PREVIEWING THIS WEEK
•The Southwest Minnesota State University baseball team (12-6, 7-5 NSIC) steps out of conference play on Tuesday afternoon with a non-conference matchup versus Division I South Dakota State University (3-16, 2-4 Summit League) starting at 3 p.m. at Erv Huether Field in Brookings.
•This will be the first meeting between the two schools since SMSU earned a 7-6 victory in Brookings on April 4, 2006.
•SMSU is coming off a four-game NSIC sweep of Bemidji State last Friday and Saturday in Brandon, S.D.
•Following Tuesday's game, SMSU returns to conference play on Saturday and Sunday with a four-game series at Minot State.
 
            GAME COVERAGE
•Live stats and video for the game will be available at SMSUmustangs.com.
 
SMSU HEAD COACH
•Jeremy Ische, the sixth head coach in team history, is in his second season with a record of 39-29. He was named to the position on June 15, 2023.
•SMSU finished 27-23 overall in 2024 and placed sixth in the NSIC at 20-19. SMSU won its opening game at the NSIC tournament, earning the program's first conference tournament victory since the 2014 season.
•Prior to SMSU, Ische spent 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. SOUTH DAKOTA STATE
•SDSU is 54-31 all-time versus SMSU with Tuesday's game the first since the 2006 season.
•SMSU earned a 7-6 win on April 4, 2006, and has won six of the last eight games dating back to 2003.
 
LAMPERT EARNS NSIC HONOR
•Junior outfielder Levi Lampert was named the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference Player of the Week on Monday following his play in four Mustang victories over Bemidji State this past Friday and Saturday in Brandon, S.D.
•Lampert batted a team-high .538 (7 for 13) with two home runs, one double, eight RBIs, seven runs scored and 14 total bases. He walked three times, was hit by two pitches and stole two bases to close the weekend with a 1.077 slugging pct. and an on base pct. of .667.
 
SMSU NOTES
•As a team, the Mustangs are batting .281 and scoring 6.5 runs per game to date. SMSU pitchers are carrying a 3.42 ERA with 130 strikeouts in 142 innings of work. The Mustangs have made 22 errors in 606 total chances (.964 fielding pct.).
•Freshman Jared Cortez is batting a team-high .407.
•Junior Levi Lampert has reached base in all 18 games and is batting .400 with a team-leading 24 hits. He has collected a team-high five doubles and has walked a team-high 15 times. He has a team-high seven multi-hit games and team leading five multi-RBI games.
•Junior Tyler Froland has belted a team-high five home runs.
•Junior Evan Behn is hitting .378 with four doubles, one home run and 10 RBIs.
•Junior Cory Bantam leads the club with 18 RBIs and is batting .283.
•Junior Henry Hammrich has hit four home runs and is third on the team with 13 RBIs.
•Senior Ryan Chmielewski is 3-1 in four starts with a 2.96 ERA collecting 29 strikeouts in 27 1/3 innings.
•Senior Carter Petron has a 0.43 ERA in 21 innings with 22 strikeouts compiling a 3-1 record in four starts.
•Senior Jerod Cyrus has pitched in six games and has not allowed a run in 12 1/3 innings with nine strikeouts.
•Senior Bennett Knapper has appeared in a team-high seven games and has allowed zero earned runs in eight innings.
•Freshman Jameson Quinn recorded a career-high 10 strikeouts in a career-high seven innings to earn the win over Bemidji State last Friday.
 
            SMSU IN THE NCAA STATS
•In the NCAA statistics (March 23), the SMSU pitching staff ranks sixth in ERA (3.32), third in hits allowed per nine innings (7.48) and sixth in WHIP (1.22).
•Carter Petron ranks second in ERA (0.43) and seventh in hits allowed per nine innings (4.7).
•Ryan Chmielewski ranks 25^th in hit allowed per nine innings (5.9).
•Levi Lampert ranks 29^th in on base pct. (.549).
 
            SMSU PICKED NINTH IN NSIC POLL
•SMSU was picked to finish fifth in the NSIC Preseason Coaches' Poll.
•SMSU senior outfielder/pitcher Owen Latendresse and senior right-handed relief pitcher Cameron Jensen were both named 'Players to Watch' this season.
 
NSIC SCHEDULE
•The 14-team NSIC schedule will have feature 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, BSU, MISU, CSP), four three-game series (UMC, WSU, UMary, MSU) and doubleheaders versus (WSC, NSU, AU, USF).
•All weekday matchups 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.
 
             NSIC TOURNAMENT RETURNS TO SOUTH DAKOTA
•The 2025 NSIC Tournament will be held on May 7-10 and hosted by the University of Sioux Falls and Augustana University in Sioux Falls, S.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
•SMSU is in its 56^th season of baseball in 2025.
•SMSU has played 2,249 games compiling a record of 1,060-1,186-3.
•SMSU has won four NSIC regular season championships, four NSIC tournament titles and has played in one NCAA tournament.