BISMARCK, ND – After playing 17 games in four different states over the first two months of the season, the University of Mary baseball team is about to make their long-awaited home debut when the Marauders host the University of Minnesota Duluth Bulldogs on Wednesday, March 29. First pitch for the Northern Sun doubleheader is set for 1:30 pm at Bismarck's Municipal Ballpark.
The Marauders opened the season with a four-game set in Phoenix, AZ, before playing five games down in Florida. After finishing 3-2 in Mary's version of the Grapefruit League, the Marauders opened NSIC play at Minnesota State on March 18 before playing last weekend at Augustana.
Searching for their first conference win, the Marauders cap what may be the most difficult opening stretch of any team in the league when Mary hosts UMD, defending the Northern Sun champion, in a midweek doubleheader. Among the two previous foes, Augie placed second last season and Minnesota State was fourth and was projected to win the league in the preseason conference poll.
Leading the Marauders offense is centerfielder
Andrew Beyer. The senior is a sparkplug at the top of the order, leading the team with a .345 batting average and a .415 on base percentage. He has scored seven runs, driven in seven and has two doubles. Beyer also has drawn three walks and been hit by four pitches. In four games at Augie last weekend he reached base seven times in just 13 plate appearances.
Senior catcher
Lane Huck is right behind with a .316 batting average. He has knocked in five runs, stolen two bases and has thrown out an impressive 8-of-27 base stealers.
Seth Meide and
Drew Feuerbach are tied for the team lead in RBIs with eight each.
Daulton Sauce has scored a team-best nine runs.
Sophomore
Travis Stevens had a strong day at the plate on Sunday, finishing 4-for-7 with a home run. He had two hits in each game as the designated hitter. He also has started on the mound the last two weekends.
Jake Johnson and Nick Stobbe are pacing the Mary pitching staff.
Johnson is 2-3 in five starts, allowing just 25 hits in 28.1 innings. The junior has a team-best 3.18 ERA, striking out 25 hitters while walking 13.
The lone senior to start on the hill this year for the Marauders, Stobbe has recorded a 3.92 ERA and pitched the team's lone compete game of the season. He has 17 strikeouts and just five walks in 20.2 innings.
Isaac Saad had provided the Marauders a pair of strong starts, the first two of the junior's career. In his last outing against the Vikings, he allowed just six hits and two earned runs in 6.1 innings, striking out one and walking none. He has given up 13 hits and just one walk in 11.2 innings in two games.
Mary begins a stretch of playing ten of its next 12 games and 14 out of 18 at home. This weekend the Marauders play host to Wayne State College with doubleheaders on Saturday and Sunday, April 1-2.
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