The University of Minnesota Duluth Baseball program opened up their season on Thursday morning with a split double header against Southwest Minnesota State University in Minneapolis, Minn. at US Bank Stadium.The Bulldogs dropped the first half 3-2, while picking up the latter part of the twinbill 7-0. The Bulldogs now sit 1-1 on the season.
 
Junior outfielder Henry George would open up the season for the Bulldogs with a leadoff double in the first inning. UMD was unable to make anything come of it. Senior pitcher Rece Dietrich would take to the bump for the Bulldogs, finding himself in hot water early when SMSU smoked a leadoff double. Dietrich was able to avoid any damage, getting a strikeout followed by a fly out and finishing out the inning with another strike out.
 
The Bulldogs would take the lead in the seventh inning when junior infielder Brodie Paulson hit a triple to right field, scoring junior outfielder Dayo Lawal. Senior catcher Reid Rubio would sac fly, driving in Paulson in the next at-bat. The Mustangs would battle back in the bottom half of the inning, putting runners on second and third, driving in one off a sacrifice fly, and would follow with a walk off single.
 
Sophomore pitcher Ben Shepard would take the loss. Dietrich would finish with 5.0 innings of work, giving up four hits and a walk with five strikeouts. Shepard would give up five hits in 1.1 innings of work with three runs and on strikeout. Paulson finished with a hit and RBI on the day, as did Rubio. George finished with two hits.
 
UMD would score first in the second inning in the second game. Senior infeidler Anders Brown singled to center field, stole second base and would take third on a wild pitch. He would score off a  sophomore infielder Frankie Cistaro single to center.
 
The Bulldogs would strike again in the third inning when George lead off the inning and found his way to second when senior outfielder Drew Stewart walked behind him. Sophomore infielder Tosten Mann singled and Paulson walked to bring George all the way around. Sophomore catcher Tyler Peterson would walk in Stewart.
 
Brown would score later in the game when Cistaro hit into a fielder's choice (third baseman would commit a throwing error) in the fifth inning. Lawal would fly to center to bring in Peterson, and Stewart would follow with a sac fly of his own, bringing in Cistaro to put UMD up 6-0. Mann would drive in freshman infielder Alex Wattermann with two outs.
 
Junior pitcher Mitchell Waletzki finished the contest with the win, pitching 5.0 scoreless innings of baseball, giving up one hit with three walks and six strikeouts. Junior pitcher Liam Blaschko finished out the game with 2.0 scoreless innings, striking out two with one hit.
 
Lawal finished with an RBI and a walk. Stewart finished with a hit, RBI and two walks. Paulson had an RBI in the contest with a walk. Peterson finished with a hit and RBI. Cistaro finished with a hit and two RBI.
 
The Bulldogs take to the road to play in the Russmatt Tournament down in Florida which takes place from Mar. 5-9, where they will play the University of Findaly, Grand Valley State (double header), Wayne State University (double header) and Ashland University.