Friday, February 17
Itta Bena, Miss.
1 p.m.
North Dakota State
at
Mississippi Valley State
Photo by: Richard Svaleson
North Dakota State Baseball Begins 79th Season Feb. 17-19 at Mississippi Valley State
2/16/2017 5:16:00 PM | Baseball
Game 1: North Dakota State at Mississippi Valley State
Friday, Feb. 17 | 1 p.m.
Itta Bena, Miss.
Games 2-3: North Dakota State at Mississippi Valley State
Saturday, Feb. 18 | 11 a.m. (DH)
Itta Bena, Miss.
Game 4: North Dakota State at Mississippi Valley State
Sunday, Feb. 19 | 1 p.m.
Itta Bena, Miss.
NOTE: Game dates and times are subject to change
NDSU Notes (PDF)
NDSU baseball on Twitter: @NDSUbaseball
SCENE SETTER: The North Dakota State University baseball team will begin its 79th season on the diamond with four games at Mississippi Valley State University Feb. 17-19 in Itta Bena, Miss. Game one is scheduled for 1 p.m. Friday, Feb. 17. The Bison and Delta Devils will play a doubleheader Saturday, Feb. 18, starting at 11 a.m. before playing the final game Sunday, Feb. 19, at 1 p.m.
MEDIA COVERAGE: None. Twitter updates will be posted when available on the NDSU baseball Twitter account, @NDSUbaseball. A complete game recap will be posted after the conclusion of each contest.
SERIES RECORD: This is the first meeting between the Bison and Delta Devils on the diamond.
PREVIEWING 2017: North Dakota State University returns five position starters and eight pitchers from last season's team that compiled a 29-25 overall record, including All-Summit League first team second baseman Drew Fearing, who led the Bison in batting average (.327), hits (64), runs scored (41), doubles (10) and stolen bases (18) in 2016. ... NDSU also welcomes back outfielder Ben Petersen, who paced the team in RBI (34), triples (6) and slugging percentage (.448) ... Other returning position starters for the Bison include outfielders Jayse McLean and Logan Busch, and infielder Mason Pierzchalski ... NDSU also brings back first baseman JT Core, infielder Matt Elsenpeter, catcher Danny Palmiscno and outfielder Alec Abercrombie. ... On the mound, the Bison welcome back starters Reed Pfannenstein (3.56 ERA, 2-1, 43 IP, 18 BB, 27 SO), Zach Mayo (5.51 ERA, 2-4, 47.1 IP, 26 BB, 57 SO), Blake Stockert (3.73 ERA, 2-5, 50.2 IP, 16 BB, 37 SO), Jordan Harms (3.12 ERA, 1-3, 49 IP, 21 BB, 48 SO) and Alex Rogers (7.26 ERA, 2-2, 39.2 IP, 12 BB, 31 SO), and relievers Sean Terres (3.22 ERA, 1-3, 22.1 IP, 6 SV), Chris Choles (3.05 ERA, 4-0, 44.1 IP, 1 SV, 8 BB, 27 SO), Luke Lind (5.01 ERA, 4-2, 23.1 IP, 1 SV, 16 BB, 25 SO), Dalton England (5.12 ERA, 1-0, 19.1 IP, 1 SV, 3 BB, 8 SO) and Blake Tritch (2.89 ERA, 0-1, 9.1 IP, 4 BB, 2 SO).
NORTH DAKOTA STATE WELCOMES 14 NEWCOMERS IN 2017: Fourteen newcomers, including eight position players and six pitchers, join the Bison for the 2017 season. Position players include infielders Bennett Hostetler (Bozeman, Mont.), Charley Hesse (Mendota Heights, Minn.) and Tucker Rohde (Scottsdale, Ariz.); outfielder Carter Thompson (Fargo, N.D.); catchers Nick Emanuel (Esko, Minn.), Jake Malec (Proctor, Minn.) and Calvin Kalthoff (Cold Spring, Minn.); and infielder/outfielder Axel Twenge (Minnetonka, Minn.). ... Pitchers include left-hander Mitch O'Connor (Bloomington, Minn.), and right-handers Ryan Olson (Halstad, Minn.), Riley Johnson (Apple Valley, Minn.), Devin Foster (Broomfield, Colo.), Austin Truso (Prior Lake, Minn.) and Kyle Ferderer (Savage, Minn.).
DITCH AND KEEFER JOIN NDSU COACHING STAFF: In addition to 14 new student-athletes, the Bison also have two new coaches for 2017. Jeff Ditch, who has coached college baseball for over 24 years, is the new hitting coach for North Dakota State, while former Bison left-handed pitcher Trent Keefer is a volunteer assistant coach. Ditch joined the Bison after serving as head coach for 11 seasons at Indiana University-Pennsylvania, where he was the all-time winningest coach in program history, recording 253 wins. He also spent time at West Virginia, Cincinnati and Penn State as an assistant.
SCOUTING THE OPPONENT: The Mississippi Valley State University Delta Devils went 6-36 overall last season. MVSU returns its top hitter and pitcher from 2016 in infielder/pitcher Arrington Smith, who hit .299 with 44 hits, 21 runs scored, 10 doubles, three home runs and 19 RBI. Smith also posted a .429 slugging and .372 on-base percentage. On the mound, Smith went 3-11 in 16 appearances and 12 starts. He posted a 5.95 ERA in 87 2/3 innings pitched and allowed 58 earned runs with 25 walks and 52 strikeouts. As a team last season, Mississippi Valley State hit .221 while allowing opponents to hit .373. The Delta Devils posted a 10.24 team ERA while their adversaries tallied a 3.21 team ERA. MVSU was picked to finish fifth out of five teams in the SWAC East Division preseason poll. The Delta Devils are under the leadership of head coach Aaron Stevens.
SEVEN CONSECUTIVE 20-WIN SEASONS: North Dakota State has reached the 20-win mark seven straight seasons. The Bison have qualified for five Summit League tournaments, winning the tournament championship in 2014 and reaching the championship game in three of the last five seasons. This is NDSU's 10th season in The Summit League after three seasons as a Division I independent.
PRESEASON PICKS: The North Dakota State University baseball team was picked to finish third in The Summit League Baseball Preseason Coaches' Poll released on Thursday, Feb. 9, by the league office. The Bison tallied 17 points in the poll, which was voted on by the league's six head coaches. Defending Summit League regular season and tournament champion Oral Roberts was picked first and tallied 25 points with five first-place votes, while South Dakota State was second with 18 points and received the final first-place vote. NDSU was third, followed by Omaha (13 points), Western Illinois (nine points) and Fort Wayne (eight points).
THE COACH: Tod Brown (Arizona, 1994) enters his 10th season as the head coach for the Bison with a 215-249 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:
Friday, Feb. 17 | 1 p.m.
Itta Bena, Miss.
Games 2-3: North Dakota State at Mississippi Valley State
Saturday, Feb. 18 | 11 a.m. (DH)
Itta Bena, Miss.
Game 4: North Dakota State at Mississippi Valley State
Sunday, Feb. 19 | 1 p.m.
Itta Bena, Miss.
NOTE: Game dates and times are subject to change
NDSU Notes (PDF)
NDSU baseball on Twitter: @NDSUbaseball
SCENE SETTER: The North Dakota State University baseball team will begin its 79th season on the diamond with four games at Mississippi Valley State University Feb. 17-19 in Itta Bena, Miss. Game one is scheduled for 1 p.m. Friday, Feb. 17. The Bison and Delta Devils will play a doubleheader Saturday, Feb. 18, starting at 11 a.m. before playing the final game Sunday, Feb. 19, at 1 p.m.
MEDIA COVERAGE: None. Twitter updates will be posted when available on the NDSU baseball Twitter account, @NDSUbaseball. A complete game recap will be posted after the conclusion of each contest.
SERIES RECORD: This is the first meeting between the Bison and Delta Devils on the diamond.
PREVIEWING 2017: North Dakota State University returns five position starters and eight pitchers from last season's team that compiled a 29-25 overall record, including All-Summit League first team second baseman Drew Fearing, who led the Bison in batting average (.327), hits (64), runs scored (41), doubles (10) and stolen bases (18) in 2016. ... NDSU also welcomes back outfielder Ben Petersen, who paced the team in RBI (34), triples (6) and slugging percentage (.448) ... Other returning position starters for the Bison include outfielders Jayse McLean and Logan Busch, and infielder Mason Pierzchalski ... NDSU also brings back first baseman JT Core, infielder Matt Elsenpeter, catcher Danny Palmiscno and outfielder Alec Abercrombie. ... On the mound, the Bison welcome back starters Reed Pfannenstein (3.56 ERA, 2-1, 43 IP, 18 BB, 27 SO), Zach Mayo (5.51 ERA, 2-4, 47.1 IP, 26 BB, 57 SO), Blake Stockert (3.73 ERA, 2-5, 50.2 IP, 16 BB, 37 SO), Jordan Harms (3.12 ERA, 1-3, 49 IP, 21 BB, 48 SO) and Alex Rogers (7.26 ERA, 2-2, 39.2 IP, 12 BB, 31 SO), and relievers Sean Terres (3.22 ERA, 1-3, 22.1 IP, 6 SV), Chris Choles (3.05 ERA, 4-0, 44.1 IP, 1 SV, 8 BB, 27 SO), Luke Lind (5.01 ERA, 4-2, 23.1 IP, 1 SV, 16 BB, 25 SO), Dalton England (5.12 ERA, 1-0, 19.1 IP, 1 SV, 3 BB, 8 SO) and Blake Tritch (2.89 ERA, 0-1, 9.1 IP, 4 BB, 2 SO).
NORTH DAKOTA STATE WELCOMES 14 NEWCOMERS IN 2017: Fourteen newcomers, including eight position players and six pitchers, join the Bison for the 2017 season. Position players include infielders Bennett Hostetler (Bozeman, Mont.), Charley Hesse (Mendota Heights, Minn.) and Tucker Rohde (Scottsdale, Ariz.); outfielder Carter Thompson (Fargo, N.D.); catchers Nick Emanuel (Esko, Minn.), Jake Malec (Proctor, Minn.) and Calvin Kalthoff (Cold Spring, Minn.); and infielder/outfielder Axel Twenge (Minnetonka, Minn.). ... Pitchers include left-hander Mitch O'Connor (Bloomington, Minn.), and right-handers Ryan Olson (Halstad, Minn.), Riley Johnson (Apple Valley, Minn.), Devin Foster (Broomfield, Colo.), Austin Truso (Prior Lake, Minn.) and Kyle Ferderer (Savage, Minn.).
DITCH AND KEEFER JOIN NDSU COACHING STAFF: In addition to 14 new student-athletes, the Bison also have two new coaches for 2017. Jeff Ditch, who has coached college baseball for over 24 years, is the new hitting coach for North Dakota State, while former Bison left-handed pitcher Trent Keefer is a volunteer assistant coach. Ditch joined the Bison after serving as head coach for 11 seasons at Indiana University-Pennsylvania, where he was the all-time winningest coach in program history, recording 253 wins. He also spent time at West Virginia, Cincinnati and Penn State as an assistant.
SCOUTING THE OPPONENT: The Mississippi Valley State University Delta Devils went 6-36 overall last season. MVSU returns its top hitter and pitcher from 2016 in infielder/pitcher Arrington Smith, who hit .299 with 44 hits, 21 runs scored, 10 doubles, three home runs and 19 RBI. Smith also posted a .429 slugging and .372 on-base percentage. On the mound, Smith went 3-11 in 16 appearances and 12 starts. He posted a 5.95 ERA in 87 2/3 innings pitched and allowed 58 earned runs with 25 walks and 52 strikeouts. As a team last season, Mississippi Valley State hit .221 while allowing opponents to hit .373. The Delta Devils posted a 10.24 team ERA while their adversaries tallied a 3.21 team ERA. MVSU was picked to finish fifth out of five teams in the SWAC East Division preseason poll. The Delta Devils are under the leadership of head coach Aaron Stevens.
SEVEN CONSECUTIVE 20-WIN SEASONS: North Dakota State has reached the 20-win mark seven straight seasons. The Bison have qualified for five Summit League tournaments, winning the tournament championship in 2014 and reaching the championship game in three of the last five seasons. This is NDSU's 10th season in The Summit League after three seasons as a Division I independent.
PRESEASON PICKS: The North Dakota State University baseball team was picked to finish third in The Summit League Baseball Preseason Coaches' Poll released on Thursday, Feb. 9, by the league office. The Bison tallied 17 points in the poll, which was voted on by the league's six head coaches. Defending Summit League regular season and tournament champion Oral Roberts was picked first and tallied 25 points with five first-place votes, while South Dakota State was second with 18 points and received the final first-place vote. NDSU was third, followed by Omaha (13 points), Western Illinois (nine points) and Fort Wayne (eight points).
THE COACH: Tod Brown (Arizona, 1994) enters his 10th season as the head coach for the Bison with a 215-249 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 Summit League championship game appearances in the past five seasons
- Five Summit League tournament appearances in the last six years
- Winning percentage of .520 the past five seasons
- 20 All-Summit League honorees, including seven first team selections
- 19 players who signed professional contracts
- Coached three NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship recipients: Wes Satzinger (2014), John Straka (2013) and Kole Zimmerman (2008)
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