FULL PDF RELEASE  |  LIVE STATS (WHEN AVAILABLE)

THIS WEEK: The Minot State University baseball team will make their annual spring trip south as they head to Tucson, Ariz. for the 2014 Tucson Invitational Games . The Beavers will play nine games over seven days including matchups against St. Cloud State University and Southwest Minnesota State University in non-conference action.

RECORDS: The Minot State is currently 2-2 overall with a 0-0 mark in the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference. MISU will face six different opponent sin the 2014 Tucson Invitational Games which have a combined record of 23-25 as of March 4.

COACHES CORNER: Minot State's Brock Weppler is in his seventh season as head coach of the Beavers, leading the Beavers into their second season in the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference in 2014. In 2013 Weppler led MISU to a 15-23 finish but had one of the best offensive teams in the entire NSIC. Weppler's hitters ranked fifth in the conference with a .295 batting average and scored and average of 4.46 runs per game. Weppler sports a career record of 83-155 and led the Beavers to victories over their first ever opponents receiving votes in the NCAA Division II poll as MISU defeated Wayne State College on Feb. 23 in Pittsburg, Kan.

FOLLOW THE BEAVERS: There will be no live broadcast of video stream of any of the 2014 Tucson Invitational Games. However, officials from Minot State University will provide live stats as well as links social media outlets at msubeavers.com. Minot State Athletics and Minot State University Baseball are also active on Facebook, Twitter and You Tube with all feeds accessible at msubeavers.com/stayconnected.

RANKINGS: Minot State did not receive any votes in the Mar. 3 NCAA Division II Collegiate Baseball Poll. The only opponent the Beavers will face at the Tucson Invitational Games that received votes in the poll will be St. Cloud State who 138 points and is currently ranked No. 22 in all of NCAA Division II.

RECENT HISTORY: The Beavers opened their 2014 campaign with a four-game, non-conference series against traditional NSIC power, Wayne State College. MISU dropped the first two games on the series on Saturday Feb. 22, losing game one 17-1 and game two 7-6. However, the Beavers responded nicely on Sunday Feb. 23 with two big wins to even their record at 2-2 for the season. Minot State defeated the Wildcats in game three 3-0 before beating WSC 7-4 on a walk off home run in the series finale.

NOTING THE OPPONENTS: Minot State will face six different opponents during the 2014 Tucson Invitational Games, three from NCAA Division II and three from NAIA. The six teams have a collective record of 23-25 during the 2014 season.

TEAM	RECORD	AFFILIATION	CONFERENCE	BATTING AVG.	ERA
Malone University	1-1	NCAA D2	GLAIC
Dakota Wesleyan University	2-4	NAIA	GPAC
Briar Cliff University	2-6	NAIA	GPAC
St. Cloud State University	6-2	NCAA D2	NSIC	.341	3.36
Southwest Minnesota State	1-3	NCAA D2	NSIC	.266	5.45
Westmont College	11-9	NAIA	GSAC

BEGAY BELTS WALK OFF: In the fourth and finale of game of the season-opening series against Wayne Stat College, A.J. Begay (Sr., 3B, Salt Lake City, Utah) knocked a three-run home run, the first of his Minot State career, to give the Beavers a 7-4 walk off win. Begay leads Minot State with six total bases after four games on the young 2014 season.

NSIC PITCHER OF THE WEEK: Sophomore Austin Berntson (P, Minot, N.D.) was named Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference Pitcher of the week on Tuesday Feb. 25. He phenomenal in his season debut as he tossed a complete-game shutout over Wayne State College. He led the Beavers to a 3-0 non-conference win, their first of the season. He struck out a career-high eight WSC batters while allowing just six hits and didn't walk a batter during the game.

WELCOME TO THE SHOW: After redshirting his first season at Minot State, Paul Vogelsang (R-Fr., C, Regina, Saskatchewan) was anxious to play in his first collegiate game. It was well worth the wait as Vogelsang knocked a solo home run during his first at bat of his career to give MISU a 1-0 lead over WSC. That run ended up as the game-winning run as the Beavers shutout Wayne State 3-0.

2014 SENIORS: Minot State will have five seniors on this year's squad, compiled of four position players and one pitcher. Sean Arbaut (Inf., Tehachapi, Calif.), A.J. Begay (3B, Salt Lake City, Utah), Connor Moughtin (C, Victoria, British Columbia) and Tyler Stevenson (OF, Cheyenne, Wyo.) make up the position players as Jamin Heller (P, Lethbridge, Alberta) is the lone senior pitcher on the MISU staff.