PREVIEWING THURSDAY
•The Southwest Minnesota State University baseball team (8-21, 1-16 NSIC), after playing its first 29 games away from home, continues Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference play on Thursday taking on Minot State University (19-15,13-6 NSIC) at Legion Field in Marshall.
•SMSU's has played only two games in the state of Minnesota this season, with both indoors, on March 3 at US Bank Stadium in Minneapolis.
•SMSU has had three weekend series and one mid-week doubleheader relocated and two doubleheaders canceled this spring.
•Following Thursday's two games, SMSU will host Minnesota Crookston on Saturday and Sunday for a three-game series.
 
            GAME COVERAGE
•Live video and stats for the two games will be available at SMSUmustangs.com.
 
            SERIES HISTORY VS. MINOT STATE
•SMSU and MSU have met 21 times since the first meeting in 1978 with MSU holding a 14-7 all-time advantage.
•MSU joined the NSIC in 2013 and since that time the Beavers hold a 7-3 series advantage in NSIC games.
•The two teams split a four-game series at Alumni Field during the 2015 season in MSU's only appearance in Marshall.  
•MSU won two of three games from SMSU last season in Minot, N.D.  
 
SMSU HEAD COACH
•Paul Blanchard, the all-time leader in victories at SMSU, is in his 26^th season as head coach and has an overall record of 555-551-2, including 315-317 in conference play.
•Blanchard has led the program to one NCAA Tournament appearance, one NSIC championship, three NSIC Tournament championships, 15 appearances in the NSIC Tournament and four 30-win seasons.
•Named the fifth coach in SMSU history on July 14, 1996, Blanchard has coached two NSIC Players of the Year, one NSIC Pitcher of the Year, 21 all-region honorees, two Academic All-Americans, one NCAA All-American and two Major League Baseball draft picks.
 
SMSU SEASON NUMBERS & NOTES
•Through 29 games, SMSU is averaging 4.7 runs per game, batting .279 with 45 doubles, eight triples and 14 home runs.
•The SMSU pitching staff has an 8.82 ERA in 217 1/3 innings with 187 strikeouts.
•Sophomore Jaxon Haase is batting a team-high .352 with six doubles, two home runs and is tied for the team lead with 19 RBIs. He reached base in a team-leading 16 straight games earlier this season. He hit the first two home runs of his career versus Minnesota State (April 6) and Augustana (April 10). 
•Junior Keenan Wenzel is tied for the team-lead with six doubles and ranks second batting .347.
•Sophomore Isaac Nett is hitting .337 with four doubles, three home runs and is tied for team-lead with 19 RBIs. He is tied for the club lead with six stolen bases and earlier this season had an 11-game hitting streak. He ranks fourth on the team with eight multi-hit games.
•Sophomore Chase McDaniel is batting a .304 with three doubles, one triple and six stolen bases. He has a team-leading 10 multi-hit games.
 
•Freshman Owen Latendresse has belted a team-high five home runs, ranks third on the team with 18 RBIs and is hitting .281 with nine multi-hit games.
•Sophomore left-hander Kobe Lovell is 1-0 in nine relief appearances with a 5.87 ERA in 15 1/3 innings with 11 strikeouts.
•Senior right-hander Andy Andresen has appeared in eight games and has a 4.26 ERA in 6 1/3 innings with one save.
•Freshman lefty Ryan Chmielewski is tied for the team-lead with eight starts and has two victories in a team-high 41 2/3 innings with 26 strikeouts.
•Sophomore righty Kolby Kiser has made eight starts and leads the team with 37 strikeouts in 33 2/3 innings.
•Sophomore right-hander Ansen Dulas tied a career-high with six innings pitched in earning a no-decision versus St. Cloud State last Saturday.
 
          MORE MUSTANG STATS
•For career statistics and single-game highs for each Mustang player go to SMSUmustangs.com/baseballcareer.
 
            MUSTANG HISTORY
•Southwest Minnesota State is in its 53^rd season of baseball in 2021.
•SMSU has played 2,122 games compiling an all-time record of 985-1,134-3.
•SMSU has won four NSIC regular season championships, four NSIC Tournament titles and has played in one NCAA Tournament.
 
ABOUT MINOT STATE
•MSU is 19-15 overall, 13-6 NSIC, and enters play on Thursday fourth in the NSIC standings. The Beavers had an 11-game winning streak snapped last Friday losing twice to Northern State in Yankton, S.D.
•Through 34 games, MSU is batting .299, averaging 7.4 runs per game and have a team ERA of 4.33 in 280 1/3 innings with 319 strikeouts.
•The MSU pitching staff ranks 17^th nationally in strikeout-to-walk ratio, 23^rd in strikeouts per nine innings and 35^th in ERA.
•MSU has belted 42 home runs ranking 63^rd in Division II.
•Scott Eul is in his sixth season as head coach of the Beavers.