Beaver Baseball begins 2021 season with opening games of spring trip
The Bemidji State University baseball team returns to the diamond for its 2021 season opener March 6 in a doubleheader against the University of Minnesota Crookston and William Jewell College during the opening games of its spring trip in Fort Scott, Kan.
Bemidji State vs. Minnesota Crookston
Who: Bemidji State (0-0, 0-0 NSIC) vs. Minnesota Crookston (0-0, 0-0 NSIC)
When: Saturday, March 6 (2 p.m.)
Where: Fort Scott, Kansas (LaRoche Baseball Complex)
Series History Under Bellew
Overall Record: BSU leads, 21-12
Neutral Record: BSU leads, 7-1
Bemidji State vs. William Jewell
Who: Bemidji State (0-0, 0-0 NSIC) vs. William Jewell (0-0, 0-0 GLVC)
When: Saturday, March 6 (5 p.m.)
Where: Fort Scott, Kansas (LaRoche Baseball Complex)
Series History Under Bellew
Overall Record: WJC leads, 9-2
Neutral Record: Never played
Bemidji State enters the season after being selected to finish 15th overall in the 2021 Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference Preseason Baseball Coaches’ Poll. The Beavers played just 12 games (2-12) during the shortened 2020 season. BSU opened the year with back-to-back wins against Rockhurst University, 4-3 and 8-0, on Feb. 21 at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis. Bemidji State was taken down in the finale of a three-game series against Rockhurst before falling in four straight to William Jewell Feb. 28-March 1 in Liberty, Mo. BSU then traveled to Tucson, Ariz., for its spring trip before the season was canceled due to COVID-19 on March 12.
Bemidji State ranked third in the NSIC last season in total walks (67), fourth in walks allowed per nine innings (3.83), and ranked fifth in stolen bases (19) and triples (4). As a team, the Beavers hit .264 from the plate with a .336 slugging percentage and a .384 on-base percentage. BSU totaled 51 RBI with 61 total runs scored on 102 hits from the plate.
On the mound, BSU totaled an 8.52 ERA in 94.0 innings pitched with 72 strikeouts and 40 walks allowed with a .358 opponent batting average.
Senior Noah Boser and junior Hunter Lake were selected as BSU’s Players to Watch for the upcoming season. Boser started the 2020 season hot from the plate and led BSU hitting .409 from the plate with 18 hits, 11 runs, seven walks, four RBI, four triples, four steals and two walks. He also tallied a .962 fielding percentage with one error and 25 putouts. During BSU’s opening-day sweep over Rockhurst, Boser went 5-of-7 from the plate with two triples and one RBI. Lake has made two appearances throughout his career, both coming last season as a pinch hitter and third baseman.
BSU enters under 16th year head coach Tim Bellew, who is the second winningest coach in Beaver Baseball history with a 220-458-1 record overall. Bellew trails Bob Montebello (1959-87) by 78 wins for the program’s most victories by a head coach.
Three former Beaver Baseball student-athletes join Bellew on the coaching staff, led by head assistant coach Matt Ellinghuysen. 2021 is Ellinghuysen’s sixth season behind Bellew and is joined by Jesse Palafox and Dan Bennett as assistant coaches.