CROOKSTON, Minn.-  The University of Minnesota Crookston baseball team will host Wayne State College (Neb.) Sat., April 11 and Sun., April 12 at 1 and 3 p.m. at the UMC Baseball Field.

The Golden Eagles enter the weekend with an 8-24 (2-14 NSIC) record on the season. UMC is just two wins away from tying their mark for most wins in a season (10). Minnesota Crookston is hitting .290 as a team coming into the
weekend. The Golden Eagles are led by Jesse Jennings (Sr., OF, Robbinsdale, Minn./Criminal Justice), who is hitting .375 on the season. Jennings has 13 runs scored and 12 runs batted in (RBI's) on the year. Ryan Haggstrom (Jr., 1B/RHP, Apple Valley, Minn./Accounting) has had an impressive season for the Golden Eagles with a .350 average, 26 runs scored and 23 RBI's. Kenny Perez (Jr., DH/1B, Orlando, Fla./Health Science) has been an impact newcomer for the team with a .347 average, 18 runs scored, 11 doubles, four home runs and a team-leading 27 RBI's.

On the mound, UMC has looked to Nolan Wahlberg (Jr., RHP, Blaine, Minn./Criminal Justice), who leads the team with a 4-3 mark. Wahlberg has a 4.25 earned runs average (ERA) in 48.2 innings pitched. Jarad Nelson (Jr., RHP,
Karlstad, Minn./Education) has also been strong for UMC with a 2-2 mark and a 6.80 ERA in 42.1 innings pitched. Nelson pitched strong in four innings of relief Wednesday against Bemidji State, limiting the Beavers to no runs on two hits with two strikeouts. Out of the bullpen, Wyatt Huso (R-Fr., RHP, Eagan, Minn./Agricultural Systems Management) continues to be strong, with a 0-0 mark and a 3.27 ERA in 11 innings pitched.

Wayne State comes into Saturday with a 12-16 (7-9 NSIC) mark. The Wildcats have suffered eight-straight losses to Concordia University, St. Paul, St. Cloud State University and Winona State University. The Wildcats are hitting .266 as a team coming into the weekend. Nathan Ackerman is hitting .352 with a team-leading 25 runs scored, 10 doubles, 10 home runs and 33 RBI's. In addition to Ackerman, Michael Herman is hitting .320 with 15 runs scored and 19 RBI's.

On the mound, the Wildcats look to NSIC Preseason Pitcher of the Year Eric Browning, who is 1-4 with a 2.97 ERA in 33.1 innings pitched. Browning leads a strong staff that has a 4.68 ERA on the season. Dylan McGill has also been strong with a 4-0 mark and 3.71 ERA in 34 innings pitched, while Matt Schultz is 2-1 with a 4.82 ERA in 28 innings pitched.

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 a NCAA Division II university located in the Red River Valley of Northwest Minnesota. UMC sponsors 11 intercollegiate athletic teams with membership in the Northern Sun Intercollegiate conference (NSIC) and the Intercollegiate Horse Show Association (IHSA). The NSIC is a 16-team conference with schools situated in Minnesota, Iowa, North Dakota, South Dakota and Nebraska.