MANKATO--- Minnesota State opens the 2024 season in Joplin Missouri to faceoff at the Missouri Southern Lion Classic against No. 14 Missouri Southern State, University of Illinois Springfield, and Northwest Missouri State.  The action starts on Friday at 4 p.m. CST at Warren Turner Field as Minnesota State takes on the Lions for its season opener.

A Walk Down Memory Lane
Minnesota State wrapped up the 2023 season with a 43-18 overall record and finished 25-8 in conference play. The Mavericks fell in the NCAA Central Region Championship in a best-of-three series against NSIC rival Augustana.

Last Time on the Diamond
MSU opened the NCAA Regional Tournament by topping Southern Arkansas 8-4. The Mavericks then took two of three from Missouri Southern to move to the NCAA Super Regionals.  

Outfielder Jackson Hauge led the Mavericks offense going 8-17 registering a .471 batting average. The Minnesota State right fielder earned All-Central Region Second Team honors after dominating opposing pitching. Hauge finished regional play with three home runs, nine RBI and seven runs scored. 

LHP Dylan Gotto led the Mavericks pitching staff with wins against Southern Arkansas and Missouri State reaching 11 wins this season tying Jon Bjelland (2014) and Jason Hoppe (2014) for MSU's single-season wins record.

Minnesota State fell to NSIC rival Augustana two games to one in the NCAA Super Regionals ending the 2023 season.

The Maverick Staff
The Maverick staff went 4-2 with a 4.33 earned run average in 54 innings of work throughout the 2023 NSIC Tournament. MSU pitchers continued their dominance going 3-1 in regional play accumulating a collective 4.37 ERA pair with a 1.32 WHIP which is good enough for 11th best in the nation. 

Headline the Mavericks' 2024 staff are senior Nathan Culley and junior Spencer Wright who last year combined for 118.2 innings in 2023. Both Culley and Wright feature multi-pitch arsenals which resulted in 154 strikeouts in 2023.