FIRST PITCH 
The University of Minnesota Duluth baseball team (12-15 overall, 5-9 NSIC) heads out to Mankato this weekend for a three-game series against Minnesota State. Festivities will start with a doubleheader at ISG Field on Friday, April 7, with first pitch times slated for 6:00 p.m. and 8:00 p.m. Saturday's solo contest will either take place on MSU's campus at 3:00 p.m. or back at ISG at 8:00 p.m.

LAST TIME OUT
This past week was a loaded one for the Bulldogs.

It started with a Thursday to forget out in Sioux Falls, where UMD lost both games of its doubleheader against Augustana by scores of 11-2 and 12-1. An Austin Gordon homer in that second game was a lone highlight out of that stretch. Then the Bulldogs embarked for a prolonged stay out in Wayne, Nebraska, starting with a neutral site series against Northern State. It was a different story for the Bulldogs' bats against the Wolves relative to their work against the Vikings. Saturday's doubleheader started with an 8-5 UMD victory that saw four Bulldog home runs, two from Tim Pokornowski sandwiching one from Alex Wattermann with a three-run shot from Tosten Mann capping things off. Game two saw even more offense generated. By the bottom of the first, a Nathan Rosenberg bomb gave the Bulldogs a lead in what was already a 5-3 ballgame. But three-straight NSU homers helped pave the way for a 9-5 Wolves lead by the bottom of the third. The Bulldog bats would answer back, as nukes from both Ethan Cole and Wattermann in what was a big 5th frame for UMD made it a two-run affair at 11-9 NSU. But the Wolves would continue to fire, too, eventually securing a 14-10 shootout of a victory. 

The stage was set for winner-takes-the-series game three on Monday, one that proved much different than the two that had come before it. At the end of what was a pure pitching duel, it was UMD that had prevailed by a tight 2-0 score. Offensively, Gordon had secured both of the Bulldogs' RBIs. But the story of the game fell at the mound, where a dynamic duo helped carry UMD to victory. Zach Kuseske was masterful through seven innings, giving up just five hits and two walks compared to six strikeouts. Alex Wattermann was just as good in his successful save effort, giving up a single hit and no walks in two innings of work. 

UMD closed its trek in Nebraska with a two-game tilt against a more fitting team in Wayne State on Monday. Best to glance over game one, a contest the Wildcats took 22-2. Game two was filled with much more intrigue.  A four-run second highlighted by a Gabe Richardson homer left the Bulldogs up 4-2, but a surge of Wildcat runs saddled WSC with a 9-6 lead by the end of the fourth. What was supposed to be a nine-inning contest ended up running just seven due to impending darkness at Pete Chapman Baseball Complex, a decision that was made at a time where the Bulldogs had the bases loaded with no outs. High-drama indeed, but UMD ultimately wasn't able to swing the narrative in its favor. WSC secured a sweep of the day with a 9-7 win.

SAVE ME A PIECE OF HISTORY
As it turns out, the importance of Alex Wattermann's big Sunday save extended far beyond the vacuum of the day. It was the senior's 15th in his career, a number that rang historic. Alex now stands alone on the UMD baseball charts for total saves, with a lot of runway left to put further distance between himself and future challengers. 

STATS STATUS REPORT
 "Cole world, real Cole world"

Cole has been an offensive beacon for the Bulldogs thus far this season. You name it, he probably leads the team in it. Batting average (.357), slugging percentage (.607), runs scored (23), RBIs (23), home runs (four)... it's quite the list. The sophomore infielder shares the hitting throne with Pokornowski, as both currently sit with 30. Speaking of Pokornowski, that's the name at the top of the list in terms of doubles with 10. 

A terrific trio of Bulldogs stand out at the mound for UMD. Kuseske leads the group in ERA with a mark of 1.74, one he pairs with a WHIP of 1.16 and an opposing batting average of .213. Alex Wattermann leads the field in both the OBA (.167) and WHIP (.77) departments. Brayden Buttweiler also boasts a pretty impressive resume, pairing a team-leading three wins with a WHIP of 1.38 and an OBA of .253.

SCOUTING REPORT ON MINNESOTA STATE

SITTING PRETTY
Minnesota State currently rests atop the NSIC with a 9-2 conference mark. The Mavericks also hold the honor of highest overall winning percentage at 76% with a cumulative record of 19-6. 

MARQUEE MAVERICKS
In terms of pure batting average, Matthew Fleischhacker leads the way for MSU with a .348 mark. Aidan Byrne and Ryan Wickman sit at a tie for the team lead in runs scored with 23. But when it comes to just about every other major offensive metric, the name to watch out for is Jackson Hauge. The redshirt-junior fielder's  at the top of the charts in slugging percentage (.473), hits (27) and RBIs (28). And when it comes to multi-base hits, Hauge takes things a step further. His six triples are not only a team-best mark but the highest stat in that arena in the entire country. Something about six, because Adam Schneider and Mickey Gottschalk are tied with the team lead in doubles at that number. 

The key Maverick at the mound's probably been Nathan Culley, who holds team-best numbers in ERA (2.75) and opposing batting average (0.211). But watch out for Dylan Gotto, who's doing work in a few key arenas that stands out across the country. Gotto's walks per nine innings mark of 0.85 is fourth-best in the nation, his strikeout-walk ratio of 9.50 sitting at fifth nationally.  

PEAK PITCHING
Even as a unit, the Maverick pitching staff is a remarkable group. MSU's strikeout-walk ratio of 4.02 (bolstered by Gotto's impressive work) is best in the entire country. The team's walks per nine mark of 2.34 is a similar story, good for second in the nation. MSU's overall ERA of 3.46 is sixth-best in the country, and its cumulative WHIP of 1.22 falls at seventh. 

FOLLOW ALONG
There won't be a livestream of this series against MSU, but you'll still be able to follow live stats from all three games here. 

UP NEXT
It'll be a light week for UMD next week, as just one doubleheader sits on the agenda. That'll come out in St. Paul against the Golden Bears on Wednesday, April 12, with first pitch times marked for 1:30 p.m. and 3:30 p.m.