Baseball | 4/22/2026 8:21:00 PM

BEMIDJI, Minn. - The University of Minnesota Crookston baseball team split with Bemidji State University Wednesday, April 22 at the BSU Baseball Field in Bemidji, Minn. The Beavers took the first game 6-2 and bounced back for a 10-6 win in game two, as they rallied with four runs in the top of the ninth.

The Golden Eagles improved to 23-18 (16-13 NSIC) with Wednesday's split in the First City on the Mississippi. Bemidji State has a 9-29 (6-21 NSIC) record with the split. The Beavers snapped a 21-game losing streak against the Golden Eagles with the game one victory. Bemidji State hadn't defeated Minnesota Crookston since April 11, 2017. The Golden Eagles lead the series 24-2 since April 13, 2016. Head Coach Steve Gust is 24-4 all-time against the Beavers. Minnesota Crookston is in sixth place after the split, while Bemidji State is in 15th. The Golden Eagles have eight games remaining on their schedule, including five at home.

Game One
The Beavers were lifted by a Hunter Hyden two-run home run, and a dominant pitching performance from Beau Barry in a 6-2 win in the first tilt of the double dip. Barry improved to 3-4, allowing two runs on seven hits. He struck out seven, and walked two. Castle Huggard earned his third save of the season, shutting down the Golden Eagles in two innings with no runs on no hits, one strikeout and a walk.

Nate Heymann (Jr., RHP, Waimea, Hawai'i) dropped to 4-2 with the loss, allowing six runs on six hits. He struck out two, and walked two in 5.2 innings. Ashton Detloff (Fr., LHP, Perham, Minn.) pitched 0.1 innings, allowing no runs on no hits.

The Golden Eagles had seven hits at the plate. Jackson Fliflet (R-So., C, Wahpeton, N.D.) went 2-of-3, with a run scored and an RBI, including his team-high 14th home run of the slate. Fliflet is a home run away from tying Josh Dykhoff's mark of 15 from last season, which ranks fourth in a single season. Americo Sculati (R-Sr., OF, Golden Valley, Minn.) went 1-of-3, with a run scored. 

Hyden opened the scoring in the bottom of the first with a two-run blast, scoring lead-off hitter Jack Feldman to make it 2-0 Beavers. A Matt Fillippi double plated Noah Drusch to extend the lead to 3-0 in the first. Bemidji State pushed the lead to 4-0 on a Joe Hansen single to knock in Fillippi. They capped off the high-scoring inning 5-0 as Hansen scored on a throwing error on a Cooper Anderson stolen base.

Minnesota Crookston trimmed the deficit to 5-1 in the top of the second on a Fliflet solo shot over the fence.

In the sixth, Sculati scored on a double play groundout to cut the Bemidji State lead to 5-2.

The Beavers padded the lead to 6-2 in the sixth on a Fillipi home run, the score would mark the final tally. 

Game Two
Caden Kappes (Jr., 2B/SS, Wahpeton, N.D.) and Tori Uhlich (Jr., OF, Wahpeton, N.D.) each had a pair of RBIs in the ninth to ignite a four-run inning to catapult a 10-6 win for the Golden Eagles.

Isaac Roers (R-Sr., RHP, Stacy, Minn.) earned the win in relief, tossing two scoreless innings and improving to 3-0. He allowed just one hit and struck out two. Isaac Wensloff (Sr., RHP, Roseau, Minn.) shut the door in the ninth, with one strikeouts and no runs on no hits. The Golden Eagles are 9-2 in games where Isaac Wensloff has pitched. Kyle Odenbach (Sr., LHP, Thompson, N.D.) started and tossed three innings, giving up three runs on six hits. Kaylor Chamberlain (So., RHP, Mankato, Minn.) pitched 0.1 innings of scoreless baseball, as did Jake Jaroszewski (So., LHP, Fargo, N.D.).

The loss went to Bemidji State's Cole Smith, who allowed one earned run on one hit. Quintin Selway started and allowed two runs on three hits in three stanzas. He struck out four.

The Golden Eagles notched 11 hits in the victory. Uhlich, who already holds the school-record for stolen bases, added two more in the game. Kappes hit his first home run of the season, going 2-of-3, with three RBI and three runs scored. Sculati was 2-of-5 with two runs scored. Elias Leach (Fr., OF, Plymouth, Minn.) finished 2-of-6. Uhlich was 1-of-3, with two RBI and a run scored. Reece Berberich (Jr., C/OF, Thompson, N.D.) picked up his first career hit as a Golden Eagle.

Minnesota Crookston took a 1-0 lead on Kappes' solo home run in the second frame.

A Leach double in the third plated Uhlich to give the Golden Eagles a 2-0 advantage.

Bemidji State responded with a crucial third inning. Drusch singled in Hyden to cut the deficit to 2-1. A Fillippi single drove in Drusch to knot the tilt 2-2. Hansen reached on an error, bringing in Fillippi to score to give the Beavers a 3-2 advantage.

The Golden Eagles jumped Bemidji State to take a 4-3 lead on a Kyler Miller (So., SS, Grand Rapids, Minn.) single, scoring Aaron Wensloff (Jr., IF, Roseau, Minn.).

A Beau Thoma three-run blast in the bottom of the fourth, knocked in Feldman, and Anderson to put BSU ahead 6-4.

The Golden Eagles got a run back in the top of the fifth on a Cole Hebl (R-So., 1B, Hillsboro, N.D.) sacrifice fly, plating Sculati to cut the deficit to 6-5.

In the eighth stanza, Thomas Schumacher (Fr., IF, Thompson, N.D.) singled, driving in Kappes to knot the score 6-6. 

Minnesota Crookston broke through in the top of the ninth. A Kappes two RBI single drove in Sculati and Connor Bushbaum (R-Sr., OF, Saginaw, Minn.) to give the Golden Eagles an 8-6 advantage. Uhlich singled down the line, plating Kappes, and Aaron Wensloff to put Minnesota Crookston up 10-6. Aaron Wensloff shut the door in the bottom of the ninth to preserve the 10-6 win.

The Golden Eagles come home for Senior Day Saturday, April 25 at 12 and 2 p.m., against Winona State University at the Minnesota Crookston Baseball Field. The Golden Eagles will honor their nine seniors Saturday, and will also hold a fund-raiser for former Golden Eagle Zach Seipel, who is battling cancer.