Mavericks back on the road to face Bemidji State

The Minnesota State men’s baseball team is back on the road again. The Mavericks travel to Bemidji to face the Bemidji State Beavers in a three game series. 

The Mavericks currently sit third in the conference with a 20-11 overall record and a 16-5 conference record currently on a three-game win streak. 

The Beavers currently hold a 1-30 overall record and a 0-20 conference record placing them last in the conference. 

The Mavericks are coming off a 3-1 series win against Minot State overcoming adversity losing the first game coming back to win the next three while also coming back from a large deficit in game three winning 14-12. 

The Maverick pitching staff went 3-1 with a 6.43 ERA where they averaged .347 batting average against Minot State. The Mavericks outscored Minot State 46-27 along with walking 23 times and wearing nine HBPs. 

After their performances last weekend, the Mavs lead the conference in walks (170), HBPs (54) and sacrifice flies (17). The Mavs also sit second in on base percentage (.428) and runs (252), while sitting in third in RBIs (221). 

The Mavs also swept Winona State Wednesday in a two game series winning 6-3 in game one and dominating in game two winning 11-1. 

The Mavericks will look to Louis Magers, Aidan Byrne and Ryan Wickman to lead the way against the Beavers. 

Magers has had an impressive season so far leading the team in homeruns with seven while averaging a .274 batting average with 27 runs so far off of 23 hits. Magers also has a 4.55 ERA and is 2-1 so far this season on the mound. 

Byrne leads the Mavs in hits (53), RBIs (35) and TBs (76). Byrne holds a .402 batting average and is second on the team in runs with 37. 

Wickman has been dominant so far this season having a great game against Minot State  collecting two steals in the series bringing his season total to 17 stolen bases tied fifth all time in steals in MSU history with 48 career bags. 

Wickman has 35 runs off of 38 hits so far this season holding a .328 batting average. Wickman is second on the team in RBIs (29) and homeruns (6). 

The Beavers have had a season to forget only managing one win so far this season currently on a 20-game losing streak. 

The Beavers were swept in four games at University of Sioux Falls this past weekend. The Beavers will play its first home series of the season against the Mavericks. 

The Beavers will look to Zach Evenson, Jack Munson and Derek Hoffman to lead the way. 

Evenson leads the team in RBIs (11) and homeruns (4) while holding a .272 batting average with 22 hits so far on the season. 

Munson has a team high 26 hits holding a .257 batting average while driving in nine runs so far on the season. 

Hoffman leads the Beaver pitching staff and has a 13.66 ERA with 28.1 innings pitched and is coming off the best start of his career pitching in a career-high six innings and allowed just three runs off six hits and struck out three.

The Mavericks travel to Bemidji to play the Beavers in a three game series starting Saturday at 1:30 p.m. 

Photo caption: The Mavericks are set to take on Bemidji State Saturday at 1:30 p.m. The Mavericks are ranked third in the conference. (Courtesy Maverick Athletics)

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