Mavericks Begin NCAA Tourney at #2 Central Missouri – Minnesota State University

MANKATO, Minn. – The Minnesota State baseball workforce has certified for the NCAA match for the forty second time in program historical past. 
 
The Mavericks, house owners of a 37-18 document, have now certified for the final 5 NCAA tournaments. Minnesota State is 82-85 all-time in 41 journeys to the postseason, together with 8 journeys to the NCAA Championships (1971, 1979, 1980, 1986, 2010, 2012, 2013, 2014). 
 
The Mavericks open in opposition to No.2 nationally ranked Central Missouri on Thursday at 2 p.m. and they’re joined within the sub-region by Augustana and Central Oklahoma. Followers can watch by way of the MIAA Community.
 
Missouri Southern hosts Harding in Joplin, Mo. In addition to Arkansas Tech and Arkansas Monticello.
 
Minnesota State completed second in each the NSIC common season and postseason, with Augustana taking the highest spot. Final season, the Mavericks received three of 4 video games within the NCAA Regional Event at Warren Turner Subject in Joplin and superior the NCAA Tremendous Regional in Sioux Falls, the place they dropped two of three video games at Augustana on the finish of Might.
 
Having certified for the NCAA Event in 15 of the final 16 seasons, Magers has 5 NCAA Championship appearances, together with a Nationwide Runner-Up squad in 2013. This 12 months’s workforce posted spectacular offensive numbers and acquired notable performances on the mound within the NSIC Event.
 
Shortstop Aidan Byrne was named All-NSIC Second Group, All-NSIC Defensive Group and NSIC Excellent Senior of the 12 months. Senior Ryan Wickman and sophomore Louis Magers earned All-NSIC First Group honors, whereas junior Zach Stroh was named to the All-NSIC Second Group.
 
LAST TIME OUT

• The Mavericks defeated College of Mary 5-1 and Southwest Minnesota State 15-2 on the NSIC Event, earlier than falling to No. 9 Augustana 10-7.
• Ryan Friedges hit a grand slam within the comeback effort. The workforce bounced again in opposition to Wayne State School 7-1 with an eighth inning rally and a Byrne grand slam, however dropped an 8-3 choice to Augustana within the Championship sport on Might 11 in Mandan, North Dakota.
• Friedges led the Mavericks with three hits in as many at bats with one stroll and one run batted in. Wickman scored a pair of runs.
• Haugen completed with 5.0 innings pitched and allowed three earned runs on 4 hits, struck out seven and walked zero.
• Mariano Gomez (6-0) collected the win for Augustana after working 6.0 innings and surrendering three earned runs on 5 hits, walked two and struck out 4. The Mavericks completed the season with a 2-3 document in opposition to the Vikings.

ALL TOURNAMENT TEAM

• Ryan Friedges, 5 GP, 11-20, 11 RBI, 3-2B, 3 HR, 1 BB
• Mitch Gutknecht, 1 GP, 9.0 IP, 1 ER, 4H, 14K, CG
• Aidan Byrne, 5 GP, 7-19, 4 RBI, 2-2B, 1 HR, 2 BB 

WICKED WICKMAN

• An outfielder from Spring Inexperienced, Wisconsin, Ryan Wickman has performed and began in 53 video games.
• The centerfielder is hitting .353 with a 1.114 OPS, 17 doubles (team-high), and 14 residence runs.
• Wickman started his profession at Valparaiso, then went to Central Neighborhood School and eventually, the Mavericks.
• He hit .322 final season with seven doubles and 10 residence runs.
• In his first season at MSU, he began 48 video games and hit .367.
• Wickman is a wonderful outfielder and holds a .962 fielding share with 4 errors. His 23 stolen bases in 24 makes an attempt is a team-high. 

FEELING THE BYRNE

• Byrne (Eagan, Minnesota) leads off for the Mavericks and begins at shortstop.
• With a team-best .396 batting common, Byrne is one among simply two gamers to start out all 55 video games.
• He is also second in doubles (16), first in triples (3), fourth in residence runs (7) and fourth in runs batted in (52). Byrne can also be a superb baserunner, with 21 stolen bases in 22 tries.
• Within the infield, he holds a .970 fielding share with 134 putouts and 7 errors, serving to flip 19 double performs.
• Byrne was voted by the convention coaches as NSIC Excellent Senior of the 12 months. He holds a 3.92 grade level common majoring in Administration. 

MAGERS MANUFACTURES

• Together with Byrne, sophomore Louis Magers has began each sport for the Mavericks.
• His versatility has been obvious with 10 begins on the mound, together with 17 appearances at first base, and 45 because the designated hitter.
• Batting within the clean-up function, Magers hit .293 with eight doubles, three triples and a team-high 15 residence runs (T-44^th in Division II).
• He’s additionally main the workforce in runs batted in (60). As a beginning pitcher, Magers holds a 3-2 document and 4.32 earned run common. He has 31 strikeouts and 23 walks this spring. 

GUTKNECHT PUTS IT ALL TOGETHER

• Redshirt junior Mitch Gutknecht (Stillwater, Minnesota) struck out 14 and notched his first profession full sport to assist No. 2 seed Minnesota State over No. 7 seed UMary 5-1 final Wednesday night at BNC Subject.
• Gutknecht restricted the Marauders to 4 hits, walked one and threw 115 pitches within the first sport of the NSIC Event.
• The outing vaulted Gutknecht into the workforce lead in earned run common (3.66).
• He holds a 4-3 document with 17 appearances and 5 begins.
• The left-hander has 67 strikeouts, together with 25 in his final two begins. 

FRIEDGES DELIVERS

• At match time, redshirt senior Ryan Friedges (Jordan, Minnesota) delivered within the massive moments.
• He completed with three residence runs, three doubles and 11 RBI in Mandan, together with a four-hit afternoon in a 15-2 victory over Southwest Minnesota State.
• Friedges is hitting .318 this season with 14 doubles (second) and eight residence runs (third) with 48 pushed in (fifth).
• It was a breakout season for the third baseman, after he hit .175 in 2023 in 57 at bats.

EXPECT OFFENSE

• The perfect pitching staffs have been capable of restrict the Mavericks at instances this season, however hits appear to feed extra hits and the Mavericks mix for energy and persistence up and down the lineup.
• The Mavericks rank 35^th in Division II in batting common (.322) and draw the eighth most walks (302). MSU can also be 20^th in residence runs (74) and 14^th in on base share (.441). 

POTENTIAL STARTERS
RHP – Spencer Wright (RS-Jr., Winona, Minn., 6-2, 210) 5-3, 15 app. 10 gs, 3.96 ERA, 61.1 IP, 29 BB, 59 Ok
RHP – Louis Magers (So., Mankato, Minn., 6-5, 225) 3-2, 10 app. 10 gs, 4.32 ERA, 41.2 IP, 23 BB, 31 Ok
RHP – Cale Haugen (Fr., Esko, Minn., 6-0, 190) 6-2, 15 app. 9 gs, 6.26 ERA, 46.0 IP, 20 BB, 47 Ok
RHP – Mack Crowley (RS-Fr., Inexperienced Bay, Wis., 6-3, 190) 2-1, 12 app. 7 gs, 5.45 ERA, 33.0 IP, 10 BB, 29 Ok
LHP – Mitch Gutknecht (RS-Jr., Stillwater, Minn., 6-2, 190) 4-3, 17 app. 5 gs, 3.66 ERA, 59.0 IP, 18 BB, 67 Ok, 1 CG
LHP – Sam George (Fr., Bettendorf, Iowa., 6-4, 195) 2-1, 13 app. 5 gs, 4.50 ERA, 34.0 IP, 15 BB, 37 Ok
 
SCOUTING THE #2 MULES (47-8, 29-4 MIAA)

• Kyle Crookes is in his 10^th season as head coach at Central Missouri and 12^th 12 months total after serving two years because the workforce’s high assistant. Over his tenure, the Mules have received 5 NCAA Central Area crowns and appeared within the 2021 NCAA Division II School World Collection, the place they completed runner-up.
• Final season, in 2023, the Mules compiled an total mark of 43-15 and went 27-6 within the MIAA. UCM captured each the MIAA Common Season and Postseason Event Titles and hosted the NCAA-II Central Regional. Central Missouri superior to the regional title sport earlier than dropping an 8-6 choice to Augustana (S.D.). Crookes earned each NCBWA Central Area and MIAA Coach of the 12 months honors.
• This 12 months the workforce hosts the NCAA Regional once more, and the workforce is 26-2 at Crane Stadium. All 9 hitters within the Mules’ beginning lineup are hitting higher than .339.  Chase Heath leads the group at .389 with 11 doubles, 13 residence runs and 51 runs batted in.
• Six gamers have ten or extra residence runs, together with Brennen Van Breusegen with 19.
• The Mules rank first in Division II batting common (.357), first in fielding share (.981), first in residence runs (115), first in triples (34), second in scoring (10.8 runs per sport), third in walks (321), third in stolen bases (55), eighth in double performs (47) and ninth in doubles (129).
•  Central Missouri State fell to Washburn and Missouri Southern within the MIAA Event for second place.
• They acquired an at-large bid to the NCAA Central Area Event. 

ALL-TIME SERIES

• The Mavericks are 4-14 all-time in opposition to Central Missouri, 2-8 over their final ten matchups, and 1-7 on the street.
• The final assembly got here on Might 20, 2022 in an NCAA Central Area elimination sport, received by the Mules 9-6 in Warrensburg, Missouri.
• Present Mavericks within the lineup that day included Wickman and Byrne.
• Wickman completed 2-for-5 on the plate and Byrne went 0-2 with two runs batted in.

IF YOU’RE GOING

• Single day tickets can be found for the match on the Central Missouri Ticket Workplace.
• Crane Stadium at Robert R. Thompkins Subject was accomplished in spring of 1998.
• A $1.2 million development venture, funded primarily by Crane, added a locker room and coaches’ places of work for the Mules, an umpires dressing room, new dugouts, everlasting seats, a concession stand, a press field and lights to the already current enjoying area.
• Within the fall of 2021, the $2.1 million Crane Stadium Enlargement Undertaking was accomplished with a lead reward from Crane and a big contribution from the Sunderland Basis.
• The venture was headlined by the addition of a 44-locker clubhouse that was designed to reflect a serious league clubhouse.