Hunter Even (NCBWA Second Team), Jon Ludwig (D2CCA Third Team),  Collin Denk (D2CCA Third Team) and Nick Altermatt (D2CCA Third Team). It marked the first All-American honors for all five guys and upped the MSU baseball program's All-American recognition count to 30. 


Mavericks in the NCBWA Poll

The Minnesota State baseball team was rated 13th in the last National Collegiate Baseball Writer's Association Division II Top 25 Poll (May 19) of the 2021 season. It marked MSU's eighth consecutive week in the poll since breaking into the Top 25 rankings for the first time since Feb. 5, 2020, (No. 25 in 2020 Preseason Poll). In the 2022 preseason poll, the Mavericks were ranked No. 23 before receiving votes in the second edition and fell out of the poll this week, while having yet to play a game during the 2022 campaign.


The Maverick Staff

Among NCAA DII ranks a season ago, the MSU pitching staff owned the nation's best ERA at a 3.11 mark while also leading the nation in strikeout-to-walk ratio (4.99), WHIP (1.13) and walks allowed per nine innings (2.11). Over the course of 49 games, opponents batted .235 against the Mavericks.


Dirty Denk

Collin Denk, a right-handed pitcher from Lakeville, Minn., was honored as NSIC Preseason Pitcher of the Year in January after he was named the NSIC Pitcher of the Year a season ago. Last season, he was also named a D2CCA Third Team All-American after finishing among the best in national ranks for NCAA Division II pitchers in 2021. He held the 27th-lowest earned run average in the nation at 2.22. In 11 starts last year, Denk owned a 10-0 record which came in at fourth in terms of wins. He was efficient in his outings with an 15.40 strikeout-to-walk ratio (second in NCAA). While facing 282 batters last season, Denk struck out 77 batters and issued five walks to ride the nation's best walks per nine innings rating (0.65). Denk was named honorable mention for NCBWA All-American honors while being named to the 2021 NCBWA All-Central Region First Team and All-NSIC First Team.


Slick Nick

A sophomore two-way utility pitcher and shortstop from Wanda, Minn., Nick Altermatt was noted as MSU's player to watch by the NSIC after he was named a D2CCA Third Team All-American selection last season as a utility player/pitcher. Altermatt saw action in 48 of MSU's 49 games in 2021. On the hill, the Wabasso High School product had the Maverick pitching staff's best ERA at 1.90 (12th in NCAA). Opponents batted .188 vs. Altermatt in nine appearances that saw him throw 52 innings over the course of nine starts for a 5-2 record in 2021. Altermatt finished the season with MSU's second-best WHIP (0.88) which was good for 13th in the nation. With the bat, Altermatt was .278 hitter with a .444 slugging percentage. In 124 at bats, the right-handed batter mustered six triples, a double and four home runs. Last season marked Altermatt's first All-American honor.


You Don't Knoll Me

Junior right-handed pitcher Brendan Knoll had an 8-1 record in eight starts and 13 appearances last season with a 2.64 ERA. In 61.1 innings, the product of Kasson-Mantorville High School tied for  MSU's third-best opponent batting average at .200. Knoll was a member of the All-NSIC Second Team.


Top-Returning Rookie

Leading Maverick youngsters last season was freshman infielder Adam Schneider. He appeared in 46 games and made 40 starts throughout the 2021 campaign while owning the Mavericks fifth-best batting average at .284.


Liv to See Another Season

Among Minnesota State's best extra-base hitters last season was junior catcher Ben Livorsi, who led the Mavericks with three triples. Additionally, Livorsi led Maverick catchers with a .995 fielding percentage, which saw him make just a pair of errors on 371 chances.


2022 Maverick Captains

The Minnesota State Maverick baseball captains for this season are Jack Friedges, Ross Indlecoffer and Brendan Knoll.


500-Win Plateau

Now with 13 seasons under his belt as the MSU skipper, head coach Matt Magers hit the 500-win plateau last season following a Mavericks' 10-6 win over Sioux Falls, May 14, 2021. Magers was named the NCBWA Central Region and NSIC Coach of the Year last season. He has produced a 505-161 (.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 eclipsed the 200-win mark (Jean McCarthy: 1964-76 / 250 wins).


Minnesota State History

The 2022 season marks the 82nd for Maverick baseball. MSU owns an all-time record of 1,859-887-7 (.676) in 2,751 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 38 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, 2019 and 2021) 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 30 times.

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