Continuing NSIC Action
The Minnesota State Mavericks (13-4, 6-2 NSIC) continue Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference action this weekend against the Minnesota Duluth Bulldogs (9-9, 3-2 NSIC), Saturday and Sunday.
Due to weather in the Mankato area, the Mavericks' weekday doubleheader hosting St. Cloud State was cancelled, leaving just a three-game weekend series between MSU and UMD on the week-long agenda. The series begins Saturday with a seven and nine-inning doubleheader at 1:30 p.m. in Superior, Wis., before the finale Sunday at noon in Duluth, Minn.
Last Time in the Lot
MSU won four of its five games last week. After sweeping Bemidji State in a doubleheader Thursday by final scores of 12-1 and 10-0 in Sioux Falls, S.D., the Mavericks then rounded out the week with a series win over UMary, two games to one. After the Mavericks dropped game one on Saturday, 6-3, they swept Sunday's doubleheader, 2-1 and 7-6 in extra innings, to claim the three-game series over the Marauders in Sioux City, Iowa.
After week two of conference play, the Mavericks are second in the NSIC with a 6-2 league record. Augustana leads the NSIC with a 7-1 conference record.
A Look Back at the RussMatt
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 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 NSIC regular season and tournament champions before finishing third in the NCAA DII Central Regional with a 2-2 record in the tournament.
Altermatt Does it All!
Junior infielder and right-handed pitcher Nick Altermatt was named NSIC Player of the Week two weeks ago (March 14) after he played and started in three games at RussMatt Invitational for the Mavericks, which included one game where he served as a two-way threat while pitching and hitting against USciences (March 8). The Wanda, Minn., native 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 pitch 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.
This season, Altermatt is leading the way for MSU on the offensive in batting average (.400), hits (22), runs batted in (28), total bases (49) and slugging percentage (.891).
Wickman the Whackman
Junior outfielder Ryan Wickman is a new face for Maverick baseball this season and is off to a hot start by making an immediate impact. The Iowa Central CC (NJCAA) transfer is third on the Mavericks in terms of batting average (.356) and is the only Maverick to see action in each game this season while making 17 starts. Wickman leads MSU with 15 extra-base hits this season, having nine doubles, two triples and four home runs. In addition, Wickman also leads the Mavericks in hit by pitch this season (11) after he was hit eight times in the last series against UMary. He matched a single-game record set by Cole Kwiatkowski (Findlay vs. Ohio Valley on March 5, 2021) when he was plunked five times in the Mavericks first game against UMary last Saturday.
New Bats on the Block
Additionally, some other new faces for the Mavericks' include sophomores Jackson Hauge and Aidan Byrne as well as redshirt freshman Ryan Bachman. In terms of batting average, each of the Mavericks are batting at least .300 through the first 17 games of the season. Byrne leads the way with a .359 average while Hauge stands .314 and Bachman checks in at .300 on the season.
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 fourth in the country and second in the NSIC with a 3.91 strikeout-to-walk ratio through 12 games. Additionally, the MSU arms rank second in NCAA DII and first in the conference for WHIP at a 1.08 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 fourth start of the season against UMary last Saturday to open the series, Knoll assumed the lowest ERA (1.07) of any Maverick arm on the roster. He is off to a 3-1 start and owns MSU's second-best opponent batting average (.176) among starters (fourth-best on staff).
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.
After making one start and a relief appearance on the spring trip, Denk made one more relief appearance in the series finale against Minot State (March 20) before making a second start in game two of the series against UMary last Sunday. Denk pitched five shutout innings, allowing five hits and two walks while striking out six.
Putting the "Bull" in Bullpen
Senior right-handed reliever Jackson Uner is off to a dominant start in 2022, allowing just one earned run this season. In six appearances and eight innings pitched, Uner owns a team-best .148 opponent batting average and the second-lowest ERA (1.13).
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 ranks second on the Mavericks with four home runs and a .619 slugging percentage.
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 received votes again in this week's edition of the National Collegiate Baseball Writer's Association Division II Top 25 Poll (March 30). It marked the Mavericks third straight week appearing in the poll after a month-long hiatus.
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 518-165 (.758) 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 1,872-891-7 (.667) in 2,770 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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