Baseball strikes back with vengeance

Sometimes the best method to unlock a championship team is to experience getting knocked down. This message became crystal clear to Minnesota State baseball in their most recent series against Southwest Minnesota State University.

After a grueling series loss to Augustana, the Mavs hit the road for a doubleheader against the Mustangs. While a devastating loss from Monday still lingers with the team, all focus is on trying to redeem themselves. Head Coach Matt Magers said that they don’t need massive changes to the gameplan, just to focus this time around.

“I don’t think we really need to adjust; we just need to come out and execute better. We had a lot of opportunities that we couldn’t capitalize off, a lot of two out innings followed by big hits. So, I don’t think we need to change much, other than execute our plan better,” said Magers.

Entering the first game of the double header, it’s clear that the wakeup call worked. Junior outfielder Ryan Wickman launched a three-run homerun in the first to give them an early lead. During the third, the Mavs proceeded to shift gear and run up the board on the Mustangs. Five straight runs scored to give them a lead of 8-0 before they reached the midway point. Entering the fourth inning, the Mustangs would finally end their ice-cold streak with a three-run home run to put them on the board.

However, the Mavs refused to remain content entering the midway point in the game. Sophomore Zach Stroh slapped a singled to right field for an RBI single and Junior Hunter Ranweiler launched a fly out in the fifth to give the Mavs two more runs. In the sixth inning, Junior Mike Gottschalk singled up the middle for his 22nd RBI and freshman Matthew Fleischhacker would launch a fly out to give the Mavs a final score of 12-3 to complete game one.

Following a short break, the Mavs and Mustangs would gear up for game two. The Mavs would continue to pick apart the Mustangs pitching as Matthew Fleischhacker hit an RBI single up the center for the first score of the game. It would then be followed by a single from Ryan Wickman to give him two more RBIs and a fielding error that gave the Mavs a 4-0 lead entering the midway point. Unfortunately, their hot streak would be iced after a rain delay put game two on hold. While it is uncertain when and where the game will pick back up, it will put this week’s conclusion on hold.

Write to Charlie Groebner at Charles.Groebner@mnsu.edu

Header Photo: Minnesota State’s Men’s Baseball team returns home with a 12-3 win against Southwest Minnesota State Wednesday afternoon. (Dylan Engel)