Independent file photo SMSU’s Wes Sarsland delivers a pitch during their game against the University of Minnesota Duluth on April 24, 2019. The Mustangs will face the Bulldogs in a doubleheader at U.S. Bank Stadium today.

MARSHALL — The Southwest Minnesota State University baseball team (0-3) continues non-conference play today with a doubleheader versus the University of Minnesota Duluth (0-0) at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis with game one set to begin at 9:30 a.m.

Game coverage

•Live statistics and video for the two games will be available at smsumustangs.com.

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

Series history

•SMSU and UMD meet for the 126th and 127th time today with UMD leading 65-60.

•SMSU won both meetings last season at Legion Field in Marshall by scores of 8-4 and 9-3.

•Last season’s victories snapped a six-game winning streak in the series for UMD.

•The two teams last played inside in Minneapolis on Feb. 23, 2012, at the Metrodome with SMSU sweeping a doubleheader.

About Minnesota

Duluth

•The Bulldogs will be playing their first games of the season today after finishing 16-33 overall, 12-14 NSIC, last season.

•UMD was picked to finish 11th in the NSIC preseason coaches’ poll.

Mustang

diamond notes

•SMSU opened the season last weekend losing all three games of a three-game series at No. 17 Missouri Southern State. SMSU held strong during the series either holding the lead or was tied in the fifth inning or later in every game.

•SMSU led 1-0 in the bottom of the ninth in game three, but MSSU tied the game with a solo homer and then won the game in the 11th inning with a two-run home run.

•Kip Gronholz finished the series with a team-high four hits, while Brady Lanoue and Matt Bezdicek each collected three hits.

•Lanoue led the team with a pair of solo home runs and finished with three RBIs.

•John Bezdicek was solid in the opener, tossing five innings and allowing two runs on three hits with seven strikeouts.

•Jeremiah Van De Steeg was outstanding in game three as he tossed seven shutout innings and allowed just two hits with eight strikeouts.

NSIC schedule

•For the second straight season, all NSIC weekend series will be three-game sets. The teams will play one seven and one nine-inning game the first day and will close the series with a nine-inning game the following day.

•All weekday match-ups will be doubleheaders with one seven-inning game and one nine-inning game.

More Mustang stats

•For career statistics and game-highs for each Mustang player go to SMSUmustangs.com/baseballcareer.

Next up

•Southwest Minnesota State will travel to Tucson, Ariz., for seven games from March 5-11. SMSU opens the trip on March 5 with a non-conference game versus Concordia-St. Paul.

— Content courtesy

of SMSU Athletic

Communications