CROOKSTON, Minn.- The University of Minnesota, Crookston baseball team will open up the 2013 campaign this weekend at the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference (NSIC) Metrodome Classic. The Golden Eagles will open up play Fri., Feb. 15 with a doubleheader commencing at 6 a.m. against Upper Iowa University at the Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome in Minneapolis, Minn. UMC will face University of Mary Sat., Feb. 16 at 10:45 a.m.
 
The Golden Eagles are coming off a 10-36 (4-28 NSIC) record last year which saw the team make a major turnaround improving their win total by 10 wins from the previous season. UMC's 10-win season included victories over University of Minnesota Duluth and Augustana College. The Golden Eagles will be led by NSIC Players to Watch Josh Brehmer (Jr., SS/2B, Roseville, Minn.) and Matt Korte (Jr., P/IF/OF, St. Cloud, Minn.). Brehmer and Korte were team's two leaders in batting average a season ago as Brehmer hit .346 with 17 runs scored and 18 runs batted in. Korte batted .317 on the season with six runs scored and four RBI's. In addition, Korte is the returnee who started the most games last season (8). Korte was 2-6 with a 7.30 earned runs average last season. In addition to Brehmer and Korte, the Golden Eagles return five pitchers who appeared in more than 25 innings and four players that started 20 or more games in the field.
 
Upper Iowa University posted a 20-30 mark (16-19 NSIC) last season. The Peacocks are under the leadership on long-time head coach Mark Danker, who is in his 24^th year as the head of the UIU program. Upper Iowa is led at the plate by junior outfielder Tyler Adams, an America Baseball Coaches Association and Rawlings First Team All-Central Region First Team pick in 2012. Adams hit .410 with 43 runs scored and 28 RBI's as a sophomore. The Peacocks will be young on the mound this season as Rory Kolo, who pitched 22.2 innings with 0-4 8.74 ERA is the lone starting pitcher returning. A pair of relievers from last season in Miguel Helguera, 0-1 with a 8.00 ERA, and  Mitch Luebbe, 2-1 5.79 ERA, also return to the fray.
 
The University of Mary went 9-41 (8-28 NSIC) during the 2012 season. The Marauders are in their second season under Joel Barta. The U-Mary head coach used to be head coach at Ridgewater College in Willmar, Minn., where he used to coach current UMC player Jordan Prill (Sr., 1B/OF/P, Melrose, Minn.) and former Golden Eagle and current UMC assistant coach Mitch Allore. U-Mary is led at the plate by catcher/third baseman James Carroll, who hit .320 with 20 runs scored and 17 runs batted in a season ago. The Marauders will be led on the mound by Kyal Williams, who was 2-5 with a 5.44 ERA in six starts and 46.1 innings pitched last season.
 
The Metrodome has been a staple of the Twin Cities sports community since 1982 and is the current home of the National Football League's (NFL) Minnesota Vikings. The Minnesota Twins played at the Metrodome until moving to Target Field in 2010. The Metrodome is scheduled to be demolished and replaced in the same location by a new Vikings stadium by 2016. The facility annually hosts a plethora of college and high school baseball games for teams located around the Upper Midwest region.
 
For more information, visit the Golden Eagle Athletics Web site at www.goldeneaglesports.com.

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The University of Minnesota, Crookston is an NCAA Division II Institution and a member of the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference (NSIC). The Golden Eagle Equestrian team is a member of the Intercollegiate Horse Show Association (IHSA).