Independent file photo SMSU’s Ben Heichel jogs towards home plate after hitting a home run during their April 24 game against the University of Minnesota Duluth. The Mustangs will wrap up their regular season this weekend against St. Cloud State University.

MARSHALL – The Southwest Minnesota State University (10-25, 9-21 NSIC) baseball team closes out the 2019 season today and Saturday hosting nationally ranked St. Cloud State University (36-9, 24-7 NSIC) at Legion Field in Marshall.

•Today’s doubleheader is set to begin at 1:30 p.m., while Saturday’s game is scheduled for 12 p.m. The games were moved to Legion Field due to wet field conditions at Alumni Field.

•SCSU, currently in third place in the NSIC standings, is ranked No. 10 in the latest Collegiate Baseball Top 30 and No. 14 in the NCBWA Top 25 poll.

•SCSU is also ranked No. 3 in this week’s NCAA Central Region rankings.

•SMSU enters the weekend 12th in the NSIC standings. The top eight teams qualify for the NSIC Tournament from May 8-11.

•SMSU’s 2-1 loss to Northern State on Tuesday was its seventh one-run loss in league play this season. SMSU has also lost four games by two runs.

•SCSU begins the weekend with the No. 1 ranked pitching staff in the NSIC with an ERA of 2.41 with a league-high 296 strikeouts.

•SMSU sophomore left-hander John Bezdicek ranks 10th in the NSIC in ERA (2.32).

SENIOR DAY

•SMSU will honor its four seniors, Jayden Fleck, Connor Johnson, Alex Jorgensen and Cole Petersen prior to Saturday’s game.

•Fleck begins the weekend having played in 165 games collecting 149 hits including 27 doubles, 14 home runs, 80 RBIs and has scored 98 runs.

•Johnson began his career as a pitcher appearing in 18 games his first two seasons. He then moved to the outfield and has 56 hits with 12 doubles, five home runs and 38 RBIs in two seasons.

•Jorgensen has been a member of the team for five seasons and has pitched in 44 games recording five victories and four saves in 120 2/3 innings with 102 strikeouts. He pitched in four games in 2017 but received a medical redshirt.

•Petersen redshirted in 2015 and has appeared in 36 with 29 starts in his career. He has 11 victories and has struck out 118 batters in 181 1/3 innings. He was named second team All-NSIC in 2017, finishing 6-2 with a 1.70 ERA in 53 innings.

Game coverage

•Live statistics for all three games will be available at smsumustangs.com.

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

Series history

•SCSU holds a 56-18 advantage in the series with the first meeting occurring in 1970.

•SMSU and SCSU were both members of the Northern Intercollegiate Conference from 1970 to 1981. SCSU left for the North Central Conference before rejoining the NSIC in 2009.

•SCSU has won the last 12 meetings including 12-2 earlier this season on March 8 in Tucson, Ariz.

•SMSU’s last win in the series came on April 11, 2015, in St. Cloud.

•SCSU swept a four-game series in Marshall during the 2016 season. It was the first time SCSU had played in Marshall since the 2004 season.

Content courtesy

of SMSU Athletic 

Communications