MARSHALL, Minn. – The Southwest Minnesota State University baseball team opens the 2012 season this Thursday night with a non-conference doubleheader versus Minnesota Duluth at the H.H.H. Metrodome in Minneapolis starting at 5 p.m.

Mustang head coach Paul Blanchard, entering his 16th season with a record of 390-288-1, has 46 players on the spring roster with 22 returning letterwinners.

SMSU returns its starting catcher, three starting infielders and starting two outfielders from last season's squad that finished 11-25.  The SMSU pitching staff has seven returners who made starts a season ago.

Sophomore catcher Jordon Kontz is the team's top returning hitter, after batting .319 with 12 RBIs and tying for the team-high with 14 walks.  Junior third baseman Tyler Flattum also returns after batting .313 with eight doubles, two home runs and tying for the team-lead with 20 RBIs. 

Junior first baseman Brian Ness finished the season batting .270 with a team-high four home runs, while tying for the team-lead with 20 RBIs.  Senior second baseman Adam Thygesen rounds out the infield returning starters, batting .298 a season ago with three doubles and 14 RBIs.

Junior Doug Mead returns in center field after batting .288 with five doubles, while senior left fielder Chris Eichten is also back after hitting .271 with one home run and 13 RBIs. 

Sophomore Ben Korger will begin the season as the team's starting shortstop.  In 22 games in 2011, including eight starts, he batted .258 with one double and four RBIs. 

Junior second baseman Mark Hanson, who played in 21 games with nine starts last season and batted .244 with one home run, will see time in the infield and designated hitter, as will sophomore Jeff Watson, who hit .333 in limited playing time. 

The SMSU pitching staff returns several veterans, including the team's most valuable pitcher from 2011, senior left-hander Aaron Johnson.  A season ago, Johnson tossed a team-high 56 innings in 10 starts, posting a 2-5 mark and a 5.14 ERA. 

A pair of senior right-handers Nate Dickhausen (2-3, 4.66) and Alex Alvarez (2-3, 5.94 ERA) combined to make 11 starts last season and will help anchor the starting the rotation.  Dickhausen tossed one complete game and finished second on the team in innings pitched with 46.1, while Alvarez ranked second on the staff with 26 strikeouts. 

Also battling for one of the team's top starting spots is senior left-hander Chris Koep (0-0, 7.45), who appeared in 10 games in 2011 with four starts, and senior right-hander Ben Bartling (1-3, 7.13), who made three starts a season ago.

Senior right-hander Jeremy Schmidt and sophomore righty Steven Wehr, both started games last season and will compete for starting spots or key reliever roles. 

Leading the bullpen is junior righty Derek Skovbroten (0-2, 3.32), who appeared in a team-high 13 games last season and sophomore Landon Gacke (1-0, 4.09), who pitched in 11 games.  Junior right-hander, Corby McGlauflin and sophomore right-hader Dylan Shoemaker, both return after combining to pitch in 16 games in 2011.

SMSU will have a handful of junior college transfers and freshmen expected to make major impacts on both the mound and at the plate in 2012. 

Following Thursday's doubleheader, SMSU will return to action on Sunday, March 4, opening up a nine-game road trip in Tucson, Ariz.  SMSU will then have a pair of non-conference doubleheaders at the Metrodome on March 16 and March 20, before opening up Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference play on March 31 at Upper Iowa.

Live statistics for both games on Thursday night will be available at www.smsumustangs.com