BSU heads to Arizona for nine-game spring trip schedule

Since the heat won’t come to Bemidji, Minn., the Bemidji State University baseball program will go to the heat for its 2019 spring trip in Tucson, Ariz., March 6-12. The Beavers will play nine games in the Grand Canyon State, including six at the Tucson Baseball Invitational.

Bemidji State opened its season with a win over Rockhurst University, 7-4, before dropping the next three of the four-game series, 4-0, 6-0 and 2-0. The Beavers totaled seven runs over the first two innings of game one before behind held scoreless in each of the next three games. BSU hit .144 from the plate with a .265 on-base percentage and a .955 fielding percentage over the series. The Beavers were 5-for-5 on stolen base attempts.

The pitching staff finished with an ERA of 5.40 and 20 strikeouts through 25.0 innings. Sophomore infielder Caleb Carlson led BSU with four hits and recorded the team’s only extra-base hit of the series. Senior infielder Koty Kissack drove in three RBI in the season-opening win. Junior pitcher Jake Olson earned the win in game one of the series after throwing 4.0 innings with one strikeout. Sophomore pitcher Travis Carruth earned a save in BSU’s victory after throwing the final 3.0 innings with two strikeouts and just two hits allowed, totaling an opposing batting average of .167.

Bemidji State enters the season after being selected to finish 14th overall in the 2019 Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference Preseason Baseball Coaches’ Poll.

The Beavers finished 2018 with an 8-36 record overall and 6-22 mark in conference play. The Beavers ranked eighth in the league with seven triples last season and finished hitting .245 from the plate with a .333 on-base percentage. The pitching staff combined for an 8.29 earned run average while the team finished with a .958 fielding percentage.

BSU returns 13 position players, six relief pitchers, and four starting pitchers from last season.

Senior pitcher Jesse Palafox and junior catcher Isaiah Grancorvitz were selected as BSU’s Players to Watch for the upcoming season.

BSU is led by 14th year head coach Tim Bellew, who is the second winningest coach in Beaver Baseball history with a 211-413-1 record overall. Bellew trails Bob Montebello (1959-87) by 87 wins for the program’s most victories by a head coach.

Former Beaver Baseball student-athlete and assistant coach Matt Ellinghuysen rejoins the coaching staff in 2019 in the same position. He spent the last two seasons at Southwest Minnesota State University after spending the 2014-16 seasons as Bellew’s top assistant.