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SMSU baseball picked 12th in preseason NSIC poll

Photo courtesy of Tristen Groff SMSU’s John Bezdicek delivers a pitch during their game against the University of Minnesota Duluth on Feb. 27, 2020 at U.S. Bank Stadium.

BURNSVILLE — The Southwest Minnesota State University baseball team was picked 12th in the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference Preseason Coaches’ Poll as voted on by the 15 head coaches in the league. The announcement came Thursday from the NSIC office.

Augustana, the defending 2019 NSIC regular and tournament champions, were chosen as the preseason favorite earning 195 points, including 13 first place votes, while Minnesota State was picked to finish second receiving 181 points and two first place votes. St. Cloud State was picked to finish third with 160 points, Minot State was selected fourth with 153 points, while Wayne State rounded out the top five with 151 points.

Winona State was selected sixth earning 130 points, followed by Minnesota Crookston (114), Concordia-St. Paul (103), Northern State (78) and Minnesota Duluth (77) rounding out the top 10. UMary was picked 11th with 69 points, followed by SMSU (59), Sioux Falls (41), Upper Iowa (36) and Bemidji State (28).

Augustana senior pitcher Max Steffens was named the league’s preseason Pitcher of the Year, while Augustana junior first baseman Jordan Barth was named the preseason Player of the Year.

SMSU junior left-handed pitcher John Bezdicek and senior shortstop Nathan Kuhn were both named “Players to Watch” in the conference this season. In three starts in 2020, Bezdicek had a 2.00 ERA in 18 innings with 29 strikeouts. He has led the team in strikeouts the past two seasons and begins the 2021 season ranked first in team history averaging 11 strikeouts per nine innings. Kuhn batted .385 with six RBI in 10 games last season with three doubles, one triple and a team-high 20 total bases. In 2019, he started 35 games and batted .258 with seven doubles and 10 RBIs.

Despite graduating a strong group of seniors from last season’s team, the 2021 Mustangs feature 18 returning letter winners, including numerous with a plethora of experience from last season’s team that was 6-5 overall before the season was canceled.

The pitching staff is led by Bezdicek, who has led the team in strikeouts the past two seasons. Junior right-hander Jeremiah Van De Steeg recorded 12 strikeouts and a 2.92 ERA in two starts in his first season with the club. Junior right-hander Jake Wensmann returns after ranking second in innings pitched in 2020, while senior left-hander Teddy Broxterman also returns after appearing in three games last season. Broxterman appeared in a team-high 14 games during the 2019 season.

The SMSU offense returns several of its top hitters from last season’s abbreviated season. Kuhn batted .385 with six RBI, while sophomore infielder Kip Gronholz hit .455 with four stolen bases. Both players led the team in 2020 with 15 base hits. Junior first baseman Matt Bezdicek batted. 303 and tied for the team lead with three doubles in 2020, while senior catcher Derek Smith is also back after batting .346 with two doubles and one triple last spring. Sophomore outfielder Andy Andresen hit .276 last season, while junior third baseman Jake Hendricks is also back after leading the 2019 team with 22 RBIs and a team-high 10 doubles.

The Mustangs are currently conducting practice inside the PE Gym and R/A Facility and are scheduled to open its 39-game regular season on March 10 with a doubleheader at Briar Cliff (Iowa). SMSU will begin the 36-game NSIC season at Upper Iowa on March 20-21 and will have its home-opening series on April 2-3 versus Concordia-St. Paul.

— Content courtesy

of SMSU Athletic

Communications

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