Baseball | 3/2/2016 7:40:00 PM

Game 1: North Dakota State vs. Maine
Friday, March 4 | 1:30 p.m. ET (12:30 p.m. CT)
North Charlotte Regional Park Field 3 | Port Charlotte, Fla.
Live Stats

Game 2: North Dakota State vs. St. Bonaventure
Saturday, March 5 | 12 p.m. ET (11 a.m. CT)
North Charlotte Regional Park Field 3 | Port Charlotte, Fla.
Live Stats

Game 3: North Dakota State vs. Boston College
Saturday, March 5 | 4 p.m. ET (3 p.m. CT)
North Charlotte Regional Park Field 3 | Port Charlotte, Fla.
Live Stats

Game 4: North Dakota State vs. St. Bonaventure
Sunday, March 6 | 10 a.m. ET (9 a.m. CT)
South County Regional Park | Punta Gorda, Fla.
Live Stats

NDSU Notes (PDF) | Snowbird Baseball Classic Information

NDSU baseball on Twitter: @NDSUbaseball

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            SCENE SETTER: The North Dakota State baseball team (6-1) travels to Port Charlotte, Fla., for four games in the Snowbird Baseball Classic March 4-6. The Bison face Maine at 1:30 p.m. ET (12:30 p.m. CT) Friday, before facing St. Bonaventure and Boston College Saturday at noon ET (11 a.m. CT) and 4 p.m. ET (3 p.m. CT). NDSU closes out the weekend with another game against St. Bonaventure at 10 a.m. ET (9 a.m. CT) Sunday.
 
            MEDIA COVERAGE: Live statistics will be available for all games this weekend in the Snowbird Baseball Classic. For links, please visit www.GoBison.com.
 
            SERIES RECORDS: Maine - Friday's contest against the Black Bears will be the second meeting in the all-time series. The Bison won the first meeting against Maine in 2014, 13-1, in the RussMatt Central Florida Invitational ... St. Bonaventure - The two games versus the Bonnies will mark the first and second meetings in the all-time series ... Boston College - Saturday's game against the Eagles will be the third meeting in the all-time series. The series is currently tied, 1-1. The Bison fell to the Eagles last season in the Snowbird Baseball Classic, 12-2.
 
            CATCHING UP WITH THE BISON: North Dakota State is off to its best start since 2002 after winning three of four games at Lamar Feb. 26-28 to improve to 6-1 overall ... Through seven games, outfielder Jayse McLean (.409, 9 H, 1 2B, 5 RBI, 6 BB, .536 OB%), and infielders Mason Pierzchalski (.370, 10 H, 1 2B, 2 RBI, 4 BB) and Drew Fearing (.355, 11 H, 1 2B, 6 RBI, 2 SB) lead the Bison offensively, while right-handed starting pitcher Reed Pfannenstein (3.00 ERA, 1-0, 9.0 IP, 7 H, 3 ER, 7 SO, 3 BB) and relievers Blake Stockert (0.00 ERA, 1 SV, 5.0 IP, 3 H, 0 ER, 6 SO, 2 BB), Jordan Harms (0.00 ERA, 1 SV, 5.0 IP, 2 H, 0 ER, 7 SO, 3 BB), and Zach Mayo (1.59 ERA, 5.2 IP, 9 H, 1 ER, 10 SO, 1 BB) pace NDSU on the mound ... As a team, NDSU is hitting .268 while limiting its opponents to .256 hitting.
 
            SCOUTING THE OPPONENTS: Maine - The Black Bears are 3-4 overall entering the weekend after winning at New Mexico State on Feb. 28, 13-3. Through seven games, outfielder Tyler Schwanz (.462, 12 H, 4 2B, 2 HR, 9 RBI) and infielder Danny Casals (.423, 11 H, 3 2B, 6 BB, 2 SB) lead Maine at the plate, while right-hander Justin Courtney (0.75 ERA, 1-0, 12.0 IP, 10 H, 1 ER, 10 SO, 2 BB) paces the Black Bears on the mound. As a team, Maine is hitting .277 compared to .284 for its adversaries. Maine is under the leadership of 11th season head coach Steve Trimper ... St. Bonaventure - The Bonnies are 5-2 entering the weekend after winning two of three games against Central Connecticut State Feb. 26-28 ... Through seven contests, the Bonnies are paced offensively by first-baseman Tyler Walter (.375, 9 H, 2 2B, 1 HR, 8 RBI) and designated hitter Ted Dilts (.368, 7 H, 1 HR, 4 RBI). RHP Aaron Phillips (0.00 ERA, 1-0, 12.2 IP, 8 H, 0 ER, 7 SO, 5 BB) leads the St. Bonaventure pitching staff after seven games. As a team, SBU is hitting .270 while limiting its opponents to .222 hitting. The Bonnies are under the direction of 31st season head coach Larry Sudbrook ... Boston College - The Eagles are a perfect 7-0 entering the weekend after defeating Villanova in Port Charlotte, Fla., Feb. 28, 11-10 ... Through seven games, catcher Nick Sciortino (.563, 9 H, 1 2B, 4 RBI, .625 SLG%, .619 OB%) and outfielder/pitcher Donovan Casey (.455, 10 H, 1 2B, 1 3B, 2 RBI, 4 BB) pace BC in the batter's box, while RHPs Jacob Stevens (0.00 ERA, 2-0, 12.0 IP, 7 H, 0 ER, 14 SO, 4 BB) and Mike King (1.32 ERA, 2-0, 13.2 IP, 5 H, 2 ER, 9 SO, 2 BB) lead the Eagles on the mound. Boston College is out-hitting opponents, .298 to .193, through seven contests. BC is led by sixth season head coach Mike Gambino.
           
            SOPHOMORE SLUGGERS: Sophomores Jayse McLean (.409), Mason Pierzchalski (.370), Drew Fearing (.355) and Brayden Resch (.333) are all hitting .300 or better through seven games this season. Resch leads the Bison in RBIs with seven, while Fearing has a team-high 11 hits.  
 
            PATROLLING THE BASE PATHS: NDSU catcher Juan Gamez has thrown out a team-high six opposing base runners in nine stolen base attempts against this season.
 
            SHUTTING THE DOOR: Four different North Dakota State relievers have tallied at least one save through seven contests. Sean Terres leads the Bison with two saves, while Blake Stockert, Jordan Harms and Dalton England each have one save.
 
            MAKING A COMEBACK: Bison left-handed pitcher Zach Mayo has a 1.59 ERA with a team-high 10 strikeouts and just one walk in two appearances and 5.2 innings pitched this season after sitting out all of last season due to injury.
 
            NOTABLE HITTING AND ON BASE STREAKS: Hitting - Drew Fearing: 6, Mason Pierzchalski: 4; On Base - Jayse McLean: 7, Brayden Resch: 7, Pierzchalski: 7, Fearing: 6, Alec Abercrombie: 3
 
            WEEKLY HONORS: North Dakota State right-handed relief pitcher Luke Lind was named The Summit League Pitcher of the Week for his performance during the season-opening weekend Feb. 19-21. Lind collected his first Pitcher of the Week award after notching his first career win in NDSU's 8-7 extra inning win at Arkansas-Pine Bluff. He struck out a career-high five batters over 4.2 innings of work while allowing no runs and surrendering just four hits.   
 
            NDSU WELCOMES EIGHT NEWCOMERS IN 2016: Eight newcomers, including six pitchers and two position players, join the Bison for the 2016 season ... Pitchers include right-handers Dalton England (Gilbert, Ariz.), Alex Rogers (Nanaimo, British Columbia), Logan McShane (Greenfield, Wis.), Nick Salentine (Fargo, N.D.), Jordan Harms (Hitterdal, Minn.) and Blake Tritch (Chaska, Minn.) ... Position players are Alec Abercrombie (Shoreview, Minn.) and Logan Busch (Inver Grove Heights, Minn.).
 
            PRESEASON PICKS: North Dakota State was picked to finish fifth in The Summit League in a preseason poll of the league's six head coaches. Oral Roberts was picked first after claiming the league's regular season and postseason tournament championships last season. The Golden Eagles received all five of its possible first-place votes. Fort Wayne, last season's tournament runner-up, was picked second. South Dakota State was slotted third with the final first-place tally, followed by Omaha, the Bison and Western Illinois. NDSU welcomes back second team All-Summit League outfielder Ben Petersen.

            SIX CONSECUTIVE 20-WIN SEASONS: North Dakota State has reached the 20-win mark six straight seasons. The Bison have qualified for five straight Summit League tournaments, winning the tournament championship in 2014 and reaching the championship game in three of the last four seasons. This is NDSU's ninth season in The Summit League after three seasons as a Division I independent.
 
            THE COACH:  North Dakota State head coach Tod Brown (Arizona, 1994) is in his ninth season with a 192-225 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
• Five consecutive Summit League tournament appearances
• Winning percentage of .518 the past four seasons
• 18 All-Summit League honorees, six first team selections
• 18 players who signed professional contracts
• Coached three NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship recipients: Wes Satzinger (2014), John Straka (2013) and Kole Zimmerman (2008)

 
            UP NEXT: The Bison return to Port Charlotte March 11-13 for games against Central Michigan, Western Michigan and Michigan State in the Snowbird Baseball Classic before taking on Army on March 15 in Clearwater, Fla., at Jack Russell Stadium to conclude their Florida trip.