CROOKSTON, Minn. – The University of Minnesota Crookston baseball team opens up the 2021 season with four games at the LaRoche Baseball Complex in Fort Scott, Kan. The Golden Eagles will play non-conference games against Bemidji State University Saturday, March 6 at 2 p.m. UMN Crookston will then take on St. Cloud State University Sunday, March 7 at 3 p.m. The Golden Eagles will play another game against St. Cloud State Monday, March 8 at 11:30 a.m. UMN Crookston will wrap up their trip to the Sunflower State Wednesday, March 10 at 11:30 a.m. Fans will be allowed at LaRoche Baseball Complex, named after Fort Scott-native Adam LaRoche, who played in the MLB for the Atlanta Braves, Pittsburgh Pirates, Boston Red Sox, Arizona Diamondbacks, and Washington Nationals.

The Golden Eagles are looking to start off the season on a strong note with their four non-conference games. UMN Crookston is looking to build off an 8-5 start to the 2020 season before the season was canceled due to COVID-19. The Golden Eagles have been a program on the rise during Head Coach Steve Gust's previous six seasons at the helm. UMN Crookston has been to three NSIC Tournaments and they have won 123 games in six seasons after winning just two games the previous two seasons before Gust's arrival.

UMN Crookston was picked seventh in the NSIC Preseason Coaches' Poll for their best preseason placing in program history. The Golden Eagles have a strong core returning to the fray as they return nine players who started five or more games in 2020. UMN Crookston hit .324 in the shortened season in 2020 with 101 runs scored, 22 doubles, seven triples, 18 home runs, and 89 RBIs. UMN Crookston is led by NSIC Player to Watch Brock Reller (Jr., OF, Grand Forks, N.D.), who hit .360 with 15 runs scored, two doubles, four triples, five home runs, and 17 RBIs. The Golden Eagles also return Scott Finberg (R-Sr., 3B, Stillwater, Minn.), who is back for a fifth season. Finberg hit a team-high. 383 in 2020 with 14 runs scored, three doubles, five home runs, and 15 RBIs. Mason Ruhlman (R-Sr., 2B, Algonac, Mich.) also returns after hitting .360 with 11 runs scored, two doubles, two home runs, and 13 RBIs. Ben Bryant (R-So., SS/2B, Fargo, N.D.) is back after hitting .353 with 10 runs scored and six RBIs. Jake Hjelle (R-Fr., 1B, East Grand Forks, Minn.) returns after batting .286 last season. Will Zimmerman (R-Sr., OF/IF, Park River, N.D.) also returns after hitting .294 in five games in 2020. Behind the dish, Bobby Chu (R-Sr., C, Redwood City, Calif.) returns after missing last season due to injury.

On the mound, UMN Crookston is paced by one of the best pitchers in program history, Jayden Grover (R-Sr., RHP, Cooperstown, N.D.). Grover is the program's all-time strikeout leader. He went 2-1 in 2020 with a 3.86 ERA with 26 strikeouts to just seven walks. Conner Richardson (R-So., RHP, Grand Forks, N.D.) also returns after going 3-0 in 2020 with a 2.57 ERA with seven strikeouts. Matt Nelson (R-So., RHP, Afton, Minn.) also returns after going 1-0 with a 1.98 ERA with 19 strikeouts last season. In the bullpen, UMN Crookston returns Tyler Hegg (R-So., Thompson, N.D.), who was 1-0 with a 0.00 ERA in 2020 with eight strikeouts. Garrett Hohn (R-Sr., RHP, Wausau, Wis.) returns after posting a 0.00 ERA in 2020 with six strikeouts. The Golden Eagles also bring in several newcomers who will look to make an impact including junior college transfers Joey Greco (Jr., RHP, Half Moon Bay, Calif.),  Jackson Schneider (Jr., RHP, Forest Lake, Minn.), and Jake Dykhoff (Jr., RHP, Wadena, Minn.).

Bemidji State
Bemidji State went 2-10 in the shortened 2020 season. The Beavers are in their 16^th season under Head Coach Tim Bellew. The Beavers are led by Noah Boser, who hit .409 last season with 11 runs scored and four RBIs. Isaiah Grancorvitz also returns after batting .298 in 2020 with eight runs scored and eight RBIs. The Beavers return six players who started more than five games in 2020. Sam Kelberer is also back after hitting .276 last season with eight RBIs.

On the bump, Hunter Lake was named the team's NSIC Pitcher to Watch. Lake will make his debut on the mound in 2021. Levi Arnold also returns after posting a 7.71 ERA in 9.1 innings pitched with three strikeouts. Kenny Morris is also back after posting a 7.00 ERA in 9.0 innings pitched with nine strikeouts. The Beavers posted an 8.52 ERA in 2020 with 72 strikeouts and 40 walks.

St. Cloud State
St. Cloud State University went 9-5 during the shortened 2020 season. The Huskies were picked third in the 2021 NSIC Preseason Coaches' Poll. St. Cloud State returns Lenny Walker, who hit .317 in 2020 with seven runs scored, four doubles, and four RBIs. Jake Shusterich also returns after batting .250 with nine runs scored, four home runs, and 14 RBIs. John Nett is back after batting .357 in eight games with seven runs scored and three RBIs. Matt Quade also returns after hitting .244 in 2020. The Huskies return six players who started seven or more games last season. St. Cloud State hit .233 last season with 76 runs scored, 22 doubles, one triple, nine home runs, and 65 RBIs.

On the mound, the Huskies are led by Matt Osterberg. He went 1-1 in 2020 with a 2.85 ERA with 24 strikeouts and just six walks. Riley Ahern also is back after going 1-0 with a 4.30 ERA with 19 strikeouts and just three walks. Shannon Ahern also returns for the Huskies after going 3-0 with a 2.63 ERA with 15 strikeouts and just four walks. St. Cloud State posted a 5.02 ERA in 2020 with 129 strikeouts and 50 walks.

The Huskies are in their 14^th season under Head Coach Pat Dolan in 2021.