Coming Home

Minnesota State opens its 2022 home schedule playing host to Minot State this weekend for a three-game series.

The series at Bowyer Field begins with a seven-inning doubleheader Saturday at 1:30 p.m. before wrapping it up with a nine-inning finale Sunday at noon.


The RussMatt Rundown

The Mavericks opened the new campaign with a 7-2 record at the RussMatt Central Florida Baseball Invitational. After opening their week-long trip with a 2-2 record, which featured victories over Gannon and Findlay before taking losses to Findlay and Tiffin, before rattling off five-straight wins over Northwood, D'Youville, USciences, Notre Dame College and Seton Hill to close out the early-season schedule. MSU outscored its opponents 92-39 in the nine games.


A Walk Down Memory Lane

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 before finishing third in the NCAA DII Central Regional with a 2-2 record in the tournament.


No. 5's Alter ego

Junior infielder and right-handed pitcher Nick Altermatt played and started in three games last week for the Mavericks, including one game where he served as a two-way threat while pitching and hitting against USciences (March 8). All in all, the right-handed swinging Altermatt earned NSIC Player of the Week after he tied for tops in MSU batting average at a .500 mark and led the Mavericks with a slugging percentage of 1.250. Additionally, he led the Mavericks with 10 RBI on the week and set a single-game high with seven RBI and a pair of home runs in MSU's 21-3 victory over Notre Dame College, March 9.

Altermatt was noted as MSU's player to watch by the NSIC during the preseason 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.


New Bats on the Block

Some newer faces for the Mavericks' offensive presence include sophomores Jackson Hauge and Aidan Byrne as well as junior Ryan Wickman. Second and third to Altermatt (.400), respectively, Hauge owns a .394 batting average while Wickman and Byrne check in at third with a .375 average.


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 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.

This season, the Mavericks stand second in the country and first in the NSIC with a 4.44 strikeout-to-walk ratio through nine games. Additionally, the MSU arms rank fourth in NCAA DII and first in the conference for WHIP at a 1.09 clip.


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.

After making his first two starts of the season in Florida, Knoll owns the lowest ERA (1.93) of any Maverick starting arm on the roster to open the season. He is off to a 2-0 start and is tied for MSU's third-best opponent batting average (.200).


Dirty Denk

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. He held the 27th-lowest earned run average in the nation at 2.22. In 11 starts, 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.


Putting the "Bull" in Bullpen

Right-handed Maverick relief arms, senior Jackson Uner and junior Jack Brown, are off to dominant starts in 2022. Following the RussMatt Invitational where they combined for four appearances and seven innings pitched, Uner and Brown have yet to allow an earned run. In one appearance for two innings, Brown never surrendered a hit. In three appearances and five innings amassed, Uner owns a .167 opponent batting average.


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.

This season, Livorsi leads the NSIC and ranks 13th nationally with a .913 slugging percentage. He leads the Mavericks with four home runs this season and stands third in NCAA DII and first in the conference for home runs per game (0.57).


2022 Maverick Captains

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


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 falling out entirely in the past three weeks.


The Skipper

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 512-163 (.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 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 1,866-889-7 (.677) in 2,760 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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