CROOKSTON, Minn. - The University of MInnesota Crookston baseball team is set to embark on a five-game road trip against the two teams immediately ahead of them in the standings. The Golden Eagles commence the road trip Saturday, April 20 and Sunday, April 21 at Bowyer Field against Minnesota State University.
The Golden Eagles enter Mankato with a 23-12 (17-8 NSIC) mark. Minnesota Crookston is 17-4 in their last 21 games. The Golden Eagles have either won or split every conference series except for their NSIC-opening series against Wayne State College. Minnesota State comes into their home series with a 24-12 (20-6 NSIC) record. The Mavericks have won the last two games in the series. The Golden Eagles are 2-2 against Minnesota State in their last four tilts.
Minnesota Crookston at Minnesota State
Saturday, April 20 - 1:30/3:30 p.m.
Sunday, April 20 - 12 p.m.
Bowyer Field, Mankato, Minn.
Live Stats - TeamA 0 TeamB 0 Top 1 0 Outs (msumavericks.com)
Live Video - Minnesota State University, Mankato on the NSIC Network
Minnesota Crookston
Projected Starters
Jr. C 29 Kodi Miller, Grand Rapids, Minn., .284, 18 R, 6 2B, 4 HR, 14 RBI
Sr. 1B 18 Teddy Giefer, Courtland, Minn., .385, 23 R, 11 2B, 6 HR, 44 RBI
R-So. 2B 20 Kobe Senn, Fargo, N.D., .286, 24 R, 4 2B, 1 3B, 1 HR, 14 RBI
R-So. 3B 2 Sawyer Satrom, Portland, N.D., .328, 31 R, 5 2B, 1 HR, 20 RBI
R-Sr. SS 10 Mitch Goodwin, Prior Lake, Minn., .284, 31 R, 7 2B, 2 3B, 6 HR, 26 RBI
R-Sr. LF 8 Jake Hjelle, East Grand Forks, Minn., .299, 38 R, 11 2B, 1 3B, 8 HR, 33 RBI
R-Jr. CF 9 Caden Headlee, Fargo, N.D., .378, 31 R, 8 2B, 3 HR, 28 RBI
Sr. RF/C 19 Danny Wensloff, Roseau, Minn., .270, 25 R, 6 2B, 1 3B, 5 HR, 25 RBI
Or Fr. RF 37 Cole Hebl, Hillsboro, N.D., .407, 9 R, 1 2B, 2 HR, 7 RBI
So. DH 32 Josh Dykhoff, Wadena, Minn., .331, 37 R, 10 2B, 2 3B, 8 HR, 37 RBI
Top Pitchers
R-Sr. RHP 24 Jake Osowski, East Grand Forks, Minn., 6-0 3.88 ERA, 51.0 IP, 48 K, 18 BB
Sr. RHP 7 Brody Sorenson, Grand Forks, N.D., 6-1 4.78 ERA, 52.2 IP, 57 K, 8 BB
Fr. LHP 41 Nate Benning, Browerville, Minn., 3-1 4.38 ERA, 39.0 IP, 26 K, 24 BB
So. RHP 32 Josh Dykhoff, Wadena, Minn., 1-2 7.45 ERA, 38.2 IP, 34 K, 18 BB
So. RHP 3 Isaac Wensloff, Roseau, Minn., 4-1 5.46 ERA, 29.2 IP, 27 K, 8 BB
Sr. RHP 25 Nate Grafsgaard, Devils Lake, N.D., 0-1 2.70 ERA, 10.0 IP, 16 K, 10 BB
Jr. LHP 4 Caden Edwards, Duluth, Minn., 1-0 5.79 ERA, 9.1 IP, 16 K, 9 BB
R-So. RHP 16 Isaac Roers, Stacy, Minn., 2-2 10.54 ERA, 13.2 IP, 16 K, 10 BB
The Golden Eagles come into Saturday hitting .313 as a team, with 289 runs scored, 70 doubles, eight triples, 46 home runs, and 258 RBIs. Minnesota Crookston is guided by Teddy Giefer (Sr., 1B, Courtland, Minn.), who has had an outstanding season. Giefer is hitting .385, with 23 runs scored, 11 doubles, six home runs, and 44 RBIs. 2023 NSIC Player of the Year Jake Hjelle (R-Sr., OF/1B, East Grand Forks, Minn.) is batting .299, with 38 runs scored, 11 doubles, one triple, eight home runs, and 33 RBIs. Josh Dykhoff (So., RHP/DH, Wadena, Minn.) comes in batting .331, with 37 runs scored, 10 doubles, eight home runs, and 37 RBIs. Caden Headlee (R-Jr., OF, Fargo, N.D.) is swinging .378, with 31 runs scored, eight doubles, three home runs, and 28 RBIs.
On the bump, the Golden Eagles enter the weekend with a 5.87 team ERA, with 275 strikeouts to 141 walks. Righty Jake Osowski (R-Sr., East Grand Forks, Minn.) has been mister reliable in his career with an overall mark of 22-2. Osowski is 6-0 this season, with a 3.88 ERA in 51 innings pitched. Brody Sorenson (Sr., RHP, Grand Forks, N.D.) is 6-1 with a 4.78 ERA in 52.2 innings pitched. Out of the bullpen, Nate Grafsgaard (Sr., RHP, Devils Lake, N.D.) has a 2.70 ERA in 10 innings, while lefty Caden Edwards (Jr., Duluth, Minn.) is 1-0 with a 5.79 ERA in 9.1 innings.
Minnesota State University
Projected Starters
R-Jr. C 5 Zach Stroh, Elk River, Minn., .346, 26 R, 7 2B, 1 3B, 3 HR, 35 RBI
So. 1B 14 Louis Magers, Mankato, Minn., .286, 32 R, 5 2B, 1 3B, 7 HR, 35 RBI
R-So. 2B 1 Matthew Fleischhacker, Woodbury, Minn., .303, 44 R, 10 2B, 2 HR, 23 RBI
R-So. 3B 9 Tanner Thompson, Brooklyn Park, Minn., .276, 22 R, 4 2B, 3 HR, 16 RBI
R-Jr. SS 11 Aidan Byrne, Eagan, Minn., .424, 43 R, 9 2B, 2 3B, 4 HR, 38 RBI
R-Sr. LF 35 Adam Weed, Farmington, Minn., .295, 16 R, 4 2B, 2 HR, 11 RBI
Or R-Sr. LF 3 Derek Kay, Prior Lake, Minn., .243, 18 R, 4 2B, 1 3B, 5 HR, 13 RBI
R-So. CF 17 Cole Ranweiler, New Ulm, Minn., .375, 6 R, 2 2B, 2 RBI
R-Sr. RF 6 Hunter Ranweiler, New Ulm, Minn., .314, 19 R, 4 2B, 1 3B, 12 RBI
R-Sr. DH 21 Ryan Friedges, Jordan, Minn., .256, 17 R, 8 2B, 3 HR, 22 RBI
Top Pitchers
R-Jr. RHP 12 Spencer Wright, Winona, Minn., 4-2 5.27 ERA, 41 IP, 31 K, 24 BB
R-Jr. LHP 30 Mitch Gutknecht, Stillwater, Minn., 2-3 3.48 ERA, 33.2 IP, 27 K, 10 BB
So. RHP 14 Louis Magers, Mankato, Minn., 3-1 3.89 ERA, 34.2 IP, 28 K, 15 BB
Fr. RHP 10 Cale Haugen, Esko, Minn., 4-1 6.11 ERA, 28 IP, 25 K, 14BB
R-Jr. RHP 20 Sean Gamble, Denton, Texas, 4-0 5.12 ERA, 19.1 IP, 17 K, 9 BB
R-Fr. RHP 27 Mack Crowley, Green Bay, Wis., 1-0 4.19 ERA, 19.1 IP, 15 K, 7 BB
Jr. LHP 16 Jake Matthaidess, Eldridge, Iowa, 2-2 7.00 ERA, 18 IP, 11 K, 9 BB
The Mavericks are batting .317, while having scored 319 runs, 75 doubles, 11 triples, 37 home runs and are second in the league with 276 RBIs. Aidan Byrne leads the way for the Mavericks with 43 on the season while swinging .424, with nine doubles, two triples, four home runs and 38 RBIs. Matthew Fleischhacker is hitting at .303, with 44 runs on the season to lead the Mavericks while having 10 doubles, two home runs and 23 RBIs. Louis Magers is batting .286, with 32 runs scored, five doubles, one triple, seven home runs and 35 RBIs. Zach Stroh comes in hitting .346, with 26 runs scored, seven doubles, one triple, three home runs, and 35 RBIs.
When looking at pitching, Minnesota State University has a team ERA of 5.73, with 255 strikeouts, and 136 walks. Spencer Wright leads the way with a 4-2 mark and a 5.27 ERA in 41 innings pitched. Wright has 31 strikeouts in that span while walking 24. Lefty Mitch Gutknecht is 2-3 with a 3.48 ERA in 33.2 innings pitched, with 27 strikeouts and 10 walks. Louis Magers is 3-1 with a 3.89 ERA in 34.2 innings pitched, with 28 strikeouts. Freshman righty Cale Haugen is 4-1 with a 6.11 ERA in 28 innings worked, with 25 strikeouts.
