PREVIEWING THIS WEEK
•The Southwest Minnesota State University baseball (0-4, 0-4 NSIC) continues Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference play this Sunday and Monday with a four-game series versus Minnesota Duluth (0-0) at ISG Field in Mankato, Minn.
•The two teams will play a doubleheader on Sunday starting at 2 p.m. with another two games on Monday beginning at 10:30 a.m.
•The series was originally scheduled to be played on Sunday and Monday in Topeka, Kan., but the series was moved due to warm weather and field availability in Mankato. 
•Following this week's games, SMSU will have 10 non-conference games in Tucson, Ariz., from March 2-10, before returning to league play in Marshall on March 23-24 versus Minot State.
•UMD finished 19-28 overall, 12-22 NSIC, last season. The Bulldogs were picked 12^th in the preseason coaches' poll.
 
            GAME COVERAGE
•Live stats and video for all four games will be available at SMSUmustangs.com.
 
            SMSU HEAD COACH
•Jeremy Ische is in his first season as head coach after being named to the position on June 15, 2023. He is the sixth head coach in team history.
•Ische spent the previous five seasons (2019-23) as head coach at Upper Iowa University compiling a record of 57-125. 
•UIU had its best season under Ische in 2023, finishing with a 19-27 record, including 15-19 in NSIC play.
•He was an assistant coach at UIU for two seasons (2017-18) prior to becoming head coach.
•Ische was also an assistant coach at Luther College (2015-16), SMSU (2013-14) and St. Cloud Tech (2012).
 
            SERIES HISTORY VS. MINNESOTA DULUTH
•SMSU and UMD have meet 135 times since the 1977 season with UMD holding a 71-64 all-time advantage.
•The teams split a doubleheader last season in Marshall, with UMD winning 18-6 in game one, before SMSU won game two, 18-13.
•UMD has won 13 of the last 18 games since the 2017 season.  
 
            MUSTANG EXTRA BASES
•SMSU opened NSIC play in the month of February for the first time in program history last Sunday and Monday dropping four games to St. Cloud State in a series played in Council Bluffs, Iowa.
•SMSU batted just .200 in the series and was shutout in game two for the first time since the 2022 season.
•Caleb Gardow had three hits in two games, including belting a two-run home run in game four.
•Chase McDaniel led the Mustangs with five hits in 14 at bats.
•Gardow, Jaxon Hase and Jake Tauer each collected three hits.  
•McDaniel and Brady Petron each had a double in the series.
•Kolby Kiser started game one and tossed 5 2/3 innings with three strikeouts.
•Ryan Chmielewski fired 6 1/3 innings in game three and finished with four strikeouts.
•Shay Endres pitched 5 2/3 innings of relief in game two, striking out four and allowing one run.
•Four pitchers (three transfers and one true freshman) made their Mustang debuts in the season-opening series.
•SMSU is coming off its best season in nine years, finishing 27-17 overall, including finishing fifth place in the NSIC with a record of 19-13 in 2023. Head coach Paul Blanchard retired following the season after 27 seasons as head coach.
•It was SMSU's highest finish in the NSIC standings since placing fourth in 2010. 

                MUSTANGS EARN POSTSEASON HONORS IN 2023
•SMSU had several players receive accolades following the 2023 season.
•Chase McDaniel was named All-NSIC first team, while Kolby Kiser, Ansen Dulas and Keenan Wenzel were all named All-NSIC second team.
•Ryan Chmielewski was selected to the NSIC All-Defensive team and was also named to the ABCA Central Region All-Defensive team.
•McDaniel and Kiser were both named NCBWA All-Region honorable mention, while McDaniel picked-up CCA All-Region second team honors.
 
                NETT NAMED ACADEMIC ALL-AMERICAN
•Isaac Nett was named to 2023 College Sports Communicators Academic All-America® Division II baseball first team as selected by the College Sports Communicators (CSC) last June.
•It's the 28th time in school history and the sixth Mustang baseball student-athlete to earn CSC Academic All-American accolades.  
 
                NSIC SCHEDULE
•The 14-team NSIC schedule will have a different look this year featuring a variety of four-game, three-game and two-game series during the season.
•The schedule format allows for each team to play every opponent at least twice during the regular season.
•SMSU will play five four-game series (SCSU, UMD, MISU, BSU, CSP), four three-game series (UMC, WSU, UMary, MSU) and doubleheaders versus (WSC, NSU, AU, USF).
•All weekday match-ups will be doubleheaders with one seven-inning game and one nine-inning game.
•SMSU is scheduled to play 40 conference games this season.
 
             MORE MUSTANG STATS
•For career statistics and game-highs for each Mustang player go to SMSUmustangs.com/baseballcareer.
 
            SMSU PICKED FIFTH IN NSIC POLL
•Southwest Minnesota State University was picked to finish fifth in the NSIC Preseason Coaches' Poll.
•SMSU senior shortstop Chase McDaniel and senior right-handed pitcher Kolby Kiser were both named 'Players to Watch' in the conference this season.
 
             NSIC TOURNAMENT RETURNS TO NORTH DAKOTA
•The 2024 NSIC Tournament will be held on May 8-11 and hosted by the University of Mary at Veterans Memorial/Municipal Ballparks, in Mandan and Bismarck, N.D.
•The top eight teams in the final regular season standings will qualify for the tournament with the champion earning the league's automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament.
 
            MUSTANG HISTORY
•Southwest Minnesota State is in its 55th season of baseball in 2024.
•SMSU has played 2,184 games compiling an all-time record of 1,021-1,160-3.
•SMSU has won four NSIC regular season championships, four NSIC Tournament titles and has played in one NCAA Tournament.