CROOKSTON, Minn. – The University of Minnesota Crookston baseball team is set to host their first home series of the 2022 season Sunday, April 3 at 1:30 and 3:30 p.m., and Monday, April 4 at 12 p.m. at the UMN Crookston Baseball Field. The three-game series against No. 17 Augustana University marks the home openers for the Golden Eagles for the 2022 campaign.

The Golden Eagles come into the weekend with a 12-15 (4-4 NSIC) record. UMN Crookston is currently in a tie for ninth place in the NSIC Standings. Augustana is 19-4-1 (9-1 NSIC) entering the weekend. The Vikings are at the top of the table in the NSIC. The Golden Eagles have won three of their past five games. The Vikings won the last meeting between the two in the NSIC Tournament May 20, 2021. The two teams split the regular-season series in 2021, including a 9-5 victory for Minnesota Crookston.

No. 17 Augustana at Minnesota Crookston
Sunday, April 3 – 1:30/3:30 p.m.
UMN Crookston Baseball Field, Crookston, Minn.
Live Stats - https://goldeneaglesports.com/sidearmstats/baseball/summary
Video - https://nsicnetwork.com/goldeneaglesports/
Monday, April 4 – 12 p.m.
UMN Crookston Baseball Field, Crookston, Minn.
Live Stats - https://goldeneaglesports.com/sidearmstats/baseball/summary
Video - https://nsicnetwork.com/goldeneaglesports/

Minnesota Crookston Preview
Projected Starters
R-Sr. C/3B 29 Ben Thoma, .267, 32 R, 6 2B, 2 3B, 10 HR, 29 RBI
or Sr. C 41 Sunny Resnick, .111, 2 R, 3 RBI
Sr. 1B 3 Jack Peppel, .204, 8 R, 2 2B, 2 RBI
R-Sr. 2B 13 Tyler Jochen, .220, 12 R, 1 2B, 1 3B, 2 HR, 6 RBI
R-So. 3B/LF 8 Jake Hjelle, .324, 27 R, 5 2B, 1 3B, 7 HR, 27 RBI
R-So. SS 10 Mitch Goodwin, .215, 13 R, 8 2B, 11 RBI
Jr. LF/DH 4 Zeke Hass, .250, 13 R, 10 2B, 1 HR, 17 RBI
R-Sr. CF 16 Brad Morris, .314, 20 R, 7 2B, 9 RBI
R-So. RF 23 Ben Goelz, .315, 7 R, 4 2B, 15 RBI
Jr. DH 14 Matt Nunn, .289, 8 R, 3 2B, 12 RBI
Top Pitchers
R-Jr. RHP 33 Jake Dykhoff, 5-2 1.51 ERA, 41.2 IP, 50 K, 8 BB
R-So. RHP 24 Jake Osowki, 3-0 1.57 ERA, 34.1 IP, 30 K, 8 BB
So. LHP 37 Alex Koep, 2-2 3.12 ERA, 34.2 IP, 56 K, 11 BB
R-Jr. RHP 17 Conner Richardson, 1-3 5.60 ERA, 27.1 IP, 20 K, 15 BB
R-Jr. RHP 30 Jackson Schneider, 0-0 4.50 ERA, 6.0 IP, 4 K, 5 BB
Jr. RHP 19 Jakob Wiirre, 0-0 7.36 ERA, 7.1 IP, 7 K, 4 BB
Fr. RHP 42 Isaac Roers, 0-2 7.56 ERA, 8.1 IP, 8 K, 10 BB

The Golden Eagles are hitting .251 as a team coming into the weekend. Jake Hjelle (R-So., 3B/OF, East Grand Forks, Minn.) has been the anchor of the line-up, hitting .324, with 27 runs scored, seven home runs, and 27 RBIs. Ben Thoma (R-Sr., C/3B, Clearbrook, Minn.) has had a great senior season. Thoma is batting .267, with a league-high 10 home runs, and 31 RBIs. Brad Morris (R-Sr., OF, Auckland, New Zealand) is batting .314, with 20 runs scored, seven doubles, and nine RBIs. Ben Goelz (R-So., OF, Maple Lake, Minn.) comes in hitting .315, with seven runs scored, four doubles, and 15 RBIs. Matt Nunn (Jr., C, Edina, Minn.) is batting .289, with nine runs scored, three doubles, and 12 RBIs.

On the bump, UMN Crookston has been guided by Jake Dykhoff (R-Jr., RHP, Wadena, Minn.), who is 5-2 with a 1.51 ERA in 41.2 innings pitched, with 50 strikeouts, and just eight walks. Jake Osowski (R-So., East Grand Forks, Minn.) comes in with a 3-0 record, and a 1.57 ERA, in 34.1 innings pitched. Alex Koep (So., LHP, Parkers Prairie, Minn.) is 2-2, with a 3.12 ERA, with a league-high 56 strikeouts. Conner Richardson (R-Jr., RHP, Grand Forks, N.D.) is 1-3, with a 5.60 ERA.


Augustana
Projected Starters
Sr. C 9 Will Olson, .408, 17 R, 5 2B, 4 HR, 25 RBI
So. 1B/LF 4 Max Mosser, .345, 6 R, 2 2B, 1 3B, 2 RBI
Sr. 2B 2 J.T. Mix, .292, 15 R, 2 2B, 1 3B, 12 RBI
Sr. 3B 1 Jordan Barth, .359, 21 R, 4 2B, 1 3B, 3 HR, 15 RBI
So. SS 23 Jack Hines, .310, 21 R, 2 2B, 2 HR, 7 RBI
Fr. LF 16 Trevor Winterstein, .255, 4 R, 2 2B, 1 HR, 7 RBI
Jr. CF 3 Carter Howell, .434, 31 R, 4 2B, 1 3B, 6 HR, 31 RBI
Sr. RF 13 Jaxon Rosencranz, .233, 16 R, 4 2B, 5 HR, 15 RBI
So. DH/1B 14 Drey Dirksen, .317, 13 R, 1 2B, 8 HR, 21 RBI
or Jr. DH 25 Tony Lanier, .357, 12 R, 1 2B, 2 HR, 9 RBI

Top Pitchers
Sr. LHP 20 Tanner Brown, 3-0 1.72 ERA, 31.1 IP, 43 K, 4 BB
So. RHP 48 Caleb Saari, 2-0 1.80 ERA, 25.0 IP, 36 K, 3 BB
Jr. RHP 37 Ryan Jares, 2-1 3.42 ERA, 26.1 IP, 32 K, 7 BB
Jr. RHP 25 Tony Lanier, 2-0 1.46 ERA, 12.1 IP, 22 K, 5 BB
Fr. RHP 40 Adam Diedrich, 2-0 1.80 ERA, 10.0 IP, 16 K, 4 BB, 2 saves
Jr. RHP 28 Seth Miller, 3-0 2.45 ERA, 14.2 IP, 2 saves, 12 K, 2 BB


Augustana comes into the weekend hitting .321 as a squad. Carter Howell leads the Vikings hitting .434, with 31 runs scored, four doubles, one triple, six home runs, and 31 RBIs. Will Olson enters the weekend batting .408, with 17 runs scored, five doubles, four home runs, and 25 RBIs. Jordan Barth comes into the weekend with a .359 batting average, 21 runs scored, four doubles, one triple, three home runs, and 15 RBIs.

The Vikings come into the weekend with a 3.40 ERA as a team. Lefty Tanner Brown leads the way with a 3-0 mark, and a 1.72 ERA in 31.1 innings pitched. He has struck out 43, and walked just four. Caleb Saari is 2-0, with a 1.80 ERA in 25.0 innings pitched. Ryan Jares is 2-1, with a 3.42 ERA, in 26.1 innings pitched. Out of the bullpen, Adam Diedrich, Seth Miller, and Evan Furst each have two saves apiece for Augustana.