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SMSU BASEBALL: SMSU baseball hosts Bemidji State today and Saturday at Alumni Field

Independent file photo SMSU’s Jared Tschetter fires a pitch during their game against Wayne State College on April 11.

MARSHALL – The Southwest Minnesota State University baseball team (13-27, 8-22 NSIC) takes on Bemidji State University (13-29, 10-20 NSIC) for a four-game series today and Saturday at Alumni Field.

•The games were originally scheduled for Bemidji, but several inches of snow in northern Minnesota forced the series to be moved.

•Bemidji State will serve as the home team on the scoreboard all four games.

MEDIA COVERAGE

•Live statistics for this weekend’s games will be available at smsumustangs.com.

•Updates can also be found by following @smsubaseball on Twitter.

SERIES HISTORY

•SMSU leads the all-time series versus BSU, 100-60, in a match-up that started in 1970.

•SMSU has won five straight in the series, including four straight in NSIC play.

•SMSU won both games last season at BSU, 8-7 and 9-8.

•This weekend is just the second series meeting in Marshall since 2011.

•SMSU head coach Paul Blanchard is 48-19 versus U-Mary.

HEAD COACH

•Paul Blanchard, the all-time leader in victories at SMSU, is in his 21st season as head coach and has an overall record of 499-447-2, including 280-233 in conference play.

•He entered the 2017 season ranking 45th in Division II among active coaches in career victories.

•During his tenure, Blanchard has led the program to its only NCAA tournament appearance, one NSIC championship, three NSIC tournament championships, 15 appearances in the NSIC tournament and four 30-win seasons.

•Named the fifth coach in SMSU history on July 14, 1996, Blanchard has coached two NSIC Players of the Year, one NSIC Pitcher of the Year, 21 all-region honorees, two Academic All-Americans, one NCAA All-American and two Major League Baseball draft picks.

MUSTANG NOTES

•SMSU is 13-27 overall, 8-22 NSIC.

•SMSU head coach Paul Blanchard is one win away from 500 in his career at SMSU.

•SMSU racked up a season-high 24 hits last Sunday in the game two win over U-Mary. SMSU had just one extra base hit (home run) in the game. The 24 hits is the highest for any NSIC team in a conference game this season.

•SMSU ranks last in the NSIC in runs scored.

•Cole VanderBeek leads the team with a .349 batting average with seven doubles, two triples and 17 RBIs.

•VanderBeek ranks 12th in the NSIC in batting average (.353).

•Liam Lopez has a team-leading eight stolen bases.

•Lopez and Derek Branson each have a team-leading three home runs.

•Tanner Strommen is batting .307 with six doubles and 11 RBIs.

•Shane Sellner is batting .301 and has 21 RBIs.

•Derek Branson leads the club with nine doubles and also has a team-high 23 RBIs, while ranking third on the team with 41 base hits.

•VanderBeek has a team-high 14 multi-hit games.

•Strommen has 11 multi-hit games.

•Brady Lanoue reached base in 15 straight games before having the streak snapped in game two on Wednesday at Upper Iowa.

•Branson ranks first on the team with seven multi-RBI games.

•Branson and VanderBeek both had a team-high eight-game hitting streak earlier this season.

•Strommen reached base in 16 straight games earlier this season.

•Cole Petersen is 5-2 on the season with a 1.52 ERA in 41 1/3 innings. Petersen recorded a career-high eight strikeouts vs. U-Mary on Saturday.

•Petersen has a 1.72 ERA in NSIC play, ranking third in the league.

•Shawn Williams has pitched in a team-high 15 games and has a 2.38 ERA in 22 2/3 innings with three saves and two victories.

•Justin Clark has made a team-high eight starts and has a 4.35 ERA with a team-high 35 strikeouts in 39 1/3 innings.

•Erik Thorvilson has made seven starts and has 28 strikeouts in 30 innings.

•Jeremy Stouffer is 1-1 in seven starts with a 5.50 ERA in 37 2/3 innings with 11 strikeouts.

•SMSU is hitting .269 with 15 home runs and 54 doubles.

•SMSU has an ERA of 6.39 with 185 strikeouts in 301 1/3 innings.

•SMSU has a .950 fielding percentage.

•SMSU has lost four games in NSIC play via walk-off this season.

SMSU IN THE NCAA STATS

•The following is where SMSU individuals rank in the latest NCAA statistics (April 24).

•Cole Petersen ranks 12th in ERA (1.52).

•Jayden Fleck ranks 108th in hit by pitch per game (0.26).

NSIC SCHEDULE

•SMSU is scheduled to play a 38-game unbalanced schedule in conference play this season.

•The team will play seven four-game weekend series along with five mid-week doubleheaders.

•The schedule will allow SMSU to play 12 of 14 conference opponents at least twice this season.

•SMSU will not play Minot State or St. Cloud State in conference play.

ABOUT BEMIDJI STATE

•BSU is 13-29 overall, 10-20 NSIC and has lost six straight and 10 of its last 11 games since April 14.

•Scott Litchy is hitting a team best .352 with seven home runs and 28 RBIs.

•Ben Boser is batting .295 with six doubles.

•Gunner Olszewski has a team-leading 11 doubles with 16 RBIs.

•Connon McNallan is 2-5 with two saves and five complete games, compiling a 3.98 ERA in 54 1/3 innings.

•Ryan Fransen has pitched a team-high 58 innings and is 3-2 with a 4.03 ERA.

•Jack Stigman has made nine starts and is 2-4 with a 6.75 ERA.

•BSU is batting .258 with 19 home runs and 64 doubles.

•BSU has a 6.28 ERA with 235 strikeouts in 321 innings.

NEXT UP

•Southwest Minnesota State concludes the season next Friday and Saturday hosting Minnesota Crookston.

Content courtesy

of SMSU Athletic

Communications

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