Mavericks return home to take on Minot State

After spending two months on the road, the Minnesota State baseball team finally returns home to face the Minot State Beavers in a four-game series with double headers Friday and Saturday. 

The Mavericks are coming off a series sweep against the University of Minnesota-Duluth which saw them rise to second in the NSIC and kept their win streak going at five games. After the sweep, the Mavs currently hold a 15-10 overall record and an 11-4 conference record.

The Beavers are fresh off a four-game series against conference leaders Wayne State where they were swept. After being swept, the Beavers sit with a 8-17 overall record and hold a 5-10 conference record which places them 12th in the NSIC. 

The Mavs will likely be eager to play in front of a home crowd as Louis Magers describes the team being tough to beat at home.

“I’m pumped to start playing some home series,” says Magers. “We are right in the middle of the conference play right now and it’s always tough for teams to play us on our own turf. 

The Mavericks are one of the best fielding teams in the NSIC this year with 863 chances (second in Conference), 615 putouts (second in Conference) and 224 assists (third in conference). 

The Mavericks aren’t too far behind in batting with 206 runs so far (fourth in conference) and  lead the NSIC in walks (147). 

The Mavericks will look to Magers, Matt Fleischhacker and Aidan Byrne who all have all put up solid stats and performances for the Mavs thus far. 

Magers has had a good year pitching, averaging a 4.23 ERA, 1.41 walks and hits per innings pitched, and has allowed only 14 runs in 27.2 innings pitched with a 2-1 record. Magers has only impressed batting, leading the team in homeruns (6) along with 26 runs and 24 RBIS. 

Fleischhacker leads the Maverick in runs (32) and doubles (6) and averages a .280 batting average. 

Byrne has been one of the Mavericks best hitters this year leading the team in batting average (.355), hits (38) and RBIS (29). Byrne also has three home runs and 29 runs on the season. 

The Beavers haven’t been great on the road so far with a 3-7 away record and a 5-10 record at neutral sites. 

The Beavers will look to Ricky Apodaca, Grant Gabbert and Brian Parry to get it going for them offensively. Apodaca ranks third in Division ll batting average (.492) while leading the team in hits (32) and RBIS (22). 

Gabbert leads the Beavers in runs (23) and total bases (45). Gabbert also leads the team in homeruns with four and has 27 hits on the season. 

Parry leads the team in bases on balls with 12 and averages a .359 batting average (second on Beavers). Parry has 21 runs along with 23 hits so far this season. 

The Mavericks will play in double headers on Friday and Saturday in Mankato, Minnesota at Bowyer Field. Friday’s action is set for 1:30 p.m. while Saturday’s game is scheduled to start at noon. 

Header Photo: The Minnesota State baseball team currently hold a 15-10 overall record and an 11-4 conference record. (Courtesy Maverick Athletics)

Write to Ahmed Hassan at ahmed.hassan.4@mnsu.edu