THIS WEEK
For the first time this season the University of Mary baseball team will play at home game. In a series delayed a day, the Marauders will host Southwest Minnesota State University in a three-game Northern Sun series on Sunday and Monday, April 16-17. Sunday's doubleheader will start at 1:30 pm. First pitch for a single 9-inning game on Monday is set for 11 am. All three games will be played at Veterans Memorial Ballpark in Mandan, ND.    
 
The Marauders then host the University of Minnesota Crookston on Wednesday, April 19.
 
LAST WEEK
After wrapping up a 10-game road trip Easter weekend at Winona State University by taking one of three games, the Marauders split a midweek doubleheader at defending Northern Sun champion Augustana. In a series originally slated to be played in Bismarck, ND, but underwent a site swap due to field conditions, UMary took the opener 7-1 behind a complete game effort from Jonathan Draheim. A late rally left the Marauders just short in the nightcap 11-8.
 
THE RECORDS
The Marauders are 14-18 this season and 7-10 in the Northern Sun and 10^th in the standings… Southwest Minnesota State University is 15-10 and 7-8 (9^th).
 
MIDPOINT
Seven Northern Sun series are in the books for the Marauders (17 games). Seven series remain (18 games).
 
HOME COOKING
For the first time this season the Marauders will be able to wake up in their own beds on a game day when UMary hosts SMSU. Due to an extended winter that has enveloped the Upper Midwest, the first three UMary home series were relocated with two site reversals and one relocation.
 
NIMBLENESS
Out of the first seven NSIC series of the season for the Marauders, only one has not undergone a date or location change.
 
PLAY 'EM ALL
Despite contending with unusual weather all season the Marauders have played all of their scheduled games.
 
UNIVERSITY OF MARY TO HOST NSIC CHAMPIONSHIPS
The University of Mary will host the 2023 Northern Sun baseball championships on May 10-13 (and May 14 if necessary). Games will be held at Veterans Memorial Ballpark at BNC Field in Mandan, ND, all four days with Municipal Ballpark at Dakota Community Bank & Trust Field in Bismarck, ND, hosting games the first two days.
 
RANKED
The Marauders have played three teams who have been nationally-ranked this season… Unranked when UMary played Central Oklahoma to open the season, the Bronchos reached a high of #5 in the poll before falling out of the rankings… MSU Denver was #23 at the time the Roadrunners played the Marauders and reached #13 before also exiting the poll… Minnesota State was ranked #22 when the Mavericks played the Marauders.
 
MARAUDERS ROW
The Marauders offense is off to a tremendous start this season. UMary has posted double digit runs in ten of 27 game and has scored five or more in 24 of 27 games… Among NCAA Division II teams the Marauders offense ranks:

• 15^th in home runs/game (1.47)
• 18^th in slugging percentage (.526)
• 25^th in doubles/game (2.22)
• 35^th in triples/game (.34)
• 41^st in scoring (8.2 runs/game)
• 43^rd in double plays/game (.75)
• 54^th in batting average (.310)
• 59^th in complete games (3)
• 68^th in on base percentage (.408)

 
NCAA Individual Top 60 Rankings

• Derek Shoen
  • 28^th in slugging percentage (.764)
  • 29^th in hits/game (1.66)
  • 44^th in batting average (.417)
  • 53^rd in home runs/game (.31)
  • 58^th in RBIs/game (1.22)
  • 69^th in on base percentage (.507)
• Krece Papierski
  • 15^th in hit by pitch per game (.48)
• Cal James
  • 18^th in hit by pitch per game (.47)
• Noah Hull
  • 67^th in home runs/game (.30)
• Jonathan Draheim
  • 25^th in walks/nine innings (1.42)

 
KA-BOOM
Eleven different Marauders have hit home runs this season. Derek Shoen leads the way with 10. Noah Hull has eight and newcomer Josh Walker owns six. Krece Papierski and Daniel Martin have five each. Overall the Marauders have cracked 47 home runs in 32 games. The Marauders set a team record for home runs last season (2022) with 51.
 
CLIMBING THE CHARTS – HITTING VERSION

• Derek Shoen owns 35 career home runs with the Marauders and is second all-time at UMary. Tyler Liffrig is the Marauders career record-holder with 39 (2007-10)
• Shoen is 3rd all-time in RBIs (122). Liffrig and Jeff Wedul are tied for most career RBIs with 141 each.
• Cal James is second in career doubles with 42. Liffrig tops the list (44).
• James is close behind Shoen in RBIs with 110. James is 4^th all-time behind Liffrig (141), Wedul (141) and Shoen (122).
• James is 4th in career hits with 170. Andy Leer tops the list with 189, followed by Michael Feldman (186) and Liffrig (172).
• James is 5^th all-time in runs scored with 121. Shoen is 6^th with 116. Leer is the all-time leader in runs scored with 132, followed by Jeff Wedul (130), Tyler Liffrig (126) and Feldman (124).  

 
DRAHEIM CLIMBING PITCHING CHARTS
Jonathan Draheim is climbing the all-time leaderboard at UMary in several categories. The senior righthander is:

• Tied for 1^st in most career starts with Nicholas Stobbe (37)
• 2^nd in career wins with 14, one behind Ryan Astle (15)
• Tied for 2^nd in career strikeouts at 159 with McKeon Meyhoff (Jake Johnson 1^st with 177)
• 3^rd in complete games with nine (Ryan Astle with 11 and Matt Medeiros leads with 13)
• 3^rd in innings pitched with 207 (Nicholas Stobbe first with 225.2 and McKeon Meyhoff 2^nd with 221.1)
• 2^nd in shutouts with two, one behind career totals of three by Ryan Astle and Dale Dingmann.

 
4 DIGIT OPS
Three Marauders own an OPS (On-base percentage plus slugging percentage) of four digits. Derek Shoen leads the way at 1.271 followed by Noah Hull (1.067) and Cal James (1.004). Close behind is Krece Papierski (.966).
 
IMPACT DEBUTS
Outfielders Josh Walker and Dan Walker have made an immediate impact for UMary. A transfer from Sacramento State, Walker is hitting .248/.362/.486 with six home runs and 32 RBIs… Martin, a New Mexico transfer, is slashing .301/.385/.496 with five home runs, 23 RBIs and 33 runs scored.
 
DOUBLING DOWN ON TWO
Marauders second sacker Kalem Haney is second on the Marauders in doubles with 11 in his first collegiate season. The redshirt freshman is hitting .310/.408/.460 with 28 runs scored and 14 RBIs.
 
DRAHEIM MOVING UP CHARTS
Jonathan Draheim is moving up the charts in several career categories. The senior righthanded is 4th in innings pitched (200.2), 2nd in starts (36), 3rd in strikeouts (158), and second in wins (13), two wins behind the career mark of Ryan Astle (15).
 
NOTHING IS FREE
Austin Wagner has yet to issue a walk this season through 24 innings. The dominant lefthander is 3-0 in four starts and has struck out 15 while allowing 25 hits. He leads NCAA Division II in strikeout-to-walk ratio and walks allowed per nine innings. He is 56th in WHIP (1.04).  
 
RECORDS
The Marauders set team records for runs (26), hits (24), RBIs (25) and home runs (9) in a 26-14 win at Southern Nazarene on February 14.
 
PROJECTIONS
After back-to-back NSIC tournament appearances – the first in program history – the Marauders were picked to finish 4th in the 2023 NSIC Preseason Baseball Coaches Poll. This is the highest preseason projection for the Marauders since beginning play in the NSIC in Spring 2007.
 
2023 MARAUDERS NSIC PRESEASON PITCHER TO WATCH
Lefty Austin Wagner had a second straight dominant season for the Marauders and set a couple strikeout records along the way. The senior from Fond Du Lac, WI, posted a record of 5-4 with three complete games across 68 innings in 12 starts, all team-highs. He struck out a UMary season-record 92, an average of 12.2 per innings. His 15 strikeouts against the Bulldogs broke the school record. Wagner also walked just 15 batters and had a WHIP of 1.06.
 
2023 MARAUDERS NSIC PRESEASON PLAYER TO WATCH
A 2-time first team all-conference selection, Derek Shoen broke the Marauders single season records for home runs (15) and RBIs (51) in 2022. The senior from Truman, MN, scored 50 runs and hit .339 with a .473 on base percentage and a .644 slugging percentage. Schoen also picked up a pair of saves. Additionally he was named to the CoSIDA Academic All-District baseball team. Only the fourth UMary player to earn 1st team All-NSIC honors, Shoen set single game school records with three home runs and seven RBIs last spring. Shoen is 3rd all-time at UMary with 25 career home runs and 9th in RBIs with 83.
 
KEY RETURNERS
An experienced ballclub, the Marauders return eight regulars in the field and nine pitchers from last year's squad. Key returners for the Marauders include 2021 All-NSIC third basemen Cal James, who set a school record with 18 doubles last year, SS Michael Polson, outfielders Kyle Jameson and Kendall Keller, OF/1B Noah Hull, and catchers Krece Papierski and Ben Prediger. Returning starting pitchers include Jonathan Draheim, who with 11 career wins is closing in on Ryan Astle's school record of 11, Kody Jones, Parker Wakelyn and Joseph Sinclair. Relievers who saw significant action last year include Liam Sommer, Paxton Miller, Mark Schommer, and Jayden Smith.
 
2022 IN REVIEW | RECORDS EDITION
Here's an (almost) complete list of records set by the Marauders during the 2022 season:

• In a 23-17 win at UC Colorado Springs on Feb. 28, 2022, the Marauders tied the school record for runs in a game, set a record for hits (23), record for RBIs (21), record for doubles (7), and tied NCAA-era record for runs scored by individuals (4 by Michael Polson, Kyle Jameson and Derek Shoen)
• 8-game win streak (NCAA-era record)
• 15 strike outs by Austin Wagner against Minnesota Duluth
• 3 home runs and 7 RBIs by Derek Shoen at Augustana (single game NCAA era record)
• 6 home runs in a single game (ties NCAA era record)
• 92 strikeouts by Austin Wagner (single season record)
• 18 doubles by Cal James (single season record)
• 15 home runs by Derek Shoen (single season record)
• 51 RBIs by Derek Shoen single season record)
• 23 wins was an NCAA single season team record
• 414 strikeouts and 403.2 innings pitched– single season team record
• 51 home runs is a single season team record
• Single season team record for putouts (1,211) and total chances (1,752)

 
NEXT UP
The Marauders host the University of Minnesota Crookston on Wednesday, April 19, before visiting St. Cloud State April 22-23.
 
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