Independent file photo SMSU’s John Bezdicek delivers a pitch during their game against Concordia-St. Paul on April 2. SMSU will face Minnesota Duluth today in a doubleheader.

MARSHALL — The Southwest Minnesota State University baseball team (11-18, 9-17 NSIC) returns to the diamond today with a doubleheader (7-9) starting at 10 a.m. versus the University of Minnesota Duluth (10-20, 7-17 NSIC) at Wade Stadium in Duluth.

•The two-game series was originally scheduled for Wednesday, but was moved to today due to poor field conditions on UMD’s campus field.

•SMSU, which is 4-4 in it last three conference series, will return home this Saturday and Sunday with a three-game series versus the University of Mary at Legion Field.

Game coverage

•Live video and stats for today’s games will be available at SMSUmustangs.com.

About

Minnesota Duluth

•UMD is 10-20 overall, 7-17 NSIC, after dropping two of three games at the University of Mary last weekend.

•Brandt Kolpack leads the Bulldogs batting .337 (32 for 95) with three doubles and nine RBIs.

•Henry George is hitting .333 (34 for 102) with a team-high eight doubles and 11 RBIs.

•Through 30 games, UMD is batting .270, with 42 doubles, seven home runs, averaging 4.6 runs per game and have a team ERA of 7.05 in 231 innings with 195 strikeouts.

Series history vs.

Minnesota Duluth

•SMSU and UMD have meet 127 times since the first meeting in 1977 with UMD holding a slight 65-62 advantage.

•The two teams split a non-conference doubleheader last season at US Bank Stadium in Minneapolis on Feb. 27.

•In the last NSIC match-up, SMSU swept a doubleheader at Legion Field in Marshall on April 24, 2019, by scores of 8-4 and 9-3.

SMSU

diamond notes

•SMSU has earned two wins over nationally-ranked teams this season with both coming on the road. SMSU earned a 10-8 win at No. 19 Augustana and an 8-7, 10-inning win at No. 24 Minnesota Crookston.

•SMSU has lost nine one-run games this season, including eight in NSIC play.

•In SMSU’s last action, the Mustangs lost two of three games at Minot State. SMSU won 5-4 in eight innings in game one of the series, before MSU scored two runs in the bottom of eighth in game two for a 5-4 extra inning victory.

•Hayden Molva struck out a career-high 10 in a 5-3 loss at Minnesota Crookston last Thursday.

•Ansen Dulas recorded a career-high seven strikeouts in a no-decision at Minnesota-Crookston.

•In his last nine games, Derek Smith has raised his batting average more than 100 points, hitting .517 (15 for 29) with three home runs, three doubles and eight RBIs.

•Nathan Kuhn ranks sixth in the NSIC (league games only) in batting average at .398 (37 of 93).

•John Bezdicek leads the NSIC in strikeouts per nine innings (12.5). He has struck out 10 more batters in three of five starts.

•SMSU ranks fifth in the NSIC in fielding percentage (.966).

— Content courtesy

of SMSU Athletic

Communications