Baseball | 2/11/2026 10:07:00 AM
CROOKSTON, Minn. - The University of Minnesota Crookston baseball program opens conference play with a four-game neutral-site series against Southwest Minnesota State University. The Golden Eagles will play Saturday, February 14 and Sunday, February 15. The series was relocated from Fort Scott, Kan., to Aspen Park in Brandon, S.D.
Minnesota Crookston enters the weekend with a 1-2 mark. Southwest Minnesota State is entering their first games of the season. The Mustangs went 23-24 last season. They are in their third season under Head Coach Jeremy Ische. The Golden Eagles lead the series 8-5 in the last 13 tilts with the Mustangs.
Minnesota Crookston vs. Southwest Minnesota State
Saturday, February 14, 12 and 2 p.m.
Sunday, February 15, 12 and 2 p.m.
Aspen Park, Brandon, S.D.
Live Stats - https://smsumustangs.com/sidearmstats/baseball/summary
Live Video - https://nsicnetwork.com/smsumustangs/
Minnesota Crookston
Projected Starters
R-So. C 23 Jackson Fliflet, Wahpeton, N.D., .500, 6 R, 1 2B, 2 HR, 5 RBI
Or R-Fr. C 10 Dylan Alexander, Glenwood, Minn., .000
R-So. 1B 24 Cole Hebl, Hillsboro, N.D., .583, 6 R, 1 2B, 2 HR, 5 RBI
Jr. 2B 1 Caden Kappes, Wahpeton, N.D., .167, 1 2B
Jr. 3B 17 Aaron Wensloff, Roseau, Minn., .182, 3 R, 3 RBI
So. SS 5 Kyler Miller, Grand Rapids, Minn., .231, 3 R, 1 HR, 2 RBI
R-Sr. LF 6 Americo Sculati, Golden Valley, Minn., .467, 5 R, 1 2B, 3 HR, 6 RBI
Jr. CF 4 Tori Uhlich, Wahpeton, N.D., .313, 4 R, 1 RBI
Fr. RF/DH 29 Elias Leach, Plymouth, Minn., .417, 3 R, 1 2B, 4 RBI
Or R-Sr. RF 21 Connor Bushbaum, Saginaw, Minn., .500, 1 R, 1 2B
Jr. DH 20 Nate Heymann, Waimea, Hawai'i, .444, 5 R, 1 2B, 1 HR, 3 RBI
Top Pitchers
Jr. RHP 20 Nate Heymann, Waimea, Hawai'i, 1-0 0.00 ERA, 3.0 IP, 4 K, 0 BB
Sr. RHP 3 Isaac Wensloff, Roseau, Minn., 0-0 5.40 ERA, 3.1 IP, 6 K, 1 BB
R-Sr. RHP 16 Isaac Roers, Stacy, Minn., 0-0 6.75 ERA, 4.0 IP, 6 K, 0 BB
Sr. LHP 8 Kyle Odenbach, Thompson, N.D., 0-0 9.00 ERA, 4.0 IP, 1 K, 3 BB
Fr. RHP 31 Bodhi Mossestad, Thief River Falls, Minn., 0-0 0.00 ERA, 2.0 IP, 0 K, 2 BB
R-So. RHP 34 Carsen Barta, Fargo, N.D., 0-0 0.00 ERA, 1 SV, 2.0 IP, 1 K, 0 BB
Sr. LHP 39 Joey Connelly, Eden Prairie, Minn., 0-0 0.00 ERA, 1.0 IP, 1 K, 1 BB
Fr. LHP 32 Ashton Detloff, Perham, Minn., 0-0 0.00 ERA, 1.0 IP, 0 K, 0 BB
The Golden Eagles had a great first week at the plate, hitting .350 with 36 runs, 8 doubles, nine home runs, and 29 RBI. Minnesota Crookston has a 1.130 OPS, and a .650 slugging percentage. The Golden Eagles, guided by Cole Hebl (R-So., 1B, Hillsboro, N.D.) led the way hitting .583 with six runs scored, one double, two home runs, and five RBI. Jackson Fliflet (R-So., C, Wahpeton, N.D.) comes in hitting .500 with a 2.100 OPS with four runs scored, two home runs and five RBI. Americo Sculati (R-Sr., OF, Golden Valley, Minn.) is swinging .467 with five runs scored, one double, three home runs, and six RBI. Nate Heymann (Jr., OF, Waimea, Hawai'i) hit .444 with five runs scored, one home run and three RBI. Elias Leach (Fr., OF, Plymouth, Minn.) had a strong first collegiate weekend batting .417 with three runs scored and four RBI.
On the bump, the Golden Eagles have a 8.00 ERA in 27 innings pitched, with 24 strikeouts and 18 walks. Minnesota Crookston was led by two-way player Heymann, who is 1-0 with a 0.00 ERA in three innings with four strikeouts and no walks. Isaac Wensloff (Sr., RHP, Roseau, Minn.), a veteran on the staff, has a 5.40 ERA in 3.1 innings with six strikeouts and a walk. Isaac Roers (R-Sr., RHP, Stacy, Minn.) has a 6.75 ERA in four innings with six strikeouts and no walks. Out of the bullpen, freshman Bodhi Mossestad (RHP, Thief River Falls, Minn.) has an unblemished ERA in two innings. Carsen Barta (R-So., RHP, Fargo, N.D.) has one save in two innings of work out of the bullpen, with one strikeout.
Southwest Minnesota State
Top Returners:
Sr. OF 7 Levi Lampert, Upsala Minn., .339, 54 R, 14 2B, 11 HR, 39 RBI
So. C/IF 2 Jared Cortez, Brooten Minn., .327, 38 R, 9 2B, 5 HR, 30 RBI
Sr. IF 34 Evan Behn, Boone Iowa, .310, 23 R, 5 2B, 4 HR, 29 RBI
Sr. SS 8 Brock Woitalla, Annandale Minn., .267, 26 R, 8 2B, 1 HR, 15 RBI
Sr. OF 4 Henry Hammrich, Brookings S.D, .218, 23 R, 1 2B, 5 HR, 22 RBI
Sr. SS/3B 21 Carter Lang, New Ulm Minn., .340, 18 R, 6 HR, 31 RBI
Sr. 3B 27 Tyler Froland, Sacred Heart, Minn., .234, 10 R, 5 2B, 20 RBI
So. 2B/3B 3 Nathan Wheeler, Minnetonka, Minn., .233, 9 R, 2 2B, 3 RBI
Top Pitchers:
So. RHP 31 Jameson Quinn, Eden Prairie, Minn., 3-3 5.72 ERA, 56.2 IP, 50 Strikeouts
So. LHP 1 Austin Dent, Green Isle, Minn., 0-1 2.30 ERA, 15.2 IP, 8 Strikeouts
So., LHP 38 Cullen Huppert, Prescott,Wis., 0-0 7.71 ERA, 7.0 IP, 6 Strikeouts
Jr. RHP 24 Cody Wichmann, Balaton, Minn., 1-3 4.62 ERA, 25.1 IP, 20 K, 8 Strikeouts
Sr. RHP 37 Vinny Mauro, Norwalk, Iowa, 1-2 7.20 ERA, 10.0 IP, 5 K, 11 BB
Southwest Minnesota State has a good number coming into the 2026 season, as they added quite a few freshmen who are looking to contribute in this 2026 spring season. The Mustangs team's batting average is .289, with 311 runs scored, they rallied up 52 home runs, and 258 RBI. The Mustangs have six of their starters coming back for this upcoming season. SMSU has a number of incoming freshmen waiting to make an impact for their team. The Mustangs are led by returning All-NSIC First Team pick Levi Lampert, who hit .339 with 54 runs scored, 14 doubles, 11 home runs, and 39 RBI. Jared Cortez returns after swinging .327 with 38 runs scored, nine doubles, five home runs, and 30 RBI. Carter Lang returns after hitting .340, with 18 runs, six home runs, and 31 RBI.
On the mound the Mustangs have three returning pitchers, one being a starting pitcher. Jameson Quinn, as a freshman in the 2025 season, had a 3-3 mark and a 5.71 ERA, 56.2 IP, and had the second most strikeouts out of the pitchers with 50. Austin Dent came out of the bullpen for 12 appearances with a 2.30 ERA in 15.2 innings pitched with eight strikeouts and six walks in the 2025 season. Junior Cody Wichmann had a 1-3 mark with a 4.62 ERA in 25.1 innings pitched with 20 strikeouts, and eight strikeouts. Cullen Huppert made 10 appearances out of the bullpen with a 7.71 ERA in seven innings pitched, while Vinny Mauro had a 7.20 ERA in 10 innings pitched.
