The University of Minnesota Duluth continues its extended road trip, opening up Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference play on Sunday against Wayne State (Neb.) College in Wayne, Neb.
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The Bulldogs (4-6) have not seen their own beds in over a week as they spent the past nine days at the RussMatt Central Florida Invitational, escaping the snow but getting in 10 of 12 scheduled games due to the rain. Still, UMD left on a winning note, dropping the winless Johnson University squad by a 4-1 final on Wednesday afternoon and won four of seven after opening the season with three defeats.
Before the season began, head coach
Bob Rients predicted that UMD wouldn't need its freshman class to see a lot of time on the field, but three first-year players have stepped in and contributed significantly on the offensive end.
Matt Vogt has effectively taken over the starting role in right field, hitting .409/.519/.682, launching a home run and a double, with six RBIs and four runs scored in nine games, including six starts. Second baseman
Skyler Wenninger is hitting .429/.500/.619 while also added a long fly of his own. Utility man
Grant Farley has seen time on the mound as well as in the line-up with a spotless ERA in three relief innings, earning his first save of the season last time out. He's also hitting .385 while slugging .615 and striking out just three times.
Nine pitchers started for the Bulldogs with UMD's ace, sophomore
Bo Hellquist taking a turn twice. After a stellar first start, Hellquist was roughed up a bit last time out but has 10 strikeouts in 7.0 innings pitched. Seniors
Max Ryan and Chris Couilliard each picked up a win in their starts, with Ryan tossing a complete game in his first turn of the rotation. Six UMD relievers have a combined 0.00 ERA in 9.1 innings whiel the bullpen on a whole has a 5.14 ERA while averaging 2.2 innings per game.
About the Wildcats| Projected Lineup |
| SS | Zak Leighton (Jr.) | .326 |
| CF | Curtis Bussard (So.) | .341 |
| 1B | C.J. Nolen (Sr.) | .267 |
| LF | Brandon Lalk (Jr.) | .256 |
| DH | Aaron Molinaro (Sr.) | .219 |
| RF | Jake Perez (Fr.) | .333 |
| 3B | Michael Herman (Jr.) | .375 |
| 2B | Alex Schleppenbach (Fr.) | .188 |
| C | Alex Kreft (So.) | .167 |
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Live StatsWayne State (6-7) started its season with a doubleheader sweep of Minot State before losing four in a row. They traded wins this past week at the RussMatt Invite, including doubleheader splits with Wayne State (Mich.) and Ohio Dominican, who UMD went 1-3 against the same teams in Florida.
The top of the order has had no trouble setting the table for the Wildcats, with junior shortstop Zak Leighton has hit .326/.446/.391 out of the lead-off spot with 10 walks and 15 hits, including a pair for extra bases. Leighton has been aggressive on the bases but has just three steals in seven attempts. Centerfielder Curits Bussard (So.) is hitting .341/.356/.455 out of the two-hole but has struck out 12 times in 44 at-bats. Cleanup hitter Brandon Lalk (Jr.) is hitting just .256 but slugging .465 on the season with three doubles and a pair of home runs. Rightfielder Jake Perez (Fr.) and third baseman Michael Herman (Jr.) have picked up where the middle of the order has slacked from an average standpoint, with Herman leading the team with a .375 average, .462 on-base percentage, and .500 slugging with four doubles. Perez has a team-high 10 RBIs this season
Reliever Ryan Zwek has poached a pair of wins out of the bullpen while also picking up two saves in 8.2 innings pitched on the season. Eric Browning has served as the team's ace, picking up a win on opening day and a tough-luck loss along the way despite a team-leading 2.57 ERA in 14.0 innings. Meanwhile, Dylan McGill has started three games to the tune of a 2.87 ERA, averaging over five innings per outing. Four other Wildcats have started on the mound for Wayne State, posting a combined 7.38 ERA.
Opening pitch for Sunday's doubleheader is set for 1:00 p.m., with the two teams meeting again Monday at 2:00 p.m.
