LEADING OFF
•The Southwest Minnesota State University baseball team (12-8, 4-6 NSIC) continues Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference play this Sunday and Monday with a three-game series versus Upper Iowa University (10-10, 6-3 NSIC) in Fayette, Iowa.
•The three-game set was originally scheduled to be played at Legion Field in Marshall on Saturday and Sunday, but is being relocated and delayed to Sunday and Monday due to weather and field conditions.
•SMSU has now had eight 'home' games relocated this season.
•SMSU is coming off a doubleheader split with Sioux Falls on Wednesday in Sioux City, Iowa, while UIU split two games with St. Cloud State on Tuesday.
GAME COVERAGE
•Live stats and video for all three games will be available at SMSUmustangs.com.
SMSU HEAD COACH
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Paul Blanchard, the all-time leader in victories at SMSU, is in his 27th and final season as head coach and has an overall record of 576-564-2, including 328-328 in conference play.
•On Feb. 19, Blanchard announced he will retire from coaching following the conclusion of the 2023 season.
•During his tenure, 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.
SERIES HISTORY VS. UPPER IOWA
•SMSU and UIU have meet 51 times since the 2005 season with UIU holding a 27-24 all-time advantage.
•UIU won two of three games the last time the teams played in 2021 and have won seven of the last 10 since the 2017.
•All 10 games since the 2017 season have been played in Fayette. The last time UIU played in Marshall was during the 2016 season.
MUSTANG EXTRA BASES
•SMSU is averaging 7.4 runs per game and batting .305.
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Keenan Wenzel is batting .380 in 14 games with 19 hits, including three doubles and 13 RBIs. Wenzel had six RBIs in a win over Dakota Wesleyan on March 6 becoming the first SMSU player since 2020 to drive in six runs.
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Chase McDaniel is batting .350 with a team-leading 28 hits and a team-high 11 multi-hit games. He had a nine-game hitting streak earlier this season.
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Owen Latendresse has six multi-RBI games and leads the team with 24 RBIs, while batting .333.
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Peyton Nash is hitting .405 in 12 games with six doubles, 13 RBIs and is tied for the team lead with six multi-RBI games.
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Jaxon Haase is tied for team lead with four home runs and ranks second with 19 RBIs.
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Robbie Smith has four triples, nine hit by pitches and has walked 10 times in 19 games. He tied a program single-game record with four walks in a win over Sioux Falls on March 29. He also tied a school single-game record with two triples versus Malone on March 10.
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Isaac Nett ranks fourth on the team with 21 hits and is tied for the team-lead with four home runs.
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Max Kalenberg tied a school record with five runs scored in a win over Dakota Wesleyan on March 6. He is the eighth Mustang all-time and the first since the 2004 season to score five runs in a game.
•SMSU opened the season winning eight of 10 games at the Tucson Invitational from March 4-13. The 8-2 start following 10 games is the program's best since beginning the 2009 season with a 9-1 record.
•SMSU's victory on March 10 versus Malone (Ohio) was the 1,000
th in program history.
NOTES FROM THE BUMP
•SMSU has a team ERA of 4.84 in 163 2/3 innings with 171 strikeouts with opponents averaging 5.2 runs per game.
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Ansen Dulas has a 3.43 ERA in 21 innings in four starts with 15 strikeouts.
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Brady Brosz has a 1.29 ERA in seven innings with 12 strikeouts and three saves.
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Kolby Kiser leads the team with 36 strikeouts in 20 2/3 innings. He has struck out a career-high 10 in two games this season.
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Ryan Chmielewski is second on the team with 24 strikeouts in 22 2/3 innings.
•SMSU has used 17 pitchers this season.
