CROOKSTON, Minn. – The University of Minnesota Crookston baseball program will open up a seven-game trip to Florida, on Sat., March 12 as part of the 2016 Extra Inning Youth Foundation Clearwater Invitational.

The Golden Eagles enter their Spring Break trip with a 3-5 mark after picking up their first four-game series win since 2003 last weekend against Dickinson State University. Minnesota Crookston has been led on the season by Colton Haight (Sr., C/OF, Rogers, Minn./Sports and Rec Management), who is hitting .450 with five runs scored and two RBI's. Haight also leads the team with a .560 on-base percentage.

In addition to Haight, Ethan Mushitz (So., IF, East Grand Forks, Minn./Criminal Justice) is off to a strong start with a .385 batting average with eight runs scored and five RBI's. Freshman Reed Hjelle (1B/OF, East Grand Forks, Minn./Sports and Rec Management) has made an immediate impact for the Golden Eagles, hitting .357 with five runs scored and seven RBI's and a .607 slugging percentage.

On the mound, UMC has looked to Jarad Nelson (Sr., RHP, Karlstad, Minn./Elementary Education), who has been outstanding with a 1-1 mark and a 1.20 ERA in 15.0 innings pitched with nine strikeouts and just one walk. Opponents are hitting just .259 against Nelson. Trevor Buttermore (Sr., RHP, North St. Paul, Minn./Criminal Justice) has also been off to a strong start, going 0-0 with a 5.56 ERA in 11.1 innings pitched with five strikeouts and no walks.

The Golden Eagles will open their trip Sat., March 12 at 10 a.m. C.T. against the University of Missouri-St. Louis. The game will be played at Frank Tack Park in Clearwater, Fla.

The Missouri-St. Louis Tritons are 5-1 on the season. Missouri-St. Louis is coming off a 25-17 mark overall on the 2015 season. The Tritons are hitting just .238 as a team on the 2016 season. They have been led by Justin Busekrus, who is hitting .500 with five runs scored, three doubles and four RBI's. Tanner Hudson has also had a strong start to the season with a .375 batting average, five runs scored, three doubles and one RBI.

Missouri-St. Louis' staff has been led by Kurt McGuire, a left-handed pitcher, who is 1-0 with a 0.77 ERA in 11.2 innings pitched. McGuire has held opponents to a .244 batting average.

Missouri-St. Louis has also looked to Zach Lindsay, a right-handed pitcher, who is 1-1 with a 2.25 ERA in 12 innings pitched.

The Golden Eagles will then take on Grand Valley State University Sun., March 13 at 11 p.m. C.T. at Jack Russell Stadium, the former Spring Training home of the Philadelphia Phillies.

The Lakers are 4-3 on the 2016 season. Grand Valley State went 34-18 on the 2016 season and won the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) Tournament and then went on to the NCAA Division II Tournament.

The Lakers are led at the plate by Joel Schipper, a left-handed bat, who is hitting .438 with three runs scored, two doubles and three RBI's, while Keith Browning is hitting .367 with six runs scored, two doubles, one home run and 10 RBI's.


On the mound, Grand Valley State has been led by Tim Tarter, a left-handed pitcher, who is 1-0 with a 1.74 ERA in 10.1 innings pitched. Opponents are hitting .263 against Tarter. In addition to Tarter, Troy Dykhuis, a right-handed pitcher, is 1-0 with a 3.46 ERA in 13 innings pitched.

UMC will continue their trip by playing Rockhurst University Mon., March 14 at 9 a.m. C.T. at Jack Russell Stadium in Clearwater, Fla. Rockhurst enters the week with a 4-4 mark on the season. The Hawks are led by David Stober, who is hitting .381 with six runs scored, two doubles, one home run and one RBI. In addition to Stober, Henry Weiler is hitting .286 with two runs scored and three RBI's.

On the mound, Rockhurst is led by Alex Merithew, a right-handed pitcher, who is 2-0 with a 1.06 ERA in 17 innings pitched. In addition to Merithew, Michael Lydon-Lorson, a right-handed pitcher, who is 1-1 with a 3.68 ERA in 14.2 innings pitched.

Tues., March 15 the Golden Eagles will held to Saint Leo University to face the Lions at 5 p.m. C.T. at Thomas B. Southard Stadium in St. Leo, Fla. The Lions are 11-7 on the season, having already played 18 games. Saint Leo has been led on the season by Mike Mann, who is hitting .519 with 14 runs scored, six doubles, one triple and 14 RBI's. In addition to Mann, Troy Sieber, who is hitting .390 with 24 runs scored, six doubles, two triples, two home runs and 13 RBI's.
The Lion pitching staff is led by left-handed pitcher Dylan Collett, who is 3-1 with a 2.90 ERA in 31.0 innings pitched with 23 strikeouts. Righty Zach Whitaker comes in with a 2-0 mark and a 3.30 ERA in 30 innings pitched with 24 strikeouts.

UMC will have Wednesday off before opening a three-game series with Bentley University. The Golden Eagles will play the Falcons Thursday, Friday and Saturday. The series will open Thurs., March 17 at 9 a.m. C.T. at Jack Russell Stadium. They will then face-off Fri., March 18 at 10 a.m. C.T. at Frank Tack Park. The series will conclude Sat., March 19 at 11 a.m. C.T. at Tack Park.
The Falcons are 4-5 on the 2016 season. Bentley is hitting .233 on the season. The Falcons are led at the plate by Justin Ashworth, who is hitting .412 with four runs scored, five doubles and five RBI's. In addition to Ashworth, Ryan O'Connor, a lefty bat who is hitting .314 with three runs scored and five RBI's.

On the mound, Bentley is led by righty Bill Sullivan, who is 1-0 with a 2.12 ERA in 17 innings pitched. Paul Frisoli, a right-handed pitcher who comes in with a 1-1 mark and a 4.50 ERA in 12 innings pitched.