Gulseth Named Head Baseball Coach at Northern State

June 6, 2007 | Full NSU Release

ABERDEEN, S.D. - Northern State University President, Patrick Schloss, has announced the appointment of Mark Gulseth as head baseball coach and admissions counselor. Gulseth will take over the coaching post from Curt Fredrickson, who has served as women's basketball coach and baseball coach for the past five seasons. The move will allow Fredrickson to focus his time as head women’s basketball coach.

“We are excited that Coach Gulseth will be part of our outstanding athletic tradition,” said Schloss. “The combination of his past teaching experience, his reputation in the baseball community and his experience working with young people across the state will be a huge asset to NSU.”

Schloss added that Gulseth’s role in admissions takes advantage of his longstanding relationship with high schools and his potential effectiveness in marketing Northern State to athletes and non-athletes alike. (Read More)

Wayne State's Mortimore Drafted by Seattle Mariners

June 8, 2007

Wayne, Neb.---Former Wayne State College pitcher Travis Mortimore was drafted by the Seattle Mariners in the 21st round Friday afternoon on the second day of the 2007 Major League Baseball Amateur Draft. The 6-5, 210 pound lefthander was the 645th overall pick of the draft and was one of just five left handed pitchers drafted by the Mariners in the 51-round draft.

Mortimore posted a 3-6 mark in 2007 with a 5.22 ERA in 12 starts for the Wildcats, ranking fifth in NCAA Division II in strikeouts per nine innings (11.8) after striking out 77 batters in 58 2/3 innings. He was named Second Team All-Northern Sun Conference and was selected NSIC Pitcher of the Week on April 10, 2007 after striking out 13 batters in just five innings of work in a 10-0 win over Northern State on April 6, 2007.
In 2006, Mortimore earned All-Central Region First Team honors after going 9-2 with a 2.07 ERA for the Wildcats, earning Northern Sun Conference Pitcher of the Year honors after striking out 79 batters in 74 innings of work.

Mortimore was 12-8 in his two seasons with Wayne State, posting a 3.47 ERA in 28 appearances. He struck out 156 batters in 132 2/3 innings in a Wildcat uniform with opponents hitting just .210 against the lefthander. Mortimore played his first two seasons at Colby Community College in Kansas before transferring to Wayne State.

Mortimore is the third Wildcat pitcher in the last 14 years to be drafted, joining Brady Borner (2001) and Jeff Lutt (1993), who were both drafted by the Pittsburgh Pirates. Borner was a 31st round selection in 2001 with Lutt being taken in the 44th round by the Pirates in 1993.

Wayne State finished the 2007 season with a 37-16 record, qualifying for the NCAA Division II Central Regional for the fourth straight season and fifth time in the last seven years. The Wildcats won the Northern Sun Conference regular season title with a 25-5 league mark.

Oakland Athleics Draft Barrone In 44th Round

June 8, 2007

Winona State University’s former catcher Ben Barrone has been drafted by the Oakland Athletics.

Barrone was the 47th pick of the 53 players chosen by the A’s. The pick came in the 44th round of the two-day Major League Baseball Draft.

Barrone broke a pair of Winona State home run records, hitting a single-season record 27 round trippers this season and finishing with a WSU career record 43 home runs. The 27 home runs was the fifth best single-season effort in NCAA Division II history. Barrone also played a year at Minnesota State University Mankato where he hit two home runs and finished with a collegiate career total of 45.

Barrone was named the NCAA Division II National Player of the Year by Rawlings/ABCA for the 2006-2007 season and was named to a pair of All-America teams. He also was the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Player of the Year this year and twice was selected to the All-NSIC Team.

The following are Barrone’s rankings in the WSU Baseball Record Book.

27 home runs ties NCAA Division II mark for fifth best in a single-season.
27 home runs break Winona State single-season record.
43 home runs at Winona State break WSU career record.
.449 batting average 11th best Winona State single-season (2007) record.
.412 batting average 4th best Winona State career (2006-07) record.
50 runs scored T15th best Winona State single-season (2007) record.
71 hits 6th best Winona State single-season (2007) record.
16 doubles T7th best Winona State single-season (2007) record.
110 RBI 11th best Winona State career (2006-07) record.
64 RBI 4th best Winona State single-season (2007) record.

WSU's Barrone Named ABCA National Player of the Year
NSIC Baseball Release No. 15

May 29, 2007 | PDF Release

Winona State catcher/relief pitcher Ben Barrone is the Rawlings/American Baseball Coaches Association’s Division II Player of the Year. The ABCA’s All-America committee released the team in conjunction with the 40th NCAA Division II Baseball Championship being played at Riverwalk Stadium.
Barrone, a senior from Dover, Minn., hit .449 this season, sixth-best nationally. His 27 home runs and 1.089 slugging percentage leads the nation. He added 64 RBIs, 50 runs and 16 doubles. He also had four saves in 14 appearances as the Warriors’ closer, striking out 23 in 16 1/3 innings.
He threw out 16 of 50 base runners trying to steal and picked off four runners.
Barrone is also the Division II position player of the year. He is joined atop the honor list by Francis Marion junior Dylan Owen, the ABCA pitcher of the year.
Barrone finished the Warrior season with 27 home runs, which tied him for fifth on the NCAA Division II All-time single-season list. That was also a single-season WSU record and his 43 career home runs as a Warrior is another WSU record. Barrone did play one season for Minnesota State University Mankato and hit two home runs to give him 45 for his collegiate career.
Barrone along with Concordia St. Paul’s Matt Borman were selected to the Daktronics All-American First team. Barrone was a catcher and Borman was selected at the utility position, where he must have played in at least 25 percent of his team’s games at more than one position. The senior leadoff hitter was the centerfielder and top starting pitcher for the 30-13 Golden Bears.
In 2007, Borman was a Daktronics All-Central Region First Team selection as well as the NSIC Pitcher of the Year while being named All-NSIC First Team at two positions (P/OF). He earned NSIC Pitcher of the Week honors once before picking up back-to-back NSIC Player of the Week accolades in a four week span.
He slugged a school record 14 home runs, giving him 33 for his career, also a school record. He also recorded school records in hits (64), runs (61) and RBI (58). He hit .413 (64-155) at the plate with a .768 slugging pct. and a .500 on base pct. He was 13-15 on the base paths, drilled 13 doubles, walked 23 times and committed only three errors in 43 games.
On the mound, the left-handed ace compiled a 7-2 record while pitching 54.0 innings with two complete games and a 4.00 ERA. He held opposing batters to a .233 average and allowed just one home run in 202 opponent at bats. He struck out 35 and walked 18 while allowing 47 hits.

Rawlings/ABCA All-American Baseball Team

Daktronics All-American Baseball Team

NSIC Baseball Release No. 14
WSU's Barrone Named ABCA Region Player of the Year

May 21, 2007 | PDF Release

WAYNE, Neb. - Winona State University, senior, catcher, Ben Barrone has been named the Rawlings/ABCA All-Central Region Player of the Year. Barrone leads the NCAA Division II in home runs and helped the Warriors to a Central Region Tournament berth, a Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference Tournament championship and a 29-15 record.

Barrone finished the Warrior season with 27 home runs, which tied him for fifth on the NCAA Division II All-time single-season list. That was also a single-season WSU record and his 43 career home runs as a Warrior is another WSU record. Barrone did play one season for Minnesota State University Mankato and hit two home runs to give him 45 for his collegiate career.

Joining Barrone on the first team from the NSIC were Scott Bidroski (SS) Marc Manganaro (INF), Dustin Jones (OF) of Wayne State, Mitch Walser (OF) of Upper Iowa and Matt Borman (OF) of Concordia-St. Paul.

Mike Wendland (OF) and Bryan Ruff (P) of Winona State were selected to the Second Team.

2007 Central Region First Team

2007 Central Region Second Team

NEBRASKA-OMAHA ENDS WAYNE STATE SEASON WITH 10-3 LOSS AT NCAA CENTRAL REGIONAL

May 17, 2007| Box Score

WARRENSBURG, Mo. - The Wayne State College baseball season came to an end Friday afternoon at the NCAA Division II Central Region Baseball Tournament in Warrensburg , Missouri with a 10-3 loss to Nebraska-Omaha. The Mavericks used an eight-run fifth inning to take control of the game, snapping a 1-1 tie.

UNO took a 1-0 lead in the second inning when Evan Porter doubled and scored on Brian Goliber’s RBI groundout to shortstop. The Wildcats tied the game in the fifth inning when Joe Wendte walked, advanced to second on Sean Soderberg’s bunt single, and then scored on Brian Sulzman’s single to left field.

But the Mavericks struck for eight runs in the fifth inning to take control of the game and grab a 9-1 lead in the bottom of the fifth inning. Chris Weimer’s two-run homer put UNO in front 3-1, chasing WSC starter Michael Donohoe. Weimer also added a two-run single later in the inning as the Mavericks sent 13 batters to the plate, scoring eight runs on eight hits with one WSC error.

UNO scored again in the seventh inning when Alex Kotera’s RBI single plated Casey Klapperich to give the Mavericks a 10-1 lead. (Read More)

Minnesota State Ends Warriors Season

May 17, 2007| Box Score

WARRENSBURG, MO -- A five-run third inning proved to be too much for Winona State University to overcome and the Warriors went on to drop an 8-1 decision to Minnesota State University Mankato in loser's bracket play of the double-elimination NCAA Division II Central Region at Crane Stadium.
The loss eliminated the Warriors from the tournament and completed their season with a 29-15 mark.

Winona State finally got on the board in the bottom of the seventh inning when, senior, catcher, Ben Barrone led off the frame with his 27th home run of the season and his 43rd as a Warrior.

Barrone did finish the game with three of the seven Winona State hits.

Warriors Fall To Central Missouri

May 17, 2007| Box Score

WARRENSBURG, Mo. - Winona State University could not overcome an early University of Central Missouri lead and fell 7-2 in opening-round play to the NCAA Division II Central Region play at Crane Stadium.
The Warriors (29-14) move into the loser's bracket of the double-elimination tournament and were scheduled to meet Minnesota State University Mankato.

UCM (49-11) opened the game with a run in the bottom of the first and came up with three more runs in the third before making a 4-0 lead after four innings.

WSU finally cracked the scoreboard with two runs in the top of the fifth. Ronnie Olson got things going with a one-out double to left center. Ben Smothers then dumped a single into right and after a wild pith moved Smothers to second, Brett Maxwell came up with a two-run double to the gap in right-center.

Dru Mickelson continued the inning with a fly out and Ben Barrone reached on a walk. Both Maxwell and Barrone then moved up a base on a throwing error off a pickoff attempt. But UCM was able to get out of the threat when a running catch was made of a looping flyball by Mike Wendland to end the inning.

Emporia State Downs Wayne State 6-1 in Regional Opener

May 17, 2007| Box Score

WARRENSBURG, Mo. - #4 seed Emporia State downed #3 seed Wayne State 6-2 Thursday afternoon in the opening round of the NCAA Division II Central Region Baseball Tournament in Warrensburg , Missouri . The 37-15 Wildcats were victimized by a couple of unusual plays in the first inning that set the tone early for the game as the red-hot Hornets posted their 11 th win in their last 12 games, improving to 40-22 overall.

Emporia State ’s Conner Crumbliss opened the game with a high chopper to WSC first baseman Marc Manganaro. After it appeared Manganaro made the tag, first base umpire Dave Aschwege ruled that Crumbliss was safe. The next batter, Brian Majors, reached on an error by Manganaro when he slipped on the infield making a play on Majors’ bunt. ESU’s Mark McBratney then singled to right field to load the bases for the Hornets. A single to center field by Keith Hernandez scored Crumbliss to give the Hornets a 1-0 lead, then ESU first baseman Matt Marasco grounded into a double play that brought in Majors to put Emporia State in front 2-0. (Read More)

NSIC Baseball Weekly Release No. 13
Wayne State & Winona State Advance to NCAA Regionals

May 14, 2007| Full Release

INDIANAPOLIS -- The NCAA Division II Baseball Committee has selected the 48 teams that will participate in the 2007 NCAA Division II Baseball Championship. The regionals will comprise six teams competing in double-elimination tournaments. Eight regional competitions will be played May 17-20, at eight on-campus sites. Regional champions will advance to the double-elimination championship finals May 25 to June 1 at Riverwalk Stadium in Montgomery, Alabama, which will be hosted by Valdosta State University and the city of Montgomery. In the 2006 championship, Tampa claimed its fourth championship title by defeating the Cal State Chico, 3-2.
This year marks the 40th annual championship, and the 23rd consecutive year that the finals will be held in Montgomery, Alabama.

Wayne State will take on Emporia State on Thursday, May 17th at 3:30 p.m. Winona State will take on the host school, Central Missouri at 7:00 p.m. on Thursday. For more information go to the Regional Website at: www.cmsu.edu/athletic/baseball/06-07%20news/07ncaatrny.htm

Central Regional at Warrensburg, Missouri
1. Minnesota State Mankato 44-8
2. *Central Missouri 48-11
3. Wayne State (NE) 37-14
4. Emporia State 39-22
5. Winona State 29-13
6. Nebraska-Omaha 32-22
* Host Institution

Live stats for all regional games available at:
http://www.cmsu.edu/athletic/live/baseball/xlive.htm

Daktronics All-Central Region Team Announced

May 16, 2007

Warrensburg, Mo.– Minnesota State University-Mankato’s Jon Bjelland and University of Central Missouri’s Josh Paul headlined the 2007 Daktronics All-Central Region team today as the Pitcher and Player of the Year. Central Missouri landed five players on the first-team while Minnesota State and Nebraska-Omaha each had three named to the top squad. The first and second teams were comprised of four starting pitchers, three outfielders and one of every other field position, including a relief pitcher. The NSIC totalled seven players with four on the first team and three on the second team.

Player of the Year:
Josh Paul, 1B, Central Missouri

Pitcher of the Year:
Jon Bjelland, Minnesota State

NSIC Baseball - Winona State Wins NSIC Baseball Tournament

May 12, 2007| Box Score NSIC Tournament Bracket

Wayne, Neb. - Winona State’s Ben Barrone snapped a 6-6 tie in the bottom of the eighth inning with a three-run homer to give the Warriors a 9-7 win over Wayne State in the championship game of the 2007 Northern Sun Conference Baseball Tournament held at the Pete Chapman Baseball Complex in Wayne. The win by Winona State ended Wayne State’s four-year run as NSIC Tournament Champions and gave the Warriors the automatic berth to next week’s NCAA Division II Central Regional while Wayne State, ranked third in the region entering this week’s play, awaits word from the NCAA to see if the Wildcats receive an at-large bid for the six-team regional. Pairings are expected to be released late Sunday evening.

Saturday’s championship game looked to be a slugfest early as Winona State held a 4-3 lead after one inning of play. WSC scored three runs thanks to an RBI single by Marc Manganaro, a run-scoring double by Alex Koch and a RBI single from Joe Wendte. But Winona State countered with four runs in the bottom of the first on Ben Barrone’s two-run homer and a two-run single by Ronnie Olson. (Read More)

2007 NSIC All-Tournament Team
Pitcher - Matt O’Brien Winona State
Pitcher - Donny Erdall Winona State
Pitcher - Mitch Herrick Wayne State
Pitcher - Jacob Schmidt Concordia-St. Paul
Catcher - Ben Barrone Winona State
DH - Alex Koch Wayne State
First Base - Marc Manganaro Wayne State
Second Base - Ronnie Olson Winona State
Shortstop - Scott Bidroski Wayne State
Third Base - Joe Wendte Wayne State
Outfield - Mike Wendland Winona State
Outfield - Dustin Jones Wayne State
Outfield - Matt Borman Concordia-St. Paul
Most Valuable Pitcher - Matt O’Brien Winona State
Most Valuable Player - Ben Barrone Winona State

NSIC Baseball All-Conference Release

May 11, 2007| PDF Release

St. Paul, Minn. - The NSIC All-Conference Baseball Team has been released as voted on by the league coaches. Ben Barrone of Winona State was tabbed NSIC Player of the Year while Concordia-St. Paul's Matt Borman was named NSIC Pitcher of the Year. Both players are former NSIC Newcomers of the Year (Barrone, 2006 - Borman 2003). The 2007 NSIC Newcomer of the Year is Mike Wendland of Winona State while the NSIC Freshman of the Year is Joe Wendte of Wayne State. John Manganaro of Wayne State was named NSIC Coach of the Year for the second consecutive year.

NSIC Player of the Year #14 Ben Barrone C, 6-3, 210, Sr., R-R Dover, Minn. Dover-Eyota HS Winona State

NSIC Pitcher of the Year #11 Matt Borman LHP, 6-0, 175, Sr. Hopkins, Minn. Hopkins HS Concordia-St. Paul

Newcomer of the Year #17 Mike Wendland OF, Jr., R/R La Crosse, Wis. Aquinas HS Winona State

Freshman of the Year #20 Joe Wendte INF, 5-11, Fr. L/R So. Sioux City, Neb. Heelan HS Wayne State

NSIC Coach of the Year John Manganaro 18th Year at WSC 2006 & 2007 NSIC Coach of the Year Wayne State

First Team	Pos	Yr.	School	Hometown
Matt Borman	P	Sr.	CSP	Hopkins, Minn.
Conner Bramley	P	Sr.	WSC	Wheatland, Wyo.
Ronnie Sweeney	P	So.	UIU	Kitchener, Ontario
Bryan Ruff	P	Jr.	WSU	Lakeville, Minn.
Brian Putnam	R-P	Jr.	UIU	Dubuque, Iowa
Ben Barrone	C	Sr.	WSU	Dover, Minn.
Nate Koppi	1B	Sr.	SMSU	West St. Paul, Minn.
Jake Waldman	2B	Jr.	CSP	Hopkins, Minn.
Adam Kampsen	3B	Jr.	NSU	Paynesville, Minn.
Scott Bidroski	SS	Sr.	WSC	Omaha, Neb.
Marc Manganaro	Utility	Jr.	WSC	Laurel, Neb.
Dustin Jones	OF	Sr.	WSC	Dakota Dunes, S.D.
Mitch Walser	OF	Sr.	UIU	Cedar Rapids, Iowa
Matt Borman	OF	Sr.	CSP	Hopkins, Minn.
Andy Judkins	OF	Sr.	CSP	Lakeville, Minn.
Alex Koch	DH	So.	WSC	Omaha, Neb.

Second Team	Pos	Yr.	School	Hometown
Mitch Herrick	P	Jr.	WSC	Council Bluffs, Iowa
Travis Mortimore	P	Sr.	WSC	Torrington, Wyo.
Adam Schrader	P	R-Fr.	SMSU	Easton, Minn.
Mike Donohoe	P	Sr.	WSC	Norwalk,Iowa
Adam McGuire	R-P	Sr.	WSC	Wayne, Neb.
Anthony Stoloski	C	Jr.	BSU	Half Moon Bay, Calif.
Josh Juntunen	1B	So.	BSU	Elk River, Minn.
Tyler Liffrig	1B	Fr.	UM	Williston, N.D.
Jamie Terres	2B	Sr.	UIU	Paynesville, Minn.
Mike Wagner	3B	Jr.	BSU	Plymouth, N.H.
Nate Mendoza	3B	Sr.	UIU	Lompoc, Calif.
Lex Reinke	SS	Jr.	SMSU	Shoreview, Minn.
Greg Winegarden	Utility	Sr.	CSP	Eden Prairie, Minn.
Sean Soderberg	OF	So.	WSC	Fremont, Neb.
Dan Berg	OF	Sr.	UIU	Watkins, Minn.
Adam Hoffman	OF	Sr.	WSC	Winside, Neb.
Mike Wendland	OF	Jr.	WSU	LaCrosse, Wis.
Brenden Furrow	DH	So.	CSP	Johnston, Iowa
Justin Downes	DH	Sr.	NSU	Atwater, Minn.

NSIC Baseball - Wayne State Eliminates SW Minnesota State

May 11, 2007| Box Score

Wayne, Neb. - Wayne State used big innings in the first, fourth and seventh to eliminate SW Minnesota State from the NSIC Baseball Touranment. Wayne State scored three runs in the top of the first, only to have Mustangs counter with four runs of their own. The Wildcats tied the game with a run in the third before exploding for nine runs in the fourth. They added five in the seventh and two in the eight to come away with the 20-7 win. Marc Manganaro went 5 for 7 with two home runs and 5 RBI to lead Wayne State. Nathan Koppi finished his career with 197 hits tying for third all-time at SMSU.
Wayne State, losers yesterday to Concordia-St. Paul, await the loser of the Winona State vs. Concordia-St. Paul game. Click here to view NSIC Baseball Tournament Bracket.

Concordia-St. Paul Upsets Wayne State in Baseball Opening Round

May 10, 2007| Box Score

Wayne, Neb. - Concordia St. Paul (30-11) used a five run seventh inning to break a 4-4 tie and then held off the host and top seed Wayne State (35-13) 9-6 in the first round of the NSIC Tournament on Thursday afternoon in Wayne, Neb. The red-hot Bears are now 12-1 in their last 13 games.

Andy Judkins went 2-4 with a double and four RBI while Matt Borman was 3-5 with two runs, an RBI, a double and a stolen base. Jake Waldman and Derek Mason each recorded two-hit performances while Mason Reinhart drove in a pair of runs.

Jake Schmidt started for the Bears and was solid, pitching seven strong innings allowing five runs (four earned) on eight hits. He didn't walk anyone and struck out four to improve to 6-3.

Borman came on in relief and worked two innings allowing one run while striking out two.

The Bears jumped on the Wildcats early, with Waldman reaching on a one out single to right center. He advanced when Brenden Furrow's fly ball to center was misplayed and came around to score on an RBI groundout by Judkins.

The Wildcats got a pair in the second, however, to claim an early 2-1 lead.

The Bears wasted no time in grabbing the lead back with two more in the top of the third. Borman led off the inning with a double to right center and was moved to third on a bunt single by Waldman. After Furrow went down swinging, Judkins picked up his second RBI with a single through the right side. Waldman would score on the next at bat when Reinhart delivered a sacrifice fly to right field.

Borman knocked in a single to center in the fourth inning, extending the CU lead to 4-2. (Read More)

Winona State Defeats SW Minnesota State 6-5

May 10, 2007| Box Score

WAYNE, Neb. - Winona State University’s Mike Wendland (pictured) hit a grand slam in the bottom of the sixth to help lead the Warriors to a 6-5 victory over Southwest Minnesota State University in the first round of the Northern Sun Conference Tournament in Wayne, Neb.

Winona State, the tournament’s No. 2 seed, will now advance to tomorrow’s winner’s bracket game at 1 p.m., while SMSU, the No. 3 seed, will play at 10 a.m. in an elimination game.

Wendland’s home run in the sixth erased a 5-2 SMSU lead and the Mustangs were never able to recover to tie the game.

SMSU starting pitcher John Goneau and WSU starter Bryan Ruff both struggled on the mound as Goneau lasted just 4.2 innings allowing four hits, two runs with five strikeouts, but he walked three and hit four WSU batters. He tossed 94 pitches in the game including just 49 for strikes.

SMSU scored the game’s first run as Derek West singled to left field to score Lex Reinke and give the Mustangs a 1-0 lead. WSU rallied back with a single run in the third inning as Ben Barrone hit his nation leading 24th home run of the season and the 40th of his career, tying the WSU career record. (Read More)

NSIC Baseball Tournament Bracket

May 6, 2007| PDF Bracket

NSIC Baseball Weekly Release No. 12

May 7, 2007 | Full PDF Release

NSIC Player of the Week
#11 Matt Borman
LHP, 6-0, 175, Sr., L/L
Hopkins, Minn.
Hopkins HS
Concordia-St. Paul

Matt Borman (Sr., CF/P, Hopkins, Minn.) continued his torrid hitting into May, leading Concordia to a 5-1 record on the road behind his six home runs and 14 RBI. The leadoff hitter has been the catalyst for the Golden Bears, hitting .462 (12-26) in two wins at Minnesota Duluth before three of four at Upper Iowa. He had two multi-homer games, the first was a 3-5 effort with seven RBI against the Bulldogs last Wednesday before a 2-4 performance with three RBI in the final game of the week against Upper Iowa yesterday. For the week, Borman slugged 1.231, had a .517 on base pct., was 2-3 on the base paths and scored nine runs. Borman also earned his seventh victory, working three one-hit innings in the first game on Sunday. He faced just 10 batters in his three shutout frames and is now 7-1 on the mound. This is the third time this season, and second consecutive week that Borman has been named NSIC Player of the Week.
The Bears finished strong, going 11-1 down the stretch this season led by Borman’s bat. The senior leadoff hitter hit .511 in the final 12 games, including nine home runs, 19 runs and 25 RBI. He slugged 1.213 and was four of five on the basepaths.
Concordia’s strong finish also vaulted them to their school record 29 wins for the third straight year. The Bears finished 29-12 in 2005, 29-12-1 in 2006 and are currently 29-11 heading into the NSIC Tournament.


NSIC Pitcher of the Week
#12 Chad Schwegel
RHP, 6-0, 200, R/R Sr.
St. Joseph, Minn.
St. Cloud Apollo HS
Bemidji State

Chad Schwegel pitched a complete game victory in his last start on the mound for the Beavers. Schwegel pitched 7.0 strong innings allowing just two runs (two earned) on five hits with just one walk and compiling 11 strikeouts. With the victory Schwegel picked up his second win of the season improving his record to 2-4 for the Beavers.

NSIC Baseball Weekly Release No. 11

April 30, 2007 | Full PDF Release

NSIC Player of the Week
#11 Matt Borman
LHP, 6-0, 175, Sr., L/L
Hopkins, Minn.
Hopkins HS
Concordia-St. Paul

Matt Borman dominated for the Bears, carrying them to a 6-0 record last week in road series at Winona State and Northern State. In his 21 at bats over six games, Borman torched opposing pitchers with a .571 avg. with seven of his 12 hits going for extra bases as he amassed a 1.190 slugging pct. The Bears leadoff hitter also drew four walks and was hit by a pitch for a .654 on base pct. and was 2-2 on the base paths. Borman scored 10 runs, had four doubles, three home runs and drove in 11 RBI for the week. His highlight was a second inning performance at NSU when he drilled two three run homers in the same inning to lead Concordia to a 10 run inning en route to a 14-1 victory over the Wolves. Borman also defeated Winona State on the mound, throwing a complete game allowing just two hits, a walk and a run with three strikeouts.


NSIC Pitcher of the Week
#18 Marshall Rogne
RHP, 6-0, Fr.
Cresco, Iowa
Crestwood HS
Upper Iowa University

Marshall Rogne (Freshman, P, Cresco, Iowa) threw a complete game two-hit shutout versus Mankato (#2 Central Region). Rogne pitched 7 innings allowing no runs on two hits and striking out 5. He held the Mavericks to a .095 batting average as the Peacocks came away with the 1-0 win.

Concordia-St. Paul Snaps Skid with Sweep at Winona State

April 25, 2007

Winona, Minn. - Concordia University (20-10, 8-6 NSIC) snapped a four game road skid with a pair of wins at Winona State University (22-13, 15-5 NSIC), defeating the Warriors 4-1 and 5-0 on Wednesday afternoon in Winona, Minn.

Pitching was the key as the Bears starters were lights out. In the first game, Matt Borman went seven strong, allowing two hits and one run with a walk and three strikeouts to move to 6-1 on the season. Borman also helped his own case at the plate, going 2-4 with a two run double down the right field line in the sixth inning which gave the Bears a 4-1 lead.

Borman took a one hit shutout into the seventh when he allowed a leadoff double. The runner came around to score after a pair of ground outs to second base.

Greg Winegarden drove in the other two runs on an RBI ground out in the second and an RBI single in the fourth. (Read More)

NSIC Baseball Weekly Release No. 10

April 23, 2007 | Full PDF Release

NSIC Player of the Week
#6 Scott Bidroski
3B, 5-11, 195, SR., R/R
Omaha, Neb.
Roncalli HS
Wayne State

Scott Bidroski (Sr., SS, Omaha Roncalli HS) went 11 for 16 with four homers, 12 RBI and nine runs scored in four game sweep over Concordia-St. Paul and became the all-time RBI leader at Wayne State. His best game was a 4 for 5 performance with two homers and 7 RBI in Friday’s 17-2 win over CSP in the opening game of the series. In six games during the week (2 vs Winona, 4 vs. CSP), Bidroski was 12 for 23 (.522) with four homers, 12 RBI and nine runs scored. Bidroski now has 180 career RBI, passing previous school mark of 178 set by Bill Schwartz from 1979-82.

NSIC Pitcher of the Week
#19 Michael Allen
LHP, Fr.
Murrieta, Calif.
University of Mary

Michael Allen came within a hair of pitching a perfect game in a 15-0 win over Minnesota, Crookston. The freshman from Murrieta, CA, allowed only one baserunner in the game, that coming in the sixth inning when Allen misplayed a UMC bunt attempt for an error. The first 17 Golden Eagle batters of the game had all been retired in order by Allen. In picking up his third consecutive win to even his record out at 3-3, Allen struck out nine UMC batters while walking none. Over his last three starts, Allen has allowed just one earned run in 18.1 innings.

No Hitter By UMary's Allen

April 21, 2007

Bismarck, ND - Michael Allen’s dominating no hitter set the standard for the Marauders in U-Mary’s Northern Sun double-header sweep of the University of Minnesota, Crookston. Offensively, U-Mary hit five home runs and scored 25 runs while the pitching staff allowed just two hits and no runs while striking out 21 Golden Eagle batters in the two games.

The Marauders won game one 15-0 and game two 10-0.

Allen came within a hair of pitching a perfect game in the first contest of the day. The freshman from Murrieta, CA, allowed only one baserunner, that coming in the sixth inning when Allen misplayed the UMC bunt attempt for an error. The first 17 Golden Eagle batters of the game had all been retired in order by Allen.

In picking up his third consecutive win to even his record out at 3-3, Allen had struck out nine batters while walking none. Over his last three starts, Allen has allowed just one earned run in 18.1 innings.

The no hitter had been kept alive earlier in the game by two tremendous diving efforts by freshman left fielder Ryan Lee (Williston, ND).

Offensively, the Marauders exploded for eight runs in the second and later tacked on three more in the third inning and four in the fifth.

U-Mary was paced by FR SS Andy Leer (Williston, ND), who was 4-for-5 with five RBIs and two runs scored out of the leadoff slot. He had a home run and a double in the game. SO C Brennan Quintus (Dickinson, ND) went 3-for-4, including two doubles. He drove in four runs and scored twice. FR 1B Tyler Liffrig, who homered and tripled in the game, went 2-for-3 with three RBIs and three runs scored. Lee scored three runs and JR RF Mike Feldman (Bismarck, ND) scored twice. All combined, U-Mary pounded out 15 hits, including eight for extra bases.

NSIC Baseball Weekly Release No. 9

April 16, 2007 | Full PDF Release

NSIC Player of the Week
#5 Adam Kampsen
3B/1B, 6-0, 195, JR., R/R
Paynesville, Minn.
Paynesville Area HS
Northern State

Adam Kampsen batted .571 (12-for-21) in six games during the week. Kampsen had nine RBI and nine runs scored as he hit three homeruns and his first two triples of the season. The Wolves picked up their first four conference victories over the week sweeping Minnesota, Crookston and splitting with Bemidji State. Kampsen was named NSIC Preseason Player of the Year in 2007.

NSIC Pitcher of the Week
#11 Matt Borman
LHP, 6-0, 175, Sr., L/L
Hopkins, Minn.
Hopkins HS
Concordia-St. Paul

Matt Borman proved again why he is one of the most dynamic and versatile players in the Northern Sun, shutting down Minnesota Duluth in a 17-1 win to improve to 5-0. He tossed a one-hitter with four shutout innings to lower his season earned run average to 1.91 and registered seven strikeouts, including a string of five consecutive hitters from the first through third innings. Borman also helped himself out at the plate as he cruised to the win, hitting a grand slam in an eight-run second inning onslaught that helped open the flood gates. At the plate, the leadoff batter went 1-3 with the grand slam while also walking twice and score on each walk, giving him three runs scored for the game. In the second game, Borman was hitless at the plate but did draw a pair of walks and scored each time, giving him five runs in the two game series. In seven starts on the year, Borman is holding hitters to a .207 average and has allowed just five extra base hits (all doubles) out of 24 hits in 116 opponent at bats. He has recorded 25 strikeouts in 33 innings.

NSIC Baseball Weekly Release No. 8

April 10, 2007 | Full PDF Release

NSIC Player of the Week
#25 Mitch Walser
1B, 6-3, 210, Sr., R-R
Cedar Rapids, Iowa
Kirkwood CC
Upper Iowa

Mitch Walser hit .684 for the week as he went 13 for 19, including five doubles and a homerun. Walser drove in 11 runs while scoring nine on the week. He picked up two walks and stole three bases as Walser finished the week with an on-base percentage of .714 and an impressive slugging percentage of 1.105. This marks the second time this season Walser as been named NSIC Player of the Week (3/19/07).

NSIC Pitcher of the Week
#35 Travis Mortimore
LHP, 6-5, 220, Sr., L/L
Torrington, Wyo.
Colby CC
Wayne State

Travis Mortimore pitched five innings of no hit ball with 13 strikeouts and one walk in 10-0 win over Northern State Friday. Mortimore, who picked up with first win of the season against NSU, was the NSIC Preseason Pitcher of the Year.

Minnesota, Crookston Hires Chris Vito as Head Baseball Coach/Assistant SID

April 9, 2007 | Full Release

Crookston, Minn. - UMC Athletic Director, Stephanie Helgeson announced the addition of Chris Vito to the Golden Eagle Athletics Department. Vito’s duties at UMC will be as the Head Baseball Coach and Assistant Sports Information Director. Vito will begin his duties as Head Baseball Coach in the 2008 season as current Head Coach Steve Olson moves to a full time football position for the Golden Eagles.

“We are very excited to have Coach Vito join our athletics team,” says Helgeson. “We think he will make a great impact on our baseball players and the program overall. Chris is also going to be an integral part of our media relations staff in the coverage of our athletic teams and student-athletes.”

Vito is currently the Assistant Baseball Coach at Mesabi Range Community and Technical College (MRCTC) in Virginia, Minn. At MRCTC, he served in all facets of the baseball program from fundraising and recruiting to scheduling and overall baseball program organization. Prior to MRCTC, Vito served as the Head Baseball Coach and Sports Information Director at the University of Wisconsin-Superior. He covered statistics for all 14 athletic teams at UW-Superior, wrote press releases and game reports daily and updated web page content on the athletics website.

"Our team goal is to compete with everyone in the NSIC. Getting to that point is going to be a process, but I am confident that we will achieve success,” says Vito. “My goal is to attract players that will be a credit to our program, the athletic department, the university and the community. We will strive for success on the diamond, in the classroom, and in the community."

NSIC Baseball Weekly Release No. 7

April 3, 2007 | Full PDF Release

NSIC Player of the Week
#20 Joe Wendte
INF, 5-11, 165, Fr., L/R
South Sioux City, Neb.
Heelan HS
Wayne State

Joe Wendte extended his hitting streak to 11 games by going 8 for 16 with three triples, one double, six RBI and eight runs scored in five games last week. Wendte pushed his season batting average to team-high .451 as WSC has now won seven games in a row, moving to 16-9 overall and 6-2 in the NSIC.

NSIC Pitcher of the Week
#16 Adam McGuire
RHP, 6-0, 190, Sr., R/R
Wayne, Neb.
Wayne HS
Wayne State

Adam McGuire in two appearances last week, had one save and one win with a 0.00 ERA. He worked 1 1/3 innings to earn save in 7-6 win over NW Missouri State, striking out three batters. He also pitched a three hit shutout with seven strikeouts in a 16-0 win over Minnesota, Crookston on Sunday in his first-ever career start. For the week, he worked 8 1/3 innings and struck out 10 batters while allowing just four hits. McGuire also tied the career saves mark at Wayne State with 10th save in last Tuesday’s win over NW Missouri State.

NSIC Baseball Weekly Release No. 6

March 26, 2007 | Full PDF Release

NSIC Player of the Week
#14 Ben Barrone
RHP/C, 6-3, 210, Sr., R-R
Dover, Minn.
Dover-Eyota HS
Winona State

Ben Barrone (Sr., C, Dover, Minn.) batted .545 with seven RBI, six hits, six runs, a double, a triple and two home runs. His slugging percentage was 1.364 while his on base was .563. His two home runs came in the Warriors 15-1 win over Northern State.

NSIC Pitcher of the Week
#30 Adam Schrader
RHP, 6-2, 188, R-Fr.
Easton, Minn
USC HS
SW Minnesota State

Adam Schrader (R-Fr., RHP, Easton, Minn.) tossed a two-hit shutout in a 7-0 win over Mary on Saturday. He struck out seven hitters and walked three. He faced just three batters over the minimum. Schrader is now 4-0 on the season and has yet to allowed an earned run. He has pitched three complete games, two shutouts and has allowed just one unearned run all year. He has now pitched in 25 innings with a 0.00 ERA, allowing only 15 hits while striking out 18. This marks the second time this season Schrader has been named NSIC Pitcher of the Week.

Schmidt, Utoft Pitch Bears to Sunday Sweep of Beavers

March 25, 2007 | Box Scores

The Concordia University baseball team (12-4, 3-1 NSIC) used strong pitching and defense to sweep Bemidji State University (3-17, 1-3 NSIC), 9-1 and 3-0, on Sunday afternoon at Veterans Field in Minnetonka, Minn. The sweep gave the Bears three of four in the series. In the first game, sophomore Jake Schmidt started things off by striking out the first two batters in a perfect first inning. He went on to pitch six strong innings, allowing one run on six hits while striking out three and issuing just one walk. He improves to 2-1 on the year and lowers his ERA to 2.49 in five appearances (four starts). Schmidt's outing was assisted by his teammates in the field as he had a pair of inning ending double plays, one in the second inning (Waldman, right, makes the tag and throws to Maciej at first) and another in the fourth (Waldman-Mason-Maciej) The offense wasted no time dictating the pace of the game as Matt Borman and Jake Waldman led off with back-to-back singles. They moved up to second and third when Tony Boxwell grounded out to the mound and would each score on the next two at bats: Borman on a sacrifice fly by Mason Reinhart and Waldman came in on an Andy Judkins RBI single to left. (Read More)

Mustangs Sweep Mary to Open NSIC Season; Schrader Fires Two-Hit Shut Out

March 24, 2007 | Box Scores

BISMARCK, N.D.: Southwest Minnesota State opened the 2007 Northern Sun Conference season in style on Saturday afternoon with a doubleheader sweep over the University of Mary in Bismarck, N.D. SMSU won the opener 4-3 in nine innings and cruised to a 7-0 victory in game two.

The victories pushes SMSU’s record to 11-5 overall, 2-0 NSIC, while Mary, playing its first ever NSIC games, falls to 4-11 overall, 0-2 NSIC. The games, which were originally scheduled to be played in Marshall, were moved to North Dakota because of expected rain in the Marshall area over the weekend.

In game two, SMSU redshirt freshman Adam Schrader tossed his second shutout of the season and improved his record to 4-0 in four starts. He has now pitched 25 innings this season and hasn’t allowed an earned run. The right-hander allowed just two hits while striking out seven and walking three. (Read More)

NSIC Baseball Weekly Release No. 5

March 19, 2007 | Full PDF Release

NSIC Player of the Week
#25 Mitch Walser
1B, 6-3, 210, Sr., R-R
Cedar Rapids, Iowa
Kirkwood CC
Upper Iowa

Mitch Walser was 7-for-11 (.636) at the plate with a homerun and a double this past week. He amassed seven RBI and was walked five times in the three games the Peacocks played.

NSIC Pitcher of the Week
#25 Michael Donohoe
RHP, 6-3, 205, Sr., R/R
Norwalk, Iowa
Iowa Central CC
Wayne State

Michael Donohoe, in two appearances, worked 9 innings with 10 strikeouts in outings against Nebraska and Augustana. He had nine K’s in six innings vs. Augustana on Sunday, allowing one run on four hits in 7-4 win. For the season, Donohoe is 2-0 with a 2.37 ERA.

NSIC Baseball Weekly Release No. 4

March 14, 2007 | Full PDF Release

NSIC Player of the Week
#8 Dustin Jones
OF, 6-1, 195, SR., R/R
Dakota Dunes, S.D.
Sioux City Heelan HS
Wayne State

Dustin Jones became the all-time hits leader at Wayne State last Friday, going 3 for 3 with two RBI and two runs scored in a 11-5 win over Fairmont State of West Virginia. Jones now has 220 career hits, eclipsing the previous mark of 217 held by Dale Clayton (1985-88). For the week he went 8 for 20 with four RBI, nine runs scored, two homers and two triples.

NSIC Pitcher of the Week
#10 Bryan Ruff
RHP, Jr.
Lakeville, Minn.
Apple Valley HS
Winona State

Bryan Ruff appeared in two games with one start this week. He went 7.1 innings giving up three runs (two earned) on five hits while striking out ten and walking only two. He held the opponent’s batting average to .185 on the week. His ERA for the week was 2.45.

NSIC Baseball Weekly Release No. 3

March 6, 2007 | Full PDF Release

NSIC Player of the Week
#6 Scott Bidroski
3B, 5-11, 195, SR., R/R
Omaha, Neb.
Roncalli HS
Wayne State

Bidroski went 8 for 21 with three homers, 12 RBI’s and six runs scored in five games for Wayne State. He was 2 for 4 with 4 RBI’s in a 14-3 win over Missouri Western last Wednesday and was 1 for 4 with three runs scored and 4 RBI with a three run homer in 9-8 win over SIU-Edwardsville Sunday at Savannah Spring Break Invitational in Georgia.

NSIC Pitcher of the Week
#30 Adam Schrader
RHP, 6-2, 188, R-Fr.
Easton, Minn
USC HS
SW Minnesota State

Schrader tossed a four-hit shutout as SMSU defeated Pittsburg State on Mar. 5th 1-0. In the opener, Schrader, who missed most of last season with an injury, earned his first career victory by tossing his first career shutout. The right-hander scattered four hits and struck out five Gorilla batters, but none bigger than the two in the sixth inning. In the bottom of the sixth and SMSU holding a slim 1-0 lead, Pittsburg State loaded the bases with one out but Schrader struck out the final two hitters of the inning to keep SMSU in the lead. He then closed out the shutout by inducing three fly outs to end the game.

NSIC Baseball Weekly Release No. 2

February 27, 2007 | Full PDF Release

St. Paul, Minn. - Week two of the NSIC Baseball Release includes last week's game results, next week's game schedule and current NSIC Standings. Players of the Week were not selected this week due to lack of NSIC teams competing.

NSIC Baseball Weekly Release No. 1

February 21, 2007 | Full PDF Release

St. Paul, Minn. - Week one of the NSIC Baseball Release includes last week's game results, next week's game schedule and current NSIC Standings. Players of the Week were not selected this week due to lack of NSIC teams competing.

NSIC Baseball Preseason Coaches' Poll

February 14, 2007 | Full PDF Release

Wayne State Picked in Preseason Baseball Coaches Poll
St. Paul, Minn. - Wayne State was selected by the NSIC Baseball Coaches as the 2007 preseason favorite. The Wildcats were a unanimous choice for the second year in a row to win the league. The Wildcats received all eight first place vote (coaches can’t vote for their own team) while SW Minnesota State was checked for the lone remaining first place vote. The Wildcats, the NSIC Regular Season and Tournament Champions in 2006, have now been picked to win the league the last four years in a row. Winona State came in second in this year’s poll with 67 points, narrowly beating out Concordia-St. Paul (65) and SW Minnesota State (63).

NSIC Preseason Players of the Year
#5 Adam Kampsen
3B/1B, 6-0, 195, JR., R/R
Paynesville, Minn.
Northern State

Kampsen finished the 2006 season with a .416 batting average, the highest in the NSIC and 45th highest in the nation. Kampsen amassed 64 hits in 154 at bats including 12 home runs, 13 doubles, a triple, 41 RBI, and 35 runs scored. His 115 total bases also led the NSIC while his .747 slugging percentage was second in the league. Kampsen was also a perfect 9-for-9 in stolen bases this season. He was named NSIC Co-Player of the Week back on March 20th following the Wolves spring trip to Missouri where he batted .412 with two home runs.

NSIC Preseason Pitcher of the Year
#35 Travis Mortimore
LHP, 6-5, 220, Sr., L/L
Torrington, Wyo.
Torrington HS / Colby CC
Wayne State

Mortimore had stellar season for Wildcats in 2006, going 9-2 with a 2.07 ERA to earn NSIC Pitcher of the Year honors and First Team All-Central Region honors. He also was named to the NSIC All-Tournament Team. He worked a team-high 74.0 innings, striking out 79 batters with a season-high 10 strikeouts vs. Northern State on 5-1-06. In NSIC play he was 6-0 with stingy 0.68 ERA striking out 50 batters in 39.2 innings pitched. After starting the season in bullpen, Mortimore worked his way to #1 starter by the end of the season earning three complete games and two shutouts. In his best outings in 2006, Mortimore had a complete game, two hit shutout with nine strikeouts vs. SW Minnesota State on 3-25-06 and complete game, six hit shutout with nine strikeouts vs. Concordia-St. Paul on 4-8-06. He was selected NSIC Pitcher of the Week twice (3-27-06 and 4-24-06) in his first year with the Wildcats.

2007 NCBWA Preseason Regional Polls

January 23, 2007 | Full NCBWA Release

The NSIC had three teams ranked in the top ten of the NCBWA Preseason Central Regional Poll as announced January 23rd. Wayne State, who received four votes in the national rankings, was ranked fourth while Concordia-St. Paul was eighth and Winona State was tenth. Wayne State finished 2006 with a 37-15-1 records while Concordia-St. Paul was 29-12-1 and Winona State was 28-20.