PREVIEWING WEEKEND
•The Southwest Minnesota State University baseball team (14-26, 7-21 NSIC) closes the 2022 season this Friday and Saturday with a three-game series at Northern State University (15-23, 10-15 NSIC) in Aberdeen, S.D. Friday's doubleheader begins at 1:30 p.m., while Saturday's game is set to start at 2 p.m. All three games will be played at Fossum Field.
•SMSU will look to spoil NSU's attempt to qualify for the eight-team NSIC Tournament next week as the Wolves enter the weekend in ninth place.
 
            GAME COVERAGE
•Live video and stats for the three games will be available at SMSUmustangs.com.
 
            SERIES HISTORY VS. NORTHERN STATE
•SMSU and NSU have meet 142 times since the 1979 season with SMSU holding a 97-45 advantage.
•This will be the first meeting since the two teams split a doubleheader in Webster, S.D., on April 30, 2019.
•Since the 2015 season, NSU holds an 11-6 advantage.
•SMSU head coach Paul Blanchard is 59-23 all-time versus NSU.
 
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 561-556-2, including 321-322 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
•SMSU had its five-game winning streak snapped on Tuesday losing both ends of a doubleheader at Minnesota Duluth, 10-7 and 8-6.
•Sophomore Jaxon Haase had a career-high four hits in the game two loss to UMD.
•Junior Robbie Smith had five combined hits in the twinbill with a three-run homer in game one.
•SMSU is averaging five runs per game, batting .288 with 56 doubles, nine triples and 22 home runs.
•The SMSU pitching staff has an 8.28 ERA in 304 1/3 innings with 272 strikeouts.
•Sophomore Isaac Nett is hitting a team-high .366, leads the club with six home runs and is the team leader with 29 RBIs. He is currently on an 11-game hitting streak (his second 11-game hit streak of the season) and is tied for first on the team with 13 multi-hit games.
•Haase is batting .353 with six doubles, two home runs, ranks second on the team with 28 RBIs and is tied for first with 13 multi-hit games. He reached base in a team-leading 16 straight games earlier this season and has currently reached base in 12 straight games.  
•Junior Keenan Wenzel is tied for the team lead with seven doubles and is third in batting at .324.
•Sophomore Chase McDaniel is batting a .316 with six doubles, one triple and eight stolen bases. He is tied for the team-lead with 13 multi-hit games.
•Smith is batting .286 with seven doubles and has a team-high 11 stolen bases. He has reached base in 12 straight games. He collected a career-high four hits in the game two win over Bemidji State this past Sunday.
•Freshman Owen Latendresse is tied for the team lead with five home runs and is tied for third with 21 RBIs. He suffered an injury on April 27 and will miss the final seven games of the season. Latendresse also pitched in five games with three starts and finished 2-2 with a 6.11 ERA in 17 2/3 innings with 17 strikeouts. He earned the win versus UMary on April 27 recording eight strikeouts in 5 1/3 innings.
•Freshman lefty Ryan Chmielewski has a team-high 10 starts and has three victories in a team-high 54 2/3 innings with 41 strikeouts. He tossed a seven-inning complete game four-hitter versus Minnesota Crookston (April 23) allowing zero earned runs while striking out a career-high 11.
•Sophomore righty Kolby Kiser has made 11 appearances and nine starts and leads the team with 40 strikeouts in 36 1/3 innings.
•Sophomore right-hander Ansen Dulas has pitched six innings in each of his last three starts. He fired a career-high 8 2/3 innings with a career-high 14 strikeouts versus Bemidji State on May 1. He leads the team with 48 strikeouts.
•Dulas' 12.0 strikeout per nine innings ranks second in team single-season history.
•Sophomore left-hander Kobe Lovell is 1-1 in 12 relief appearances with a 4.88 ERA in 24 innings with 20 strikeouts.
•Sophomore right-hander Craig Lasley has a 3.78 ERA in 11 appearances with 11 strikeouts. He recorded his first career save and victory in the April 27 victories versus UMary.
•Freshman righty Brady Petron has pitched 11 2/3 innings in nine games with 13 strikeouts and a 1.54 ERA.
•Senior right-hander Andy Andresen has appeared in 11 games and tossed 10 2/3 innings with one save and one victory.
 
          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 2,133 games compiling an all-time record of 991-1,139-3.
•SMSU has won four NSIC regular season championships, four NSIC Tournament titles and has played in one NCAA Tournament.
 
ABOUT NORTHERN STATE
•NSU, 15-23 overall, 10-15 NSIC, lost both games of a doubleheader at Minnesota Crookston on Wednesday, 2-1 and 7-4.
•NSU is batting .233, averaging 3.9 runs per game and have a team ERA of 5.68 in 305 2/3 innings with 282 strikeouts.
•Dean Berry is in his 12^th season as head coach of the Wolves.