Friday, March 20
Omaha, Neb.
1 p.m.
North Dakota State
at
Omaha
Photo by: Jacob Funk
NDSU Continues Summit League Play with Weekend Series at Omaha
3/19/2015 10:02:00 AM | Baseball
Complete NDSU Game Notes (PDF)
Live Stats (all games) | Live Audio (all games)
THIS WEEKEND: The North Dakota State University baseball team (5-11, 1-2 Summit League) will continue Summit League play with a three-game series at Omaha (10-8, 3-0 Summit League) Friday, March 20 - Sunday, March 22. NDSU will open with a game at 1 p.m. Friday before playing a contest at 1 p.m. Saturday. The Bison will conclude the weekend with a game at 1 p.m. Sunday.
MEDIA COVERAGE: Live statistics and live audio will be available for all games at www.OMavs.com.
THE SERIES: The three games at Omaha will be meetings 54-56 in the all-time series on the diamond between the Bison at Mavs. NDSU leads UNO in the series, 29-24. The Bison dropped a non-league contest to Omaha earlier this season on Feb. 15 in the Grand Canyon University Classic in Phoenix, Ariz., 5-4.
SCOUTING THE MAVS: Entering the weekend series, Omaha is 10-8 overall and a perfect 3-0 in Summit League play after sweeping a three-game series against South Dakota State March 13-15 in Omaha. UNO has won five of its last six contests. Clayton Taylor (.294, 20 H, 3 2B, 1 3B, 3 HR, 12 RBI, .500 SLG%, 11 BB) and Ryan Cate (.258, 17 H, 4 2B, 1 3B, 13 RBI) lead the Omaha offense. Cole Gruber leads UNO on the bases with eight stolen bases in 12 attempts. RHP Tyler Fox (2-1, 3.96 ERA, 25.0 IP, 24 H, 11 R, 11 ER, 15 BB 11 SO), RHP Zach Williamsen (2-2, 1.86 ERA, 29.0 IP, 27 H, 10 R, 6 ER, 6 BB, 16 SO) and RHP Tyler Hamer (1-0, 2.36 ERA, 1 CG, 26.2 IP, 17 H, 8 R, 7 ER, 9 BB, 17 SO) are scheduled to pitch for Omaha this weekend.
CATCHING UP WITH THE BISON: NDSU is 5-11 overall and 1-2 in Summit League play after taking one of three games at Oral Roberts last weekend in Tulsa, Okla. The Bison dropped the first game, 6-0, before winning game two, 4-3, and falling in the series finale, 4-3. Through 16 contests, Taylor Sanders is hitting a team-best .375 with 12 hits and four doubles, while John Skrbec has a team-high five doubles and 11 RBI. Juan Gamez leads the Bison in home runs with three and is second on the team in runs batted in with 10. On the mound, Parker Trewin leads the Bison starting rotation with a 2.49 ERA in 21.2 innings of work. Trewin has 28 strikeouts with just seven walks and has allowed only six earned runs on 13 hits. David Ernst leads NDSU in innings pitched, going 25 and a third, while reliever Jay Flaa has a team-best 32 strikeouts. As a team, the Bison are hitting .231. NDSU has a team ERA of 5.33.
TREWIN REACHES CAREER MILESTONE: Bison lefty Parker Trewin struck out a career-high 11 batters in NDSU's game against Mount St. Mary's on Saturday, Feb. 28, in Punta Gorda, Fla., marking the second time in his NDSU career he has reached double-digit strikeouts.
GOING, GOING, GAMEZ: NDSU junior catcher Juan Gamez has hit two grand slams so far this season. The Tucson, Ariz., native recorded his first grand slam against Kansas on Feb. 27, before delivering what proved to be the game-winning grand slam at Northern Colorado on March 7. Gamez leads NDSU in round-trippers this season with three and ranks second on the team in RBI with 10.
FLAALESS: Right-handed reliever Jay Flaa has surrendered just one earned run in his past five appearances on the mound for the Bison. The senior from Mandan, N.D., has allowed more than one hit in just one game this season. Flaa leads the team in strikeouts (32), ERA (1.86) and saves (2).
CURRENT NOTABLE HITTING STREAKS: Ben Petersen is currently on a four-game hitting streak.
CURRENT NOTABLE ON-BASE STREAKS: Taylor Sanders has reached base safely in the last 10 games.
POSITION DEPTH TO BE TESTED: The Bison have key spots to fill in the lineup after the departure of Summit League Player of the Year Tim Colwell and fellow All-Summit League performers Michael Leach, Kyle Kleinendorst and Wes Satzinger. Senior third baseman John Skrbec, junior shortstop Aiden Hook and junior left fielder Jon Hechtner are the lone returning position starters for the Bison.
NEW FACES: Seven freshmen and seven transfers make up the 14 total newcomers joining the Bison this season. New freshmen include Brayden Resch (C/UTIL), Drew Fearing (INF), Mason Pierzchalski (INF), Jayse McLean (OF), Joe Vacinek (RHP), Colin Baumgard (RHP) and Blake Stockert (RHP). The new transfers are Danny Regan (INF/OF), Juan Gamez (C/UTIL), JT Core (C/UTIL), JD Larimer (INF), Taylor Sanders (C/OF), Riley Horn (LHP) and Nick Salentine (RHP/INF).
FIVE CONSECUTIVE 20-WIN SEASONS: North Dakota State has reached the 20-win mark five straight seasons. The Bison have qualified for four straight Summit League tournaments, winning the tournament championship last season and reaching the championship game each of the past three seasons. This is NDSU's eighth season in The Summit League after three seasons as a Division I independent.
PRESEASON PICKS: Defending Summit League tournament champion North Dakota State was picked to finish fourth in The Summit League in a preseason poll of the league's six head coaches. For the second consecutive season, Omaha was tabbed to claim its third straight Summit League regular season baseball title. The Mavs received three of six first-place votes and a total of 23 points. Oral Roberts placed second with the other three first-place votes and 21 points. South Dakota State came in third with 17 points followed by the Bison with 15 points. Western Illinois (8 points) and Fort Wayne (6 points) rounded out the poll.
THE SUMMIT LEAGUE: This is North Dakota State's eighth year in The Summit League, which has six baseball teams for 2015 – NDSU, Fort Wayne, Omaha, Oral Roberts, South Dakota State and Western Illinois – after losing Oakland to the Horizon League. Denver, IUPUI and South Dakota do not have baseball. Oral Roberts, which won 15 straight league championships from 1998-2012, returns to the league this season after competing in the Southland Conference the past two years.
THE COACH: North Dakota State head coach Tod Brown (Arizona, 1994) is in his eighth season with a 171-205 record. Brown previously was the pitching coach and recruiting coordinator for eight seasons at Bowling Green, where he was part of two division titles and a regular-season title in the Mid-American Conference. Brown began his collegiate coaching career in 1999 as a volunteer assistant at Arizona. He was a left-handed pitcher for the Wildcats under Hall of Fame coach Jerry Kindall and a member of the 1992 Pac-10 champs.
THE TOD BROWN FILE:
Live Stats (all games) | Live Audio (all games)
THIS WEEKEND: The North Dakota State University baseball team (5-11, 1-2 Summit League) will continue Summit League play with a three-game series at Omaha (10-8, 3-0 Summit League) Friday, March 20 - Sunday, March 22. NDSU will open with a game at 1 p.m. Friday before playing a contest at 1 p.m. Saturday. The Bison will conclude the weekend with a game at 1 p.m. Sunday.
MEDIA COVERAGE: Live statistics and live audio will be available for all games at www.OMavs.com.
THE SERIES: The three games at Omaha will be meetings 54-56 in the all-time series on the diamond between the Bison at Mavs. NDSU leads UNO in the series, 29-24. The Bison dropped a non-league contest to Omaha earlier this season on Feb. 15 in the Grand Canyon University Classic in Phoenix, Ariz., 5-4.
SCOUTING THE MAVS: Entering the weekend series, Omaha is 10-8 overall and a perfect 3-0 in Summit League play after sweeping a three-game series against South Dakota State March 13-15 in Omaha. UNO has won five of its last six contests. Clayton Taylor (.294, 20 H, 3 2B, 1 3B, 3 HR, 12 RBI, .500 SLG%, 11 BB) and Ryan Cate (.258, 17 H, 4 2B, 1 3B, 13 RBI) lead the Omaha offense. Cole Gruber leads UNO on the bases with eight stolen bases in 12 attempts. RHP Tyler Fox (2-1, 3.96 ERA, 25.0 IP, 24 H, 11 R, 11 ER, 15 BB 11 SO), RHP Zach Williamsen (2-2, 1.86 ERA, 29.0 IP, 27 H, 10 R, 6 ER, 6 BB, 16 SO) and RHP Tyler Hamer (1-0, 2.36 ERA, 1 CG, 26.2 IP, 17 H, 8 R, 7 ER, 9 BB, 17 SO) are scheduled to pitch for Omaha this weekend.
CATCHING UP WITH THE BISON: NDSU is 5-11 overall and 1-2 in Summit League play after taking one of three games at Oral Roberts last weekend in Tulsa, Okla. The Bison dropped the first game, 6-0, before winning game two, 4-3, and falling in the series finale, 4-3. Through 16 contests, Taylor Sanders is hitting a team-best .375 with 12 hits and four doubles, while John Skrbec has a team-high five doubles and 11 RBI. Juan Gamez leads the Bison in home runs with three and is second on the team in runs batted in with 10. On the mound, Parker Trewin leads the Bison starting rotation with a 2.49 ERA in 21.2 innings of work. Trewin has 28 strikeouts with just seven walks and has allowed only six earned runs on 13 hits. David Ernst leads NDSU in innings pitched, going 25 and a third, while reliever Jay Flaa has a team-best 32 strikeouts. As a team, the Bison are hitting .231. NDSU has a team ERA of 5.33.
TREWIN REACHES CAREER MILESTONE: Bison lefty Parker Trewin struck out a career-high 11 batters in NDSU's game against Mount St. Mary's on Saturday, Feb. 28, in Punta Gorda, Fla., marking the second time in his NDSU career he has reached double-digit strikeouts.
GOING, GOING, GAMEZ: NDSU junior catcher Juan Gamez has hit two grand slams so far this season. The Tucson, Ariz., native recorded his first grand slam against Kansas on Feb. 27, before delivering what proved to be the game-winning grand slam at Northern Colorado on March 7. Gamez leads NDSU in round-trippers this season with three and ranks second on the team in RBI with 10.
FLAALESS: Right-handed reliever Jay Flaa has surrendered just one earned run in his past five appearances on the mound for the Bison. The senior from Mandan, N.D., has allowed more than one hit in just one game this season. Flaa leads the team in strikeouts (32), ERA (1.86) and saves (2).
CURRENT NOTABLE HITTING STREAKS: Ben Petersen is currently on a four-game hitting streak.
CURRENT NOTABLE ON-BASE STREAKS: Taylor Sanders has reached base safely in the last 10 games.
POSITION DEPTH TO BE TESTED: The Bison have key spots to fill in the lineup after the departure of Summit League Player of the Year Tim Colwell and fellow All-Summit League performers Michael Leach, Kyle Kleinendorst and Wes Satzinger. Senior third baseman John Skrbec, junior shortstop Aiden Hook and junior left fielder Jon Hechtner are the lone returning position starters for the Bison.
NEW FACES: Seven freshmen and seven transfers make up the 14 total newcomers joining the Bison this season. New freshmen include Brayden Resch (C/UTIL), Drew Fearing (INF), Mason Pierzchalski (INF), Jayse McLean (OF), Joe Vacinek (RHP), Colin Baumgard (RHP) and Blake Stockert (RHP). The new transfers are Danny Regan (INF/OF), Juan Gamez (C/UTIL), JT Core (C/UTIL), JD Larimer (INF), Taylor Sanders (C/OF), Riley Horn (LHP) and Nick Salentine (RHP/INF).
FIVE CONSECUTIVE 20-WIN SEASONS: North Dakota State has reached the 20-win mark five straight seasons. The Bison have qualified for four straight Summit League tournaments, winning the tournament championship last season and reaching the championship game each of the past three seasons. This is NDSU's eighth season in The Summit League after three seasons as a Division I independent.
PRESEASON PICKS: Defending Summit League tournament champion North Dakota State was picked to finish fourth in The Summit League in a preseason poll of the league's six head coaches. For the second consecutive season, Omaha was tabbed to claim its third straight Summit League regular season baseball title. The Mavs received three of six first-place votes and a total of 23 points. Oral Roberts placed second with the other three first-place votes and 21 points. South Dakota State came in third with 17 points followed by the Bison with 15 points. Western Illinois (8 points) and Fort Wayne (6 points) rounded out the poll.
THE SUMMIT LEAGUE: This is North Dakota State's eighth year in The Summit League, which has six baseball teams for 2015 – NDSU, Fort Wayne, Omaha, Oral Roberts, South Dakota State and Western Illinois – after losing Oakland to the Horizon League. Denver, IUPUI and South Dakota do not have baseball. Oral Roberts, which won 15 straight league championships from 1998-2012, returns to the league this season after competing in the Southland Conference the past two years.
THE COACH: North Dakota State head coach Tod Brown (Arizona, 1994) is in his eighth season with a 171-205 record. Brown previously was the pitching coach and recruiting coordinator for eight seasons at Bowling Green, where he was part of two division titles and a regular-season title in the Mid-American Conference. Brown began his collegiate coaching career in 1999 as a volunteer assistant at Arizona. He was a left-handed pitcher for the Wildcats under Hall of Fame coach Jerry Kindall and a member of the 1992 Pac-10 champs.
THE TOD BROWN FILE:
- 2014 Summit League tournament champions
- 2014 NCAA Division I Baseball Tournament Corvallis Regional qualifiers
- Won school-record 40 games in 2012
- Three straight Summit League championship game appearances
- Four consecutive Summit League tournament appearances
- Winning percentage of .518 the past four seasons
- 16 All-Summit League honorees, six first team selections
- 14 players who signed professional contracts
- Coached three NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship recipients: Wes Satzinger (2014), John Straka (2013) and Kole Zimmerman (2008)
Players Mentioned
P
/ Baseball
OF
/ Baseball
C/U
/ Baseball
P/1B
/ Baseball
INF
/ Baseball
P
/ Baseball
C/U
/ Baseball
OF
/ Baseball
INF
/ Baseball
P
/ Baseball
OF/C/1B
/ Baseball
INF
/ Baseball
C
/ Baseball
OF
/ Baseball
OF
/ Baseball
INF
/ Baseball
INF/OF
/ Baseball
C/U
/ Baseball
P/INF
/ Baseball
C/OF
/ Baseball
INF
/ Baseball
INF
/ Baseball
P
/ Baseball
P
/ Baseball
P
/ BaseballWednesday, March 11
Sunday, June 01
Sunday, June 01
Friday, May 30
