CROOKSTON, Minn. – The 19^th-ranked University of Minnesota Crookston baseball team will wrap-up the 2021 regular-season Friday, May 7 and Saturday, May 8 at Minot State University. Friday's games will start at 1:30 and 3:30 p.m., while Saturday will commence at 12 p.m., at Corbett Field in Minot, N.D.

This weekend's games will help determine which team will host a best-of-three series in the first round of the NSIC Tournament. Minnesota Crookston is third in the NSIC with a 22-8 (17-8 NSIC) mark. Minot State is fifth in the NSIC with a 22-14 (20-11 NSIC) mark. The Golden Eagles can clinch a first round home series by winning at least 2-of-3 games against the Beavers. If Minnesota Crookston wins one game, and St. Cloud State loses two to Southwest Minnesota State University, UMN Crookston will still host as the No. 4 seed.

Minnesota Crookston at Minot State
Friday, May 7 – 1:30/3:30 p.m.
Corbett Field – Minot, N.D.
Live Stats - https://msubeavers.com/sidearmstats/baseball/summary
Video - https://nsicnetwork.com/msubeavers/

Saturday, May 8 – 12 p.m.
Live Stats - https://msubeavers.com/sidearmstats/baseball/summary
Video - https://nsicnetwork.com/msubeavers/

Minnesota Crookston has had their best season in program history in terms of win-percentage. The Golden Eagles are six games from tying their school-record of 28 wins set during the 2019 season. UMN Crookston has qualified for their fourth NSIC Tournament in the last six years. Minnesota Crookston was ranked in the top eight in the Central Region, as released earlier this week.

The Golden Eagles are hitting .277 on the season, with 259 runs scored, 58 doubles, 10 triples, a school-record 57 home runs, 227 RBIs, and 168 walks. Landyn Swenson (R-Sr., OF, Devils Lake, N.D.) leads the team batting .340 with 25 runs scored, five doubles, three triples, five home runs, and 26 RBIs. Swenson has a 1.037 OPS. Mason Ruhlman (R-Sr., 2B, Algonac, Mich.) is the reigning NSIC Player of the Week. He is hitting .333, with eight home runs, and 28 RBIs. Brock Reller (Sr., OF, Grand Forks, N.D.) is batting .325 with 31 runs scored, a NSIC high 13 home runs, and 39 RBIs. Will Zimmerman (R-Sr., OF, Park River, N.D.) is hitting .322 with 33 runs scored, and 26 RBIs. Reller is in need of just one home run to tie and two to break Reed Hjelle's home run record of 27 set from 2016-19.

The Golden Eagles are seventh in the nation for home runs per game. Zimmerman is 13^th in the nation for hits by pitch per game, while Reller is 13^th in the country for home runs per game. Zimmerman is 12^th nationally for runs per game.

Jake Dykhoff (Jr., RHP, Wadena, Minn.) is ninth nationally for complete games. He is 5-0 with a 2.87 ERA with four complete games. Dykhoff has 69 strikeouts and just 10 walks. Jake Osowski (R-Fr., RHP, East Grand Forks, Minn.) is 4-0 with a 4.21 ERA. Brody Sorenson (Fr., RHP, Grand Forks, N.D.) comes in with a 1-2 mark and a 3.38 ERA, with five saves.

The Golden Eagles have a 6.03 ERA on the season. They have 239 strikeouts and 128 walks.

Minot State Preview
Minot State comes in with a 22-14 (20-11 NSIC) mark. The Beavers won two games earlier this week over Bemidji State University. Minnesota Crookston has won the last two games in the series against Minot State.

The Beavers are hitting .272, with 249 runs scored, 50 doubles, 10 triples, 39 home runs, and 221 RBIs. Minot State is led by Kaiden Cardoso, who is hitting .296 with 35 runs scored, six home runs, and 24 RBIs. Jordan Williams is hitting .283 with 30 runs scored, eight home runs, and 30 RBIs.

Minot State's pitching staff comes in with a 5.24 ERA. The beavers are guided by Dominick Parkhurst, who is 3-0 with a 3.86 ERA. Parkhurst has 34 strikeouts, and just seven walks. R.J. Martinez is 3-2 with a 4.35 ERA in 41.1 innings pitched. Out of the bullpen, Aaron Kern is 1-1 with a 5.23 ERA, and eight saves. Jordan Chappell is 4-0 with a 0.96 ERA in 18.2 innings of work.