Baseball | 3/1/2026 2:13:00 PM

WINTER HAVEN, Fla. - The University of MInnesota Crookston baseball team put together a stand-out performance at the plate and on the mound in a commanding 19-1 victory over Davis and Elkins College Sunday, March 1 at Chain of Lakes Park in Winter Haven, Fla.

Minnesota Crookston improved to 7-6 on the season, and 1-1 in Florida with Sunday's win. Davis and Elkins fell to 1-7 with the loss. The Golden Eagles have a 5-0 all-time record against the Senators.

Kyle Odenbach (Sr., LHP, Thompson, N.D.) earned the win, throwing five innings and allowing just one run on two hits. Odenbach improved to 1-0 with the victory, as he struck out three and walked three. Lake Hagen (Jr., RHP, Alexandria, Minn.) tossed one inning, allowing no runs on no hits. He struck out two. Braden Nelson (R-Fr., RHP, Minot, N.D.) made his collegiate debut, allowing no runs on no hits.

Cooper Blackburn suffered the loss for the Senators, allowing seven earned runs on seven hits. He struck out three, and walked two. Dallas Rasmussen gave up five runs on five hits in 0.1 innings.

Minnesota Crookston scored 19 runs on 18 hits. Jackson Fliflet (R-So., C, Wahpeton, N.D.) paced the Golden Eagles, going 3-of-3, with two home runs, six RBI, and two runs scored. Aaron Wensloff (Jr., IF, Roseau, Minn.) hit 3-of-4, with three RBIs and three runs scored. Cole Hebl (R-So., 1B, Hillsboro, N.D.) hit 2-of-3, with two RBIs, and two runs scored. Thomas Schumacher (Fr., IF, Thompson, N.D.) went 2-of-5, with an RBI, and two runs scored.

Minnesota Crookston took a 1-0 lead in the top of the second when Fliflet doubled to left field, driving in Aaron Wensloff. The Senators knotted the game 1-1 in the bottom of the second when Grant Mealey hit a solo home run.

In the top of third, Hebl slammed his third home run of the season, driving in Schumacher as Minnesota Crookston took a 3-1 lead.

The Golden Eagle bats caught fire in the fourth. A three-run blast for Fliflet, his fifth of the slate, brought in Aaron Wensloff, and Elias Leach (Fr., OF, Plymouth, Minn.) to widen the gap to 6-1. Americo Sculati (R-Sr., OF, Golden Valley, Minn.) laced a two RBI single, scoring Tori Uhlich (Jr., OF, Wahpeton, N.D.), and Connor Bushbaum (R-Sr., OF, Saginaw, Minn.) to extend the lead to 8-1. Aaron Wensloff followed it up with a triple, plating Sculati, and Hebl to push the advantage to 10-1. A Leach single drove in Aaron Wensloff to give Minnesota Crookston an 11-1 lead. In the next at-bat, Fliflet hit his second home run of the frame, and his sixth of the season, driving in Leach to extend the advantage to 13-1. 

In the fifth, a Sculati sacrifice fly plated Uhlich to extend the lead to 14-1. An Aaron Wensloff sacrifice fly drove in Bushbaum to widen the gap to 15-1. 

In the sixth, a Schumacher single, brought in Jonah Norman (R-Jr., C, Winnipeg, Manitoba) to push the lead to 16-1. A Uhlich groundout scored Kyler Miller (So., SS, Grand Rapids, Minn.) to lengthen the advantage to 17-1. Bushbaum singled to score Schumacher and extend the lead to 18-1.

The cap was put on his win as Cameron Dean (Fr., OF, Maple Grove, Minn.) made the most of his first collegiate at-bat, putting it over the fence for his first collegiate home run, making the final tally 19-1.

The Golden Eagles take on Rockhurst University Monday, March 2 at 9:30 a.m., in Auburndale, Fla.