PREVIEWING THIS WEEK
•The Southwest Minnesota State University baseball (2-6, 2-6 NSIC) steps out of Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference play during the next week with 10 non-conference games in Tucson, Ariz., from March 2-10. SMSU will play its games at the Kino Sports Complex as part of the Tucson Invitational. 
•SMSU will open the week taking on Malone (Ohio) on Saturday for a 2 p.m. CST doubleheader., before facing Adam State (Colo.) on Sunday (2 p.m. CST), Dakota Wesleyan (S.D.) on Monday (5:30 p.m. CST) and Walsh (Ohio) on Tuesday (10:30 a.m. CST) for single games.
•Following a day off on Wednesday, SMSU will play Dickinson State (N.D.) on Thursday, March 7 (1:30 p.m. CST) for one game before two games on Friday, March 8, versus Saginaw Valley State (Mich.) at 2 p.m. CST and Walsh at 5:30 p.m. CST.  SMSU has Saturday, March 9, off before closing the trip on Sunday, March 10, versus Macalester at 3 p.m. CDT and Hamline at 6:30 p.m. CDT.
•SMSU returns to NSIC play on March 23-24 in Marshall taking on Minot State in a four-game series at Legion Field.
 
            GAME COVERAGE
•Live stats for all 10 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. TUCSON OPPONENTS
•SMSU is 5-6 all-time versus Malone with the two teams splitting a pair of games last season … SMSU defeated Adams State last season in the first-ever meeting … SMSU defeated DWU twice last season and is 5-2 all-time … SMSU defeated Walsh last season and is 2-0 all-time … SMSU beat Dickinson State a season ago with the series now tied 1-1 … SMSU feat SVSU in the lone meeting during the 1997 season … SMSU is 2-0-1 all-time versus Macalester and will be playing the Scots for the first time since 1972 … SMSU and Hamline are playing for the first time ever.
 
            MUSTANG EXTRA BASES
•SMSU split a four-game NSIC series versus Minnesota Duluth last Sunday and Monday played in Mankato, Minn. SMSU won the opening game of the series on Sunday, 9-1, before UMD rallied in game two with three runs in the bottom of the ninth to win 8-7. SMSU earned an 8-2 extra-inning win in game three on Monday, before UMD rallied from a 5-0 deficit in game four to win 14-5.
•SMSU is averaging 4.2 runs per game and batting .243.
•SMSU has a team ERA of 8.19 in 59 1/3 innings with 61 strikeouts. Opponents averaging 7.5 runs per game and batting .321.
•Chase McDaniel led the Mustangs last weekend versus UMD batting .467 with a double, home run and four RBIs. He hit a 2-run home run in the eighth inning of game three to snap a 2-2 tie and help SMSU earn an 8-2 extra inning victory. He is batting a team-high .414 with two doubles and 17 total bases.
•Keenan Wenzel and Max Kalenberg both finished the series batting .357. Kalenberg had five RBIs including a three-run home run in game one of the series.
•Kolby Kiser earned the victory in game one tossing a seven-inning complete game four-hitter with a career-high 13 strikeouts
•Ryan Chmielewski pitched six-plus innings in game three recording eight strikeouts.
•SMSU is coming off its best season in nine years in 2023, finishing 27-17 overall, including finishing fifth place in the NSIC with a record of 19-13. 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 2,188 games compiling an all-time record of 1,023-1,162-3.
•SMSU has won four NSIC regular season championships, four NSIC Tournament titles and has played in one NCAA Tournament.