BISMARCK, ND – When the University of Mary baseball team takes to the field on Tuesday, it will be 380 days since a Marauders pitcher last toed the pitching rubber or a hitter dug his back foot in the batter's box against someone not wearing the Blue & Orange.
 
UMary last played on February 16, 2020, when the Marauders faced the University of Central Missouri in a double header before the pandemic shut down the remainder of the season after 12 games. It goes without saying the Marauders can't wait to get back on the diamond.
 
"We're really excited to get the season rolling," said Marauders head coach Tanner Spencer. "It feels like a long time. We've prepared well for this season and are ready to play. We can't wait to get back on the field and compete."
 
The season opens Tuesday, March 2, when UMary visits Missouri Western State University in a single game starting at 3 pm in St. Joseph, MO. The week continues with a four-game set at Southwest Baptist University on Friday and Saturday, March 5-6, in Bolivar, MO. First pitch for Friday's doubleheader against the Bearcats is slated for 2 pm while Saturday's twin bill begins at 1 pm.
 
The Marauders Northern Sun season starts March 24 with a road doubleheader against Concordia-St. Paul.
 
UMary's home opener begins April 2 with a visit from the University of Sioux Falls, the start of 10 straight home games for the Marauders.
 
Spencer is in his second season with the Marauders and looks to build on the gains UMary made in 2019 when the team improved by 12 wins and jumped six slots in the NSIC standings. The Marauders surge was slowed with the premature halt to last season.
 
Spence Gillund returns to anchor the infield at shortstop. The former NJCAA All-American, NCAA Division I transfer and Northwoods League player posted a 905 OPS in limited play last season for UMary. The Enderlin, ND, native also was a 2-time all-region player at Bismarck State College and is the Marauders NSIC Player to Watch.
 
Newcomer Austin Wagner is UMary's Pitcher to Watch. The lefthander is a transfer from NCAA Division I Abilene Christian, where he was the Wildcats top starter. Wagner ranked 6th in the nation in strikeout—to-walk ratio (22-to-1) and was among the Southland Conference leaders in WHIP (0.81) and ERA (1.96). the Wisconsin native led his hometown Fond du Lac Dock Spiders to the 2018 Northwoods League title.
 
Wagner headlines a deep pitching staff for the Marauders. Sophomores Daniel Turner and Jonathan Draheim enter their third year in the starting rotation. Turner was 2-1 with a 0.91 WHIP last year, including a win over national power Central Missouri.
 
Outfielder Ty Jones and infielder Derek Shoen, in his first year at UMary, will both see double duty in the field and on the mound.
 
Paxton Miller and Andrew Brooks gained valuable experience with the Bismarck Larks in the Northwoods League last summer and key a bullpen that will also feature Shaun Hickey, Liam Sommer, Jayden Smith, Mitch Oehme, Anthony Leedle, Kody Jones and more.
 
Third baseman Cal James made an immediate impact with the bat last year as a true freshman. OF Braxton Inniss, a transfer from NCAA D1 Northern Colorado, and C Tyrus Barclay, a grad transfer from Emporia State, will play key roles.
 
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