ROSEVILLE, Minn. – It's time for some NSIC baseball, and if it seems like the Beavers just started the season, they did actually.
But with a new schedule for NSIC teams who will play two early-season, neutral-site conference series, that means its time to open league play for Minot State which heads to the University of Northwestern – St. Paul's Reynolds Field to take on Concordia, St. Paul on Sunday and Monday.
The game dates and location have been updated from what was originally scheduled as the Beavers (1-3 overall) now will play doubleheaders in Roseville, Minnesota on Sunday and Monday, February 25 and 26, against the Golden Bears (3-0) with first pitch each day at noon.
Minot State comes in having won 1-oo-3 in Colorado to open its season, that one win a 20-5 rout of Regis.
Aside from that one outstanding outing, the Beavers battled to find their on-field rhythm as Minot State hit .299 and plated 16 runs in the other three games of the series combined.
Meanwhile on the mound, the Minot State pitchers also battled through 23 walks and 15 hit batters which helped the Beavers on-field foe, Regis.
Cameron Bagshaw led the Beavers on the bump as he was 1-0 in two appearances, working 2 1/3 innings and allowing 1 unearned run while striking out two.
Offensively,
Mark Ossanna went 5-for-8 with an RBI in three games,
Ricky Apodaca was a blistering 8-for-13 with 5 RBIs in three games battling, and
Gunnar Kozlowitz added a 4-for-15 weekend with a team-high 7 RBIs. Apodaca also started one game on the hill, pitching 2 1/3 innings, allowing one run and striking out three.
As for the Golden Bears, their season started much differently in Kansas as they swept three games from the Newman Jets, 18-4, 25-17, and 18-10 as Concordia, St. Paul hit .397 as a team with 6 home runs.
Leading the way were a trio of Golden Bears who three games into the season already have double-digit RBIs each, Jaden Werner (9-for-14 with 10 RBIs), Bennett McCollow (7-for-13 with 12 RBIs), and Mason Nadolney (7-for-16 with 4 home runs and 15 RBIs).
While the Concordia, St. Paul offense clicked, the Golden Bears pitching staff did allow the Jets to get rolling, as well, as Newman hit .342, benefitted from 14 free bases in the three games, and averaged 10.34 runs per game, opening the door for Minot State's bats to get on track like they did in their 20-5 victory in Colorado.
Interestingly, this is the third straight season that the Beavers and Golden Bears will meet on a neutral-site field as the Beavers swept a doubleheader in River Falls, Wisconsin in 2022, and the Golden Bears won 2-of-3 last season when the teams played in Mauston, Wisconsin.
