Beaver Fever Friday – Derek Hoffman – Baseball

Beavers to host first home series at BSU Baseball Field Noon Wednesday

BSU Baseball hosts first home games at BSU Baseball Field Wednesday

The Bemidji State University Baseball team will play its first home series of the 2024 season Wednesday and hosts University of Minnesota Duluth for a Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference doubleheader at BSU Baseball Field beginning at Noon.

The Beavers moved forward the start of their doubleheader with the Bulldogs in an attempt to avoid forecasted rain in the late afternoon.

The teams will play a scheduled seven-inning game to start the doubleheader with game two nine innings slated to begin around 2 p.m. Each game will be streamed online at www.NSICNetwork.com/bsubeavers with play-by-play provided by Brian Schultz and Kevin Reid and can also be found online at www.beaverradionetwork.com.

Bemidji State enters the weekend 1-29 on the season and 0-20 in NSIC play and are looking to end a 19-game losing streak. The Bulldogs are 9-20 on the season, 5-15 in league play and sit five games ahead of the Beavers in the NSIC standings.

The Beavers are looking to rebound after being swept in four games at University of Sioux Falls this past weekend while the Bulldogs are looking to bounce back from a 1-3 weekend against Wayne State College in Duluth, Minn., and Superior, Wis.

BSU is led at the plate by junior Zach Evenson who is batting .272 with 22 hits in 81 at bats. His four home runs this season leads the team as well as his 11 RBI. He has also hit three doubles and totaled 37 bases while earning a team-high 13 walks. He is followed by senior Jack Munson who is batting .257 with a team-high 26 hits in 101 at bats. His seven doubles pace the Beavers and has driven in nine runs for second most on the team.

Junior Derek Hoffman leads the Beaver pitching staff with 28.1 innings pitched and is 0-6 with a 13.66 EAR in seven starts and has one complete game. His 23 strikeouts lead the Beavers and is coming off the best start of his career pitching in a career-high six innings and allowed just three runs off six hits and struck out three.

Freshman Jacob Smith follows with 27.2 innings pitched and leads the Beavers starters with a 10.08 ERA over six starts.