FORT SCOTT, Kan. – The University of Minnesota Crookston baseball team opened the 2021 season with a commanding 23-6 win over Bemidji State University Saturday, March 6 at Dave Regan Stadium at the LaRoche Baseball Complex. The Golden Eagles picked up home runs from Landyn Swenson (R-Sr., OF, Devils Lake, N.D.), Brock Reller (R-Jr., OF, Grand Forks, N.D.), T.J. Hokanson (R-Jr., 3B, Chanhassen, Minn.), and Trey Larimer (R-Fr., C/OF, Thompson, N.D.) in the dominant win over their NSIC rivals Saturday.

The Golden Eagles move to 1-0 with the win, while Bemidji State falls to 0-1. Saturday's game was a non-conference tilt between the two NSIC foes.

UMN Crookston was guided by Swenson, who went 4-of-5 with five RBIS and two runs scored. Scott Finberg (R-Sr., 3B, Stillwater, Minn.) finished 2-of-5 with three RBIs and a run scored. Mason Ruhlman (R-Sr., 2B, Algonac, Mich.) was 2-of-3 with four runs scored. Will Zimmerman (R-Sr., UT, Park River, N.D.) finished the day 3-of-5 with three runs scored, while Bobby Chu (R-Sr., C, Redwood City, Calif.) was 2-of-3 with two RBIs and two runs scored. Minnesota Crookston had 21 hits for the game.

Bemidji State was guided by Logan Barrick, who went 3-of-5 with two RBIs and a run scored.

Jayden Grover (R-Sr., RHP, Cooperstown, N.D.), the program's all-time strikeout leader and UMN Crookston's NSIC Pitcher to Watch, got the ball in the first game as he went 4.2 innings and allowed two earned runs on the day. Grover finished with six strikeouts and just three walks In the quality start. Joey Greco (Jr., RHP, Half Moon Bay, Calif.) got the win in relief as he allowed just two runs on two hits in 2.1 innings of work. Raudel Wilson (Fr., RHP, Hercules, Calif.) got his first collegiate appearance, allowing just one run on one hit in one inning. Jake Osowski (R-Fr., RHP, East Grand Forks, Minn.) also made his collegiate debut, pitching a scoreless ninth inning.

Will Lavin suffered the loss for the Beavers after giving up four earned runs on one hit with five walks allowed in 0.1 innings of work. Grant Hartmann allowed three runs on seven hits, while Levi Arnold gave up four runs on four hits, and Hunter Lake allowed seven runs on six hits.

Bemidji State got on the scoreboard first when Noah Boser came in to score on a wild pitch to put the Beavers ahead 1-0.

The Golden Eagles countered as they had a big bottom of the first with five runs. UMN Crookston loaded up the bases as Will Lavin walked the bases full of Golden Eagles. Ben Bryant (R-So., SS, Fargo, N.D.) came in to score the first run of the game on a wild pitch. The lead moved to 2-0 as Reller reached on an error, allowing Zimmerman to score. Ruhlman and Reller came home on a double from Finberg to push the lead to 4-1. The Golden Eagles extended their lead to 5-1 as Finberg came in on a balk by Lavin with the bases loaded.

Bemidji State trimmed the lead to 5-2 as Jacob Carlson walked with the bases loaded, allowing Barrick to score. Later in the inning, Boser reached on a fielder's choice bringing in Brendan Paul to trim the deficit to 5-3.

UMN Crookston extended their lead to 6-3 in the second when Finberg singled to plate Ruhlman.

The Golden Eagles moved their lead to 7-3 in the bottom of the third as Swenson blasted a solo home run for UMN Crookston.

Minnesota Crookston pushed their advantage to 8-3 as Chu scored on a Bryant groundout.

The Golden Eagles scored four runs in the bottom of the sixth. Ruhlman led off the inning with a triple. He came to the dish on a Reller sacrifice fly. Later in the frame, a Swenson bases-clearing double brought in Jake Hjelle (R-Fr., 1B, East Grand Forks, Minn.), Chu, and Eli Jung (R-Jr., OF, Dickinson, N.D.) to widen the gap to 12-3.

Bemidji State trimmed the lead to 12-5 as Barrick drove in Logan Kalberer and Parker Borg in the top of seventh.

In UMN Crookston's half of the seventh, Zimmerman led off the scoring by coming in on a passed ball. Later in the frame, Chu hit a two RBI single to plate Hjelle and Ruhlman. Swenson rounded out the scoring for Minnesota Crookston to drive in Matthew Thielen (Fr., IF, Wheaton, Minn.) to push the advantage to 16-5.
The Beavers cut the lead to 16-6 in the eighth with an Owen Anderson solo shot.

Minnesota Crookston extended the lead to 17-6 as Zimmerman scored on a Tyler Jochen (R-Jr., 2B/SS, San Jose, Calif.) groundout. Later in the frame, UMN Crookston hit three home runs with solo shots from Reller and Hokanson, followed by a Larimer two-run shot to plate Jack Peppel (R-Fr., 1B, Olivia, Minn.). The home runs from Hokanson and Larimer were the first of their careers. Parker Stroh (R-Fr., C, Grand Forks, N.D.) rounded out the scoring with a two RBI single to drive in Swenson and Chad Musser (R-Jr., OF, Plymouth, Minn.).

Minnesota Crookston will look to build on their strong start as they take on St. Cloud State University Sunday, March 7 at 3 p.m. at Dave Regan Stadium in Fort Scott, Kan.