WINTER HAVEN, Fla. – The University of Minnesota Crookston baseball team opened play at the 2023 RussMatt Central Florida Invitational with a 9-3 win over West Virginia Wesleyan College. The Golden Eagles opened play at the Chain O' Lakes Complex in Winter Haven, Fla.

Minnesota Crookston improved to 4-5 with the victory over the Bobcats. West Virginia Wesleyan dropped to 1-4 with Saturday's loss.

Jake Dykhoff (R-Sr., RHP, Wadena, Minn.) had a strong start on the hill, earning his first win of 2023. Jake Dykhoff went seven innings in the shutout victory. He allowed just two hits, striking out 10, and walking just one. Isaac Wensloff (Fr., RHP, Roseau, Minn.) had a quality outing in relief, throwing 1.1 innings of scoreless baseball. He struck out one and allowed one hit.

At the plate, UMN Crookston tallied 14 hits lifted by two home runs from Mike Hallquist (Jr., 3B, Fargo, N.D.). Hallquist was 2-of-3 with two runs scored, and four RBIs. Sawyer Satrom (R-Fr., IF, Portland, N.D.) finished 3-of-4 with two RBIs, and a run scored. Ben Goelz (Jr., OF, Maple Lake, Minn.) was 3-of-4 with a run scored. Danny Wensloff (Jr., C/OF, Roseau, Minn.) went 1-of-4, with an RBI, and a run scored.

Eli Brogan suffered the loss after allowing eight runs, on nine hits. Brogan struck out three, and walked one.

The Golden Eagles took a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first with a sacrifice fly from Hallquist to bring in Caden Headlee (Jr., OF, Fargo, N.D.).

UMN Crookston pushed their advantage to 2-0 when Danny Wensloff singled in Mitch Goodwin (Jr., SS, Prior Lake, Minn.) to extend the lead to 2-0.

The Golden Eagles widened their gap to 4-0 with a two-run shot from Hallquist, plating himself, and Danny Wensloff.

Minnesota Crookston extended their lead to 6-0 in the bottom of the fourth with a two-run single from Matt Nunn (Sr., C, Edina, Minn.) to drive in Goodwin, and Satrom.

The Golden Eagles added three runs in the fifth. Hallquist hit his second home run of the day to push the lead to 7-0. Later in the frame, Satrom tripled to plate Goelz, and Jake Hjelle (R-Jr., OF/1B, East Grand Forks, Minn.).

The Bobcats got three runs back in the eighth. Sam Ingram tripled in Luke Bruner, and Dharyl Moon to cut the Golden Eagle lead to 9-2. Eddie Rueda then singled in Ingram to trim the deficit to 9-3. However, Isaac Wensloff shut down any further progress for West Virginia Wesleyan as UMN Crookston picked up the win.

Minnesota Crookston continues their trip to the Sunshine State, with a 5:30 p.m. C.T. meeting with Davis & Elkins College.