MARSHALL, Minn. – The Southwest Minnesota State University baseball team (21-11, 13-9 NSIC) continues play at home on Wednesday afternoon facing the University of Minnesota Duluth (15-22, 8-16 NSIC) in a doubleheader starting at 1:30 p.m. at Legion Field in Marshall.
     SMSU is currently in seventh-place in the NSIC standings, while UMD is in 12^th place. The Mustangs are coming off a three-game sweep over Bemidji State this past Sunday and Monday and have won six of their last seven and 13 of 17 since starting league play 0-5.   
     SMSU's 21 victories is the program's highest since winning 21 in 2015. The program's last winning season same in 2014, when the squad finished 27-23 and qualified for the NSIC Tournament.
     Following Wednesday's games, SMSU is scheduled to play a three-game series at Northern State on Saturday and Sunday.
     UMD earned a 3-2 victory at Minot State on Monday to salvage one game in a three-game set versus MSU.
 
            GAME COVERAGE
•Live stats and video for both games will be available at SMSUmustangs.com.
 
            SMSU HEAD COACH
•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 585-567-2, including 337-331 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. MINNESOTA DULUTH
•SMSU and UMD have meet 133 times since the 1977 season with UMD holding a 70-63 all-time advantage.
•UMD has won six of the last seven games, including winning three of four last season. The teams split a non-conference doubleheader at US Bank Stadium in March, before UMD won two NSIC games in Duluth on May 3.  
 
            MUSTANG EXTRA BASES
•SMSU is averaging 7.6 runs per game and batting .314.
•Jaxon Haase leads the club with seven home runs and ranks second with 31 RBIs. He collected his 100^th career hit in the win over Bemidji State on April 24.
•Chase McDaniel is batting a team-high .395 with a team-leading 51 hits and a team-high 19 multi-hit games. He is on a current nine-game hitting streak.
•Isaac Nett is hitting .350 and ranks fourth on the team with 36 hits and is tied for second with five home runs.
•Owen Latendresse has nine multi-RBI games and is first with 32 RBIs, while batting .320.
•Peyton Nash is hitting .360 in 23 games with seven doubles, 20 RBIs and has eight multi-RBI games.
•Keenan Wenzel is batting .364 in 22 games with 28 hits, including four doubles and 18 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.
•Robbie Smith has four triples, 10 hit by pitches and has walked 10 times in 28 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.
•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 1,000th in program history.
 
            NOTES FROM THE BUMP
•SMSU has a team ERA of 4.80 in 257 innings with 252 strikeouts with opponents averaging 5.2 runs per game and batting .268.
•Ansen Dulas (3-1) has a 2.81 ERA in 41 2/3 innings in seven starts with 27 strikeouts. Dulas' 0.86 walks per nine innings ranks first in team single-season history and currently ranks first in Division II (April 24).
•Brady Brosz has a 4.22 ERA in 10 2/3 innings with 13 strikeouts, one victory and three saves.
•Kolby Kiser (3-1) leads the team with 58 strikeouts in 37 2/3 innings. He has struck out a career-high 10 in three games this season. Kiser's 13.8 strikeouts per nine innings ranks first in team single-season history.
•Ryan Chmielewski (3-1) is second on the team with 43 strikeouts in 40 2/3 innings and a 3.32 ERA.
•Carter Petron is 2-1 with a 3.90 ERA in 27 2/3 innings with 16 strikeouts.
•SMSU has used 18 pitchers this season.