CROOKSTON, Minn. – The University of Minnesota Crookston baseball team will take on University of North Dakota Tues., April 26 at 4 p.m. in their final non-conference game of the season. The Golden Eagles will take on their first NCAA Division I team of the season at Kraft Memorial Field in Grand Forks, N.D. The game will mark the last time the two programs will meet as UND has announced elimination of their baseball program at the conclusion of the 2016 season.
Minnesota Crookston enters Tuesday with a 22-13 mark (15-6 NSIC) on the season. The Golden Eagles are in fourth place in the NSIC standings and are close to clinching their first-ever NSIC tournament berth. The Golden Eagles are coming off their first-ever four-game conference sweep over University of Mary. Minnesota Crookston is hitting .308 as a team on the season. The Golden Eagles are led by
Reed Hjelle (Fr., OF/1B, East Grand Forks, Minn.), who has had a great freshman season hitting .400 with 32 runs scored, 13 doubles, four home runs and 27 RBI's.
The Golden Eagles have also gotten strong performances at the plate from their senior class.
Ryan Haggstrom (Sr., 1B/RHP, Apple Valley, Minn.) will go down as one of the best to put on the Maroon and Gold uniform. Haggstrom holds almost every hitting record in the program's history. He is hitting .385 with 37 runs scored, nine doubles, three home runs and 30 RBI's.
Kenny Perez (Sr., DH/1B, Orlando, Fla.) has also had a great season. Perez is batting .385 with 21 runs scored, a team-high eight home runs and 39 RBI's.
On the bump, UMC has been led by
Nolan Wahlberg (Sr., RHP, Blaine, Minn.), who leads the conference with eight wins. Wahlberg is 8-1 with a 4.24 ERA in 68 innings pitched. His fellow senior,
Jarad Nelson (RHP, Karlstad, Minn.) is 5-1 with a 4.29 ERA in 50.1 innings pitched.
The Fighting Hawks are 6-24 on the season and 3-12 in WAC play. UND has been led on the year by Miles Lewis, who is batting .364 with 15 runs scored and 13 RBI's.
On the mound, North Dakota looks to Zach Muckenhim, who is 2-6 with a 3.06 ERA in 64.2 innings pitched, while Brett DeGagne is 1-6 with a 4.53 ERA in 49.2 innings pitched.
