Video interviews with Coach Vito, Josh Brehmer, Ryan Paasch and Matt Korte

CROOKSTON, Minn. - The University of Minnesota Crookston will officially lift the lid on the 2014 season as they take on Missouri Southern State University this weekend in Joplin, Mo. The Golden Eagles and the Lions will open up the four-game series Sat., Feb. 15 with games at 1 and 3 p.m. at Joe Becker Stadium, which has played host to the likes of Stan Musial and Mickey Mantle in over 100 years of operation. The Golden Eagles will finish off their series with the Lions Sun., Feb. 16 at 12 and 2 p.m. The first games of each day will be seven-inning games with the second games being nine-inning games.

Head Coach Chris Vito actually got his first win of his head coaching career at Joe Becker Stadium when beating Northern State University while with the University of Wisconsin-Superior.

Missouri Southern was picked fourth in the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletic Association (MIAA). The games against UMC will also open up the 2014 slate for the Lions. Missouri Southern went 34-22 overall (23-16 MIAA) during the 2013 season. The Lions lost several of their top hitters as they return just one starter to the fray. Senior infielder Tee Helsel is the only starter returning, after hitting .294 with 33 runs scored, 10 doubles, five home runs and 34 RBI's.

On the mound, Missouri Southern returns senior right handers Ryan Bates and Drew Noble, who were two of their top starters from a season ago. Bates was 8-3 with a 3.88 Earned Runs Average (ERA) in 72 innings last year. Noble had a 7-4 mark with a 4.70 ERA in 76.2 innings pitched a season ago.

Golden Eagle Season Preview
The University of Minnesota Crookston returns 14 letterwinners from last season's team that went 1-42 (1-28 NSIC). The Golden Eagles, loaded with a very experienced squad led by nine seniors. Leading the way for the Golden Eagles are three players who have spent the last four years in the program in Josh Brehmer (2B/SS, Roseville, Minn.), Ryan Paasch (RHP, Sauk Rapids, Minn.) and Matt Korte (P/3B/OF, St. Cloud, Minn.).

Coaching
The 2014 season will be the seventh season with Chris Vito leading the ship. Vito will be assisted in 2014 by Mitch Allore, Aaron Motl and P.J. Zwach. Allore enters his second season with the team, after ending his playing career following the 2012 season. He was a volunteer assistant last season but will be with the team as their lead assistant in 2014 after earning his degree last Spring. Allore's primary responsibility will be the team's pitchers. Also helping out for the Golden Eagles, will be volunteer catching instructor Aaron Motl and volunteer assistant coach P.J. Zwach, two other former Golden Eagles will help up Vito. Motl has been with the team for all of Vito's seven seasons, while Zwach will help out Minnesota Crookston for the first time after finishing up his playing career in 2012.

Catching
Leading the way behind the plate will be returning starter Colton Haight (So., Rogers, Minn.). Haight was a bulldog behind the plate for the Golden Eagles as a freshman, appearing in 37 games, mostly at catcher. Haight batted .177 last season with 17 hits but will look to improve as a sophomore. Also providing depth behind Haight will be Jeremiah Friday (Sr., Rush City, Minn.) and Ryan Haggstrom (So., Apple Valley, Minn.). Zach Frazier (R-Fr., Grand Rapids, Minn.) will be a player to provide depth in practice but will redshirt in 2014.

Infield
The Golden Eagles return a lot of experience in the infield led by the sure-handed glove of Josh Brehmer (SS/2B, Roseville, Minn.). Brehmer had a .972 fielding percentage with just five errors while playing second base last season for UMC. Brehmer will see most of his time at short stop as a senior. The all-time hits leader for the Golden Eagles, hit .287 to lead the way for Minnesota Crookston last season with nine runs scored, 41 hits and eight RBI's. Also returning is senior Tony Madsen (Mounds View, Minn.) who will see most of his time at second base this season, but also can play short stop. Madsen started 39 games last season and had 17 hits with six runs scored. At third base, the Golden Eagles will look to Matt Korte (St. Cloud, Minn.), who hit .254 with 11 runs, six doubles and five RBI's in 39 games started last season. When Korte is pitching, the Golden Eagles will look to junior college transfer Rob Smothers (3B, Waconia, Minn.). At first base, Minnesota Crookston will look to Ryan Haggstrom (So., Apple Valley, Minn.), who played mostly in the outfield as a freshman, with a .218 batting average and seven runs scored. They will also look to Friday, who appeared in 21 games last season with five runs scored. Brandon Kresl (Fr., Crookston, Minn.), a home grown Crookston product, will provide depth at first base for the Golden Eagles.

Outfield
Minnesota Crookston will look to returning starter Jesse Jennings (Jr., Robbinsdale, Minn.). In addition, the Golden Eagles will rely on newcomer Patrick Higgins (Fr., Eagan, Minn.), along with Marcus Campbell (So., OF/P, St. Croix Falls, Wis.), who played mostly as a pitcher last season, and junior college transfer Travis Magdzas (Jr., OF, Duluth, Minn.). In addition, Korte, Haggstrom and Matt Benge (Sr., OF, Lakeville, Minn.) will provide depth in the outfield for the Golden Eagles.

Pitchers
The Golden Eagles return two of their primary starters from last season's squad in Matt Korte (Sr., St. Cloud, Minn.) and Jon Mittag (Sr., Glenville, Minn.). Korte led the team with 42.2 innings pitched last season with 29 strikeouts and the team's lone win. Mittag started nine games with 38.0 innings pitched and 18 strikeouts for the Golden Eagles. In addition, UMC returns Richie Navratil (Sr., Blansko, Czech Republic) who started five games last season and had 28.1 innings pitched and will be looked to as one of the starters for the 2014 season. In addition, Trevor Buttermore (So., North St. Paul, Minn.), who appeared in 22 innings last season returns, as does Thane Larson (Sr., Grantsburg, Wis.) who appeared with 21.0 innings pitched. All five players will be key cogs in the UMC staff.

Their top reliever should continue to be Ryan Paasch (Sr., Sauk Rapids, Minn.), who could also move into a starting role when necessary. Paasch missed most of fall ball with an injury but should be back in time for the team's games in Florida. He is the all-time leader in appearances for UMC. Paasch had 26.1 innings pitched last season.

In addition, the Golden Eagles have newcomers Cody Pamperin (Fr., Shakopee, Minn.) and Cayden Barta (Fr., Fargo, N.D.) in their stable of pitchers. Ryan Haggstrom (So., Apple Valley, Minn.) and Marcus Campbell (So., St. Croix Falls, Wis.) are also viable arms for Minnesota Crookston. Freshman Wyatt Huso (R-Fr., Eagan, Minn.) will have to redshirt due to injury but is expected to be an impact player down the line.


Non-Conference Schedule
The Golden Eagles will open up the non-conference slate with seven games in the state of Missouri with four against Missouri Southern and three versus University of Missouri-St. Louis. Both teams will provide great competition for Minnesota Crookston in non-conference play. Missouri-St. Louis, who went 28-19 overall and 22-10 in the Great Lakes Valley Conference last season, will also provide a good test for UMC Feb. 28, March 1 and March 2.

Minnesota Crookston will then head to Florida, for their yearly trip to the Sunshine State, from March 14-18,  again attending the Winning Inning Invitational with most of their games being played at Jack Russell Stadium, the former Spring Training home of the Philadelphia Phillies. The Golden Eagles will face Hillsdale College, West Chester University, Slippery Rock University and Lock Haven University during the trip. UMC will finish up their Florida excursion against Johnson University, formerly known as Florida Christian, who UMC played last season.

The Golden Eagles will also play two games in the middle of their conference slate against non-conference foes as they battle NCAA Division I foe University of North Dakota April 2 in Grand Forks, N.D. and NCAA Division III foe Concordia University Moorhead March 25 in Moorhead, Minn.

Conference Slate
UMC will open up play in one of NCAA Division II's top conferences March 22 and 23 as they head to University of Sioux Falls. The NSIC has had the NCAA Division II runner-ups in two of the last three years with Minnesota State University, Mankato last season and Winona State University in 2011. The Golden Eagles will spend the first 12 games of the conference season on the road with trips to Augustana College and Northern State University, in addition to Sioux Falls.

The Golden Eagles will then open up their home slate which this year features some of the top teams in the NSIC. Minnesota Crookston will open things up at the UMC Baseball Field April 9 against St. Cloud State University, and then will host Minnesota State April 12 and 13, Concordia University, St. Paul April 15 and Wayne State College (Neb.) April 17 and 18.

The Golden Eagles will have a mid-week two-gamer against Bemidji State University April 23 on the road in Bemidji, Minn., before returning home against Southwest Minnesota State University April 26 and 27. They will play their final road series on the road at Minot State University April 30 before wrapping up the season at home against University of Minnesota Duluth May 2 and 3.

For more information, visit the Golden Eagle Athletics website at www.goldeneaglesports.com.

Follow the Golden Eagles on Facebook at Golden Eagle Sports and on Twitter at @UMCAthletics.

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).