THIS WEEK
The University of Mary will play its first home games at Municipal Ballpark in Bismarck, ND, on Wednesday, April 26, when the Marauders host Northern State University in a Northern Sun doubleheader. Originally scheduled to be played in Aberdeen, SD, the games were moved to Bismarck in a site reversal. First pitch between the Marauders and the Wolves is 1:30 pm.
 
The Marauders then head north on US-83 to face instate foe Minot State University for three games Saturday-Sunday April 29-30. Saturday's doubleheader begins at 1:30 pm with a single game Sunday at 12 noon.
 
THE RECORDS
The Marauders are 15-25 this season and 8-17 in the Northern Sun (13^th place)… Northern State University is 10-23 and 5-17 (14^th)… Minot State is 24-12 and 15-9 (5^th) before a midweek series at Minnesota Crookston.
 
HOME
After playing their first 32 games on the road, the Marauders are in the midst of hosting 12 of 18 games at home, including seven of their final 10.  
 
HOME SWEET HOME
The Marauders finally play on their home diamond this week at Municipal Ballpark when UMary hosts Northern State on Wednesday, April 26. The Marauders previous home contests were played at Mandan's Veterans Memorial Ballpark BNC Field.  
 
NIMBLENESS
Out of the first 11 NSIC series of the season for the Marauders, only two have 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.
 
HOME RUN RECORD
The Marauders broke the team's single season home run record when Noah Hull hit UMary's 52^nd round tripper of 2023 in the 3^rd inning of UMary's 8-0 win over Minnesota Crookston on April 19. The former record was 51 in 2022. The Marauders now have 58 this season.
 
POWER TRIO
For the first time in program history, the Marauders have three players reach double figures in home runs in the same season. Derek Shoen, Cal James and Noah Hull each have 10.
 
DRAHEIM'S BIG DAY
Jonathan Draheim set one program record and tied two others with a 7-inning complete game performance in an 8-0 win over the Golden Eagles. He set the school record for career starts (38) and tied the career record for shutouts (3 with Ryan Astle and Dale Dingmann) and wins (15 with Ryan Astle). The senior righthander struck out eight, allowed five hits and didn't walk a batter.
 
POWER PLAY
Cal James has been on a tear. The Marauders third baseman bashed seven home runs in six games the past week, including two in two different games… During a recent 9-game stretch he was 14-for-30 with seven home runs and a double, scored 10 runs and drove in 13 runs. He is now second all-time at UMary in runs scored and doubles, third in hits and home runs, and fifth in RBIs.
 
MARAUDERS ROW
The Marauders offense has had a strong season. UMary has posted double digit runs in ten games and has scored five or more in 30 of 40 games… Among NCAA Division II teams the Marauders offense ranks:

• 19^th in home runs/game (1.45)
• 32^nd in slugging percentage (.509)
• 43^rd in doubles/game (2.08)
• 53^rd in double plays/game (.72)
• 58^th in complete games (4)

 
NCAA Individual Top 60 Rankings

• Krece Papierski
  • 26^th in hit by pitch per game (.48)
• Cal James
  • 16^th in hit by pitch per game (.45)
• Jonathan Draheim
  • 7^th in walks/nine innings (1.20)
  • 23^rd in strikeout-to-walks ratio (5.33)
  • 33^rd in complete games (3)

 
KA-BOOM
13 different Marauders have hit home runs this season. Derek Shoen, Noah Hull and Cal James lead the way with 10 each. Newcomer Josh Walker owns six. Krece Papierski and Daniel Martin have five each. Overall the Marauders have cracked a school record of 58 home runs in 40 games. The previous record was 51 in 2022.
 
RECORD BOARDS
Senior 1^st baseman Derek Shoen is in the top five in several career categories:

• 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.
• Shoen is tied for 5^th in doubles (34) with Andy Leer
• 5^th in runs scored (120) behind Andy Leer (132), current teammate Cal James (131), Jeff Wedul (130) and Tyler Liffrig (126).  

 
Cal James has reached the top five in several categories also:

• Cal James is second in career doubles with 42. Tyler Liffrig tops the list (44).

• James is 4^th all-time in RBIs (121) behind Liffrig (141), Jeff Wedul (141) and Derek Shoen (122).
• James is 3^rd in career hits with 182. Andy Leer tops the list with 189, followed by Michael Feldman (186).
• James is 3^rd in career home runs (28), trailing Liffrig (38) and Shoen (34).
• James is 2^nd all-time in runs scored with 131. Shoen is 6^th with 119. Leer is the all-time leader in runs scored with 132.   

 
Jonathan Draheim is climbing the all-time leaderboard at UMary in several pitching categories. The senior righthander is:

• 1^st in career starts (38)
• Tied for 1^st in career wins with Ryan Astle (15)
• Tied for 1^st in career shutouts with Ryan Astle and Dale Dingmann (3)
• 2^nd in career strikeouts at 167 (Jake Johnson 1^st with 177)
• 3^rd in complete games with 10 (Ryan Astle with 11 and Matt Medeiros leads with 13)
• 3^rd in innings pitched with 215.2 (Nicholas Stobbe first with 225.2 and McKeon Meyhoff 2^nd with 221.1)

 
The Marauders also have some single season marks within reach:

• Hits – 68 by Derek Ihde (2002) and Michael Feldman (2008) | Derek Shoen (62)
• Doubles – 18 by Cal James (2022) | Derek Shoen and Kalem Haney (12), Cal James (11)
• Home runs – Derek Shoen 14 (2023) | Derek Shoen, Noah Hull and Cal James (10)
• RBIs – Derek Shoen 51 (2022) | Derek Shoen (39), Cal James (37)
• Runs scored – Steve Laasko 56 (1998) | Cal James (42), Derek Shoen (38)

 
4 DIGIT OPS
Three Marauders own an OPS (On-base percentage plus slugging percentage) of four digits. Derek Shoen leads the way at 1.149 followed by Cal James (1.148) and Noah Hull (1.013). Close behind is Krece Papierski (.908).
 
IMPACT DEBUTS
Outfielders Josh Walker and Dan Walker have made an immediate impact for UMary. A transfer from Sacramento State, Walker is hitting .254/.368/.468 with six home runs and 33 RBIs… Martin, a New Mexico transfer, is slashing .294/.372/.471 with five home runs, 24 RBIs and 33 runs scored.
 
DOUBLING DOWN ON TWO
Marauders second sacker Kalem Haney is tied for the Marauders team lead in doubles with 12 in his first collegiate season. The redshirt freshman is hitting .282/.385/.435 with 32 runs scored and 15 RBIs.
 
NOTHING IS FREE
Austin Wagner allowed his first two walks of the season in a start at SCSU. The dominant lefthander is 3-1 in five starts and six games and has struck out 18 while allowing 29 hits and two walks.    
 
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.
 
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.
 
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)

 
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