THIS WEEK: Minot State continues a 10-game NSIC homestand with a midweek matchup with Northern State on Tuesday and a weekend four-game set with Sioux Falls Friday and Saturday. All games are scheduled for Corbett Field. Tuesday against NSU is slated for 12/2:30 p.m., Friday will start at 3/5:30 p.m. and Saturday is back to 12/2:30 p.m.

RECORDS: Minot State comes into the week at 15-11 overall and 10-8 in NSIC play, currently sitting in fifth place. NSU is 12-16 overall and 5-11 in league play, while Sioux Falls is 12-16 and 9-9.

COACHES CORNER: Scott Eul is in his first season as head coach of the baseball program at Minot State and is 15-11 in his young career. Eul joins MSU after spending the past two seasons helping build St. Cloud State into a national powerhouse. Northern State's head coach is Dean Berry, who is in his seventh year with the Wolves. He is 216-247 overall. Grant Hieb is in his first season as the head coach at USF and is 12-16 overall.

FOLLOW THE BEAVERS: MSU provides live video – with Leif Bakken serving as the play-by-play announcer – and live stats at msubeavers.com for all home NSIC games. Minot State Athletics also is active on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and You Tube with all feeds accessible at msubeavers.com/stayconnected.

RANKINGS: None of the three teams are ranked in the latest National Collegiate Baseball Writers' Association Division II Central Region or national poll.

RECENT HISTORY: Minot State went 1-4 last week, but their lone win was a big one, taking down No. 21 ranked Minnesota State to open a four-game set with the league-leaders. MSU dropped a 7-4 decision to NCAA Division I North Dakota State during its lone midweek game before going 1-3 against the Mavericks. Northern State took three of four from visiting Southwest Minnesota State, falling in the series finale. USF split four games with Winona State at home on the weekend winning the second and fourth games in the series.

ALL-TIME AT A GLANCE: Minot State trails both teams in the all-time series. The Beavers trail NSU 10-2 during both team's time as NCAA Division II members and is behind 9-3 against USF since moving to DII.

LAST TIME OUT: Minot State lost five of six games against Northern State last season, including three of four in conference play. The one win, however, was an absolute gem as Tanner Alexander outdueled Colton Boucher in a 1-0 win. Alexander twirled a four-hitter in the shutout. MSU hasn't played USF since splitting a pair of NSIC games in Nebraska against the Cougars in 2014.

NOTING THE WOLVES: Northern State struggled in the middle of its schedule after starting 8-6 in predominantly nonconference games. The Wolves lost three of four to Upper Iowa and were swept by St. Cloud State and Augustana University during that stretch… NSU is led by Ben Carolin who is hitting .344 with 21 hits… Lucas Lorenz has 28 RBIs in 24 games played… Kris Johnson has given up just two earned runs in eight appearances with a save on the season… Luke Chevalier is 202 with a 2.34 ERA in 34.2 innings pitched.

NOTING THE COUGARS: The University of Sioux Falls opened the season just 2-9, but has been solid since, winning five it last seven… Josh Rehwaldt has 28 RBIs, nine doubles, 40 hits and has seven stolen bases to pace the Cougar offense… Connor Merriam has five HRs to lead the team… Dan Johnson has a 2-1 record in eight starts and 23 innings pitched… No player with more than two appearances has an ERA below 4.30 as the Cougars have a 7.77 team ERA.

SOLID SPOT START: It's been two years since Minot State senior Mark LaCroix took the mound to start a game and he made the most of it. LaCroix, who was injured most of 2016, allowed just three runs on six hits in four innings of work to help Minot State to a 10-5 win over nationally ranked Minnesota State. LaCroix did not give up a run until the fourth inning as MSU jumped out to an 8-1 lead after four. He improved to 1-0 on the season.

GOOD AGAINST THE BEST: Minot State's win over Minnesota State was its third win over a ranked opponent in the past two years. The Beavers split with No. 3 St. Cloud State to end the season last year and earned one win over the No. 21 ranked Mavericks this past week.

BY THE NUMBERS

3.59: ERA for Tanner Alexander, 13 th in the Northern Sun. Alexander is 3-2 on the season, earning his first save in the win over Minnesota State.

4: Rank in the NSIC in batting average for senior Jordan Schulz, who comes into the week with a lofty .402 average with 35 hits in 87 at bats.

34: Runs batted in for Michael Borst, who continues to lead the league in the category.