The Bemidji State University baseball team welcomes in Augustana University for its official home opener April 2-3 at BSU Baseball Field. The Beavers and Vikings open the weekend with a doubleheader at 1:30 p.m. Friday before closing out the three-game series at 12 p.m. Sunday.
Who: Bemidji State (2-13, 1-9 NSIC) vs. Augustana (10-4, 6-4 NSIC)
When: Friday, April (1:30/3:30 p.m.)/Saturday, April 3 (12 p.m.)
Where: Bemidji, Minn. (BSU Baseball Field)
Series History Under Bellew
Overall Record: AU leads, 26-6
Record in Bemidji: AU leads, 7-1
Record in Sioux Falls: AU leads, 14-3
Record at Neutral Site: AU leads, 5-2
Bemidji State enters the weekend after going 1-4 during its last week of games at the University of Sioux Falls and Upper Iowa University.
BSU notched its first NSIC win of the season to start the three-game series against USF, taking down the Cougars, 18-11. Sioux Falls followed up with wins of 4-0 and 9-3 to close out the weekend on Sunday, March 28.
Bemidji State came alive during the seventh inning of its win over Sioux Falls, scoring seven runs on three hits and three walks. USF made three pitching changes in the inning as BSU reached eight straight batters on base after a lead-off fly out. Junior Sam Kalberer earned an RBI on a bases loaded walk to bring the Beavers within one run before freshman Zach Listiak hit a go-ahead, two-RBI double to left field. Sophomore Michael O’Malley followed with a two-RBI single to center field to give the Beavers a 13-10 lead. Junior pitcher Kenny Morris (1-0) earned the win after throwing the final 4.0 innings with one earned run allowed on two hits.
The Cougars held the Beavers to less than four hits in both of its losses on Sunday, although BSU came back from a 3-0 deficit in game three with a three-run fourth inning. USF went on to score six runs between the bottom of the fourth and the seventh innings while keeping BSU off the scoreboard.
The Peacocks of UIU swept the Beavers during a Tuesday doubleheader in Fayette, Iowa, 4-1 and 9-6.
Senior Noah Boser accounted for BSU’s only run in game one against UIU with a solo shot in the top of the sixth inning. Freshman pitcher Will Lavin (0-3) threw a complete game with 6.0 innings, four strikeouts, two walks and three earned runs allowed. Bemidji State overcame another 3-0 deficit with a six-run third inning, but saw Upper Iowa tie the game at 6-6 with three runs in the bottom half. The Peacocks crossed one run in the fifth inning and two in the seventh while the Beavers were only able to reach base once after the third inning.
Sophomore Tom Keohen enters the weekend with a team-high 12 hits, including five extra-base hits, and also leads the team with 14 RBI. Senior Isaiah Grancorvitz follows Keohen with seven RBI while junior Parker Borg leads qualifying players on BSU with a .286 batting average. Borg is also tied with Boser and O’Malley for a team-high three stolen bases.
Morris leads the BSU pitching staff with a 4.67 ERA in a team-high 17.1 innings pitched. He’s accounted for 11 strikeouts and is holding opponents to a .257 batting average. Lavin leads the team with 16 strikeouts in four appearances with three starts.
Heading into the weekend, Bemidji State ranks ninth in the conference with 68 runs scored, 10th with 89 hits and 16 stolen bases, 11th with 22 extra-base hits, and 14th with a .202 batting average.
The Beaver pitching staff ranks sixth in the NSIC with 103 strikeouts and 15th with a 12.25 ERA, 181 hits allowed, 80 walks allowed and 147 earned runs allowed.