Poor weather in Bemidji, Minn., forced the Bemidji State University baseball program to push up its four-game series against Augustana University while also moving the series to Sioux Falls, S.D. The Beavers and No. 11 Vikings will begin its four-game series Thursday, March 29 at 3 p.m. with the final doubleheader starting Friday, March 30 at 12 p.m. at Ronken Field.
Bemidji State returned from a week hiatus after its spring trip to a sweep to Concordia University-St. Paul, 9-0 and 4-0, in Minnetonka, Minn., at Veterans Field. The Beavers totaled seven hits between the two games while allowing 19 to the Golden Bears. CSP’s pitching staff combined for two complete games to stifle BSU.
BSU left 11 total runners stranded on base, including five Beavers who reached base on walks and one on a hit by pitch. Bemidji State is hitting .221 from the plate, slugging .283 and holds a .325 on-base percentage during the season. On the base paths, the Beavers have stolen 18 bases, which ranks sixth in the NSIC, on 22 attempts.
The Beaver pitching staff holds an ERA of 7.17 with an opposing batting average of .315.
BSU enters 2018 under 13th year head coach Tim Bellew, who is the second winningest coach in Beaver Baseball history with a 206-388-1 record overall.
The Vikings enter 2018 under 10-year head coach Tim Huber. Senior pitcher David Flattery is coming off being named the NSIC’s Pitcher of the Week after throwing eight shutout innings against University of Minnesota Crookston while allowing one hit with 13 strikeouts.
Augustana went 4-0 during its last full week of action with two wins against Minnesota Crookston and Briar Cliff College. The Vikings are hitting .321 from the plate with a .459 slugging percentage, .393 on-base percentage and have scored 146 runs on the season.
The AU pitching staff holds an ERA of 2.92 and is holding opposing hitters to a .201 batting average. The throwers hold a strikeout-to-walk ratio of 188-to-65.
Augustana leads the NSIC in batting average, runs, hits (211), doubles (43), fielding percentage (.974), ERA, strikeouts and saves (6).