TUCSON, Ariz. – It's baseball season: Believe it.

The Minot State baseball team swings into action Friday morning in the warmth and sunshine in Tucson, Arizona, playing a pair of non-conference games against Adams State (Colo.) and Emporia State (Kan.) to get the 2026 season underway.

And while the start of a new season is always exciting, add in the chance to enjoy the sun and play outdoors in true baseball weather, well …

"Very excited to get out and play in some good weather early," Minot State coach Sam Boisner said. "I think it will be good for our team to play early and see where we are at as a group. This gives us an opportunity to play and make some adjustments if needed before our next series."

Action begins at noon Minot time with a single game against Adams State on Friday, then the Beavers play single games against both Adams State and Emporia State on Saturday, starting at noon Minot time, and wrap-up the weekend in the sun on Sunday with a single game against Emporia State starting at 11 a.m. Minot time.

The next series is the neutral-site NSIC opener for the Beavers in late February, when they play Southwest Minnesota State in Lincoln, Nebraska, in a four-game series. 

So, this opening weekend gives Minot State a chance to really see who they are as a team.

"Our strength will be our depth," Boisner said. "We feel like we have a ton of guys that can contribute. That will serve us well as we get into conference play. 

Depth led by several returners who had a big impact last season, including senior infielder Michael Williamson, who was second on the team, hitting .322 with 6 home runs and 28 RBIs, which was third-best for the Beavers, and senior catcher Oscar Pegg, who led Minot State bashing 13 homers, driving in 43 runs, and still hitting for a high average at .310, third best among regular starters.

Also back are senior infielder Noah Madas (.295, 29 RBIs), senior infielder Jake Orthner (.310, 14 RBIs), sophomore pitcher and utility player Wyatt Toth (.389, 4 RBIs), and junior outfielder Kekoa Munos, giving the Beavers experience to go along with depth.

"We have a good group of guys on offense, we return three of our top producers from a year ago with Oscar Pegg, Mike Williamson, Noah Madas, and Jake Orthner," Minot State's coach said. "We also have some new guys and returners that will make a positive impact offensively."

Of course, a big key always is pitching, and the Beavers have experience and depth there too, with starters like senior Athony Disantis (2 wins,  30 Ks), junior Jacob Thompson (1 win, 27 Ks), Toth (2 wins, 14 Ks), and redshirt-junior Colton Bagshaw (2 wins, 14 Ks), back from injury leading the way. Also back are top relievers in senior Conner Meldrim, who led the team in appearances with 21, and in strikeouts with 42, and redshirt-junior Ayden Sauerbrei, who appeared in 18 games, struck out 30 opposing batters, and led Minot State with 4 saves.

"We have a good number of guys that return and had big roles in the past and are ready and prepared to take their games to the next level," Boisner said. "… We will also have others stepping up, also."

Giving the Beavers a good foundation to get the season started as Minot State looks to build some momentum, along with just get some games outdoors in preparation for a long NSIC race.

"I expect to see the guys competing hard and hope to simply just see where we are at as a group," Boisner said of the weekend ahead. "Our goal is just to continue to build game by game as a team and play our best baseball down the stretch. This weekend is just a great opportunity to see where our starting point is, and we will build from there."