SMSU BASEBALL: Mustangs look to keep win streak with three-game series at UMary
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MARSHALL - The Southwest Minnesota State University (8-22, 7-18 NSIC) baseball team travels to Bismarck, N.D., to face the University of Mary (14-26, 10-17 NSIC) in a three-game series today and Saturday at the Bismarck Municipal Ballpark.
•Today’s doubleheader will begin at 10 a.m., while Saturday’s game is set for a 12 p.m. start.
•The series was pushed ahead one day to expected poor weather in the Bismarck area on Sunday.
•UMary, which swept a home doubleheader from Bemidji State on Wednesday, is currently in 10th place in the NSIC.
•SMSU begins the weekend in 13th place in NSIC play.
Game coverage
•Live video and statistics for all three games will be available at smsumustangs.com.
•Updates can also be found by following @smsubaseball on Twitter.
Series history
•SMSU holds a 21-7 advantage in the series with the first meeting occurring in 2007, which was the first year UMary joined the NSIC.
•SMSU has won 11 of the past 14 meetings since 2010, including sweeping a four-game series the last time the two teams met on April 22-23, 2017, in Marshall.
Team numbers
•Through 30 games, SMSU is batting .257 with 67 extra-base hits including 46 doubles, three triples and 18 home runs.
•The SMSU pitching staff has compiled a 6.35 ERA in 236 2/3 innings with 189 strikeouts and 102 walks.
Mustang
diamond notes
•Jayden Fleck and Tanner Strommen lead the team with eight multi-hit games while Connor Johnson has seven multi-hit games.
•Fleck is batting a team-high .293 with five home runs and is tied for the team lead with 18 RBIs.
•Ben Heichel leads the club with six home runs and has 18 RBIs. His six home runs in conference play is tied for fifth in the NSIC.
•Jake Hendricks has a team-leading nine doubles with three home runs and has a five multi-RBI games and 18 RBIs. He ranks tied for eighth in the NSIC with eight doubles in league play.
•Brady Lanoue also has five multi-RBI games.
•Fleck’s grand slam to help defeat CSP on March 15 was the first grand slam by a Mustang since Fleck hit one versus Mount Marty on March 10, 2018.
•Hendricks’ three-run pinch-hit home run at UMC on April 16 was SMSU’s first pinch-hit home run since Bryan Nikkel in 2004.
•Johnson reached base in 11 straight games earlier this season, the longest by a Mustang this season.
•Left-hander John Bezdicek has two complete games, a team-leading 46 strikeouts in 40 innings and has compiled a 3.38 ERA.
•Bezdicek’s 14 strikeouts in seven innings at Upper Iowa on March 31 is tied for the highest single-game total in the NSIC this season. He currently ranks 10th in the conference with 41 strikeouts and is 14th in ERA (2.88).
•Bezdicek was named the NSIC Pitcher of the Week on April 2 following a three-hit, seven-inning shutout, with a career-high 14 strikeouts at Upper Iowa.
•Right-hander Spencer Schroeder has made seven appearances with six starts and is 2-1 with a 3.86 ERA in 35 innings.
•Right-hander Donny Schroeder has made nine appearances out of the bullpen and has two victories.
•Left-hander Teddy Broxterman has pitched in a team-high 11 games.
•Senior right-hander Justin Clark started two games this season but is expected to miss the remainder of the season due to an injury. He has appeared in 34 games including 29 starts with 147 strikeouts in 153 innings during his career.
Content courtesy
of SMSU Athletic
Communications