MANDAN, N.D. – Minnesota State baseball fell 8-3 to No. 9 Augustana Saturday afternoon at BNC Field in the final game of the NSIC Tournament. Augustana won the tournament for the first time since 2019 and qualified for the NCAA Tournament for the fourth straight season.
 
The Mavericks (37-18) won three games in Mandan but dropped both contests to the Vikings (45-8), including Saturday's championship game.

"We made a great run to get to the championship," commented head coach Matt Magers. "Several great individual performances led to our team's success. I am proud of how we gave it all we had and competed until the last out."
 
The teams exchanged solo home runs in the first inning. Ryan Wickman cleared the fence with his team-leading 14^th long ball. Nick Banowetz quickly countered with his third of the year for the Vikings.
 
Augustana made it 2-1 in the fourth when Drey Dirkson homered to left field on a 2-2 pitch from MSU starter Cale Haugen. The Mavericks responded again in the fifth. Ryan Friedges doubled down the left field line to score Ryan Wickman, who reached via hit by pitch.
 
Jason Axelberg lifted a 3-2 pitch to deep left center for Augustana in the fifth, a solo home run. A half-inning later, Louis Magers tied the score again with a leadoff solo shot to right field, his 15^th of the season.
 
Again, the Vikings took a one-run lead 4-3 in the bottom of the sixth. The Mavericks caught Banowetz in a run down between home plate and third base. Nick Baker's collision with Banowetz was ruled defensive interference and he scored.
 
With two outs and the bases loaded, pinch hitter Spencer Marenco dropped a single into center field to score two more for a 6-3 Augustana advantage.
 
Tate Meiners added his 13^th home run of the spring in the bottom of the seventh, scoring a pair. Then a 5-4-3 double play in the eighth snuffed out MSU's opportunity for a late comeback.
 
Friedges led the Mavericks with three hits in as many at bats with one walk and one run batted in. Wickman scored a pair of runs.
 
Haugen finished with 5.0 innings pitched and allowed three earned runs on four hits, struck out seven and walked zero. Mariano Gomez (6-0) collected the win for Augustana after working 6.0 innings and surrendering three earned runs on five hits, walked two and struck out four.
 
Ethan Cole tossed three innings of relief for his second save. The Mavericks finished the season with a 2-3 record against the Vikings.
 
All-Tournament Team

• Ryan Friedges, 5 GP, 11-20, 11 RBI, 3-2B, 3 HR, 1 BB
• Mitch Gutknecht, 1 GP, 9.0 IP, 1 ER, 4H, 14K, CG
• Aidan Byrne, 5 GP, 7-19, 4 RBI, 2-2B, 1 HR, 2 BB