PREVIEWING THIS WEEKEND
•The Southwest Minnesota State University baseball team (16-7, 11-5 NSIC), currently tied for second in the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference, continues league play this Saturday and Sunday with a four-game series versus Concordia University-St. Paul (12-14, 8-8 NSIC) at CSP's Barnes Field in St. Paul, Minn.
•Saturday's doubleheader begins at 1:30 p.m. with Sunday's twinbill beginning at 12 p.m.
•SMSU has won eight straight NSIC games, sweeping NSIC four-game series versus both Bemidji State (March 21-22) and Minot State (March 27-28).
•The last time SMSU played at Barnes Field occurred during the 2016 season.
•Following this weekend, SMSU will have its home opener versus Wayne State on Wednesday, April 9, at Legion Field.
GAME COVERAGE
•Live stats and video for the four games 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 43-30. 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. CONCORDIA-ST. PAUL
•CSP leads the all-time series, 42-33, with the first match-up occurring during the 1981 season.
•SMSU won three of four during the regular season last year in Marshall in April, but CSP ended SMSU's season in the losers' bracket of the NSIC tournament in Mandan, N.D.
•The two clubs did not meet in NSIC play in 2023 … CSP swept a three-game series in 2022 played in Sioux City, Iowa, while SMSU won two of three during the 2021 season.
LAMPERT EARNS NSIC HONORS FOR SECOND STRAIGHT WEEK
•Junior outfielder
Levi Lampert was named the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference Player of the Week on Monday. It's the second straight week he has earned the award.
•In five games versus South Dakota State and Minot State, Lampert batted .571 (12 for 21) with four home runs, four doubles, eight RBIs, 15 runs scored and 28 total bases. He walked five times, was hit by two pitches, and stole two bases to close the week with a 1.333 slugging pct. and an on-base pct. of .667.
SMSU NOTES
•As a team, the Mustangs are batting .304 and scoring eight runs per game. SMSU pitchers are carrying a 4.15 ERA with 167 strikeouts in 180 innings of work. The Mustangs have made 27 errors in 772 total chances (.965 fielding pct.).
•SMSU has belted six grand slams this season.
•Junior
Levi Lampert has reached base in all 23 games and is batting .444 with a team-leading 36 hits. He has collected a team-high nine doubles, a team-leading eight home runs and is tied for the team lead with 24 RBIs. He has walked a team-high 20 times. He has a team-high 11 multi-hit games and team leading seven multi-RBI games.
•Lampert hit home runs in four consecutive games last week versus Minot State. He is the first SMSU player to hit home runs in four straight games since Austin Stubbs in 2015.
•Freshman
Jared Cortez is batting a .403 with seven doubles, three home runs and 20 RBIs.
•Junior
Evan Behn is hitting .358 with four doubles, three home runs and 18 RBIs.
•Junior
Cory Bantam is tied for first with 24 RBIs and is batting .356.
•Junior
Henry Hammrich, junior
Tyler Froland and junior
Carter Lang have all belted five home runs to rank second on the team.
•Senior
Carter Petron has a 1.80 ERA in 25 innings with 26 strikeouts compiling a 4-1 record in five starts.
•Freshman
Jameson Quinn is 3-1 in five starts with a team-high 34 strikeouts in 29 1/3 innings.
•Senior
Ryan Chmielewski is 3-1 in five starts with a 4.25 ERA collecting 32 strikeouts in 29 2/3 innings.
•Senior
Jerod Cyrus has pitched in eight games recording 14 strikeouts in 16 1/3 innings with a 2.20 ERA.
•Senior
Cameron Jensen has three saves in eight appearances with a 0.77 ERA in 11 2/3 innings.
•Senior
Bennett Knapper has appeared in a team-high 10 games and carries a 3.09 ERA.
MUSTANGS IN THE RECORD BOOK
•Senior
Ryan Chmielewski ranks fifth in team history with 198 strikeouts and is eighth all-time in innings pitched at 204 2/3.
•Senior
Cameron Jensen is tied for sixth all-time with six saves.
•Senior
Owen Latendresse is tied for first all-time with 12 triples along with Mark Lickfelt (1995-98), ranks eighth in hit by pitches with 29 and is 15
th in base hits with 170.
SMSU IN THE NCAA STATS
•In the NCAA statistics (April 1), the SMSU pitching staff ranks eighth in hits allowed per nine innings (7.95), 15
th in WHIP (1.34) and 19
th in ERA (4.15).
•The SMSU offense is 11
th in home runs per game (1.61), 25
th in slugging pct. (.518) and 42
nd in home runs (37).
•
Carter Petron ranks 18
th in hits allowed per nine innings (5.7) and 18
th in ERA (1.80).
•
Levi Lampert ranks fifth in on base pct. (.578), 11
th in slugging pct. (.852), 14
th in runs (1.48) and 16
th in batting average (.444).
SMSU PICKED NINTH IN NSIC POLL
•SMSU was picked to finish ninth 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 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 in Sioux Falls, S.D., and hosted by the University of Sioux Falls and Augustana University.
•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 2,254 games compiling a record of 1,064-1,187-3.
•SMSU has won four NSIC championships (1974, 1994, 1996, 2002 ), four NSIC tournament titles (1996, 1997, 1999, 2002) and has played in one NCAA tournament (2009).
