MARAUDERS-WILDCATS SERIES MOVED UP TO THURSDAY-FRIDAY
The University of Mary baseball home opener has moved up a day in anticipation of looming inclement weather. The Marauders four-game Northern Sun series against Wayne State College is now scheduled for doubleheaders on Thursday and Friday, March 27-28.
 
Thursday's doubleheader will start at 3 pm. First pitch for Friday's twin bill is 12 noon. All games are scheduled to be played at Municipal Ballpark in Bismarck, ND.
 
MUNICIPAL BALLPARK ARTIFICIAL TURF DEBUT
The new artificial turf at Municipal Ballpark, the home field for the Marauders, sees its first game action when the University of Mary hosts Wayne State College on Thursday, March 27. The $2.2 million artificial turf construction project was started last fall.  
 
THE RECORDS
The Marauders are 11-10 overall this season and 7-5 in the Northern Sun… Wayne State College is also 11-10 and 7-5.  
 
HISTORY
Dating back to the 2011 season the Marauders are 6-22 against the Wildcats… the two teams have split doubleheaders each of the last two seasons… The last 10 meetings have occurred in Wayne, NE… including four games in 2018, the last 14 games were played in Nebraska… the last time the Marauders and the Wildcats faced each other in Bismarck, ND, was April 2017.
 
FOLLOW LIVE
Visit www.GoUMary.com/coverge for available links to live video and stats. Please note live coverage is not anticipated for the series with Winona State.
 
LAST TIME OUT
In a series moved from Winona, MN, to Sioux Falls, SD, UMary claimed 3-of-4 games against Winona State University… Aiden Johnson allowed one earned run and three hits in the first six innings of an 11-3 game 1 win. Kalem Haney and Kieran Gaffney each had three hits. Haney scored three runs and drove in one. Gaffney scored twice and drove in three… Marcus Butts scored three runs and Ryan Chamberlain allowed three runs in seven innings of a 7-5 game 2 win… The Warriors had a walk-off 3-2 win in game 3… The Marauders bullpen pitched 6.1 innings of scoreless relief as UMary rallied for a 4-2 win. Bryce Leafgren broke a 2-2 tie with a 2-run double in the 8^th inning.
 
CLIMBING THE CHARTS
Noah Hull is climbing the all-time leader board in home runs and RBIs at UMary and the top 10 in other categories. The 2-time All-NSIC senior first baseman ranks:

• 3rd in home runs with 32. Tyler Liffrig (39) is the career record-holder, followed by Derek Shoen (37).
• 5^th in RBIs (126) and trails only Jeff Wedul (141), Tyler Liffrig (141), Derek Shoen (135) and Cal James (133). He was the 7^th Marauder to crack the century mark in runs batted in. 
• 5^th in hits (172). James is 1^st (198), followed by Andy Leer (189), Mike Feldman (186), Schoen (181) and Liffrig (172).
• 6^th in doubles (35). James leads with 48, followed by Liffrig (44), Feldman (41), Jason Duppong (38) and Schoen (38).
• 7^th in runs scored (110). James is the all-time runs leader (154), ahead of Schoen (134), Leer (132), Wedul (130), Liffrig (126) and Feldman (124).

 
 
HITTING THEIR STRIDE

• Bryce Leafgren is leading the Marauders in batting, hitting .442/.577/.731 for a 1.308 OPS. In 19 games he is 23-for-52 with six doubles, three home runs, 11 runs scored and 15 RBIs.
• Kieran Gaffney is tied for second on the team in home runs (3) and is second in runs scored (17). The junior third baseman in his first year at UMary is hitting .280/.365/.415 with an .780 OPS and 16 RBIs.
• Isaac Pegors is hitting .351/.459/.719 for a 1.178 OPS with six doubles, a team-high five home runs and a team-best 22 RBIs.
• Noah Hull leads the Marauders with 21 runs scored and seven doubles. Ten of his 25 hits have gone for extra bases. The senior is hitting .316/.400/.494 for a .894 OPS.
• Kalem Haney is hitting .288/.398/.425 (.823 OPS) with 17 runs scored, two home runs and eight RBIs.
• Krece Papierski is tied for 2^nd on the team in home runs (3) and has eight RBIs, three doubles and nine runs scored while batting .246/.372/.431 (803 OPS).
• Freshman catcher Marcus Butts is off to a strong start to his collegiate debut. He is 13-for-26 with a line of .400/.611/.731 and a 1.342 OPS in eight games. He has six doubles. Six RBIs and has scored eight runs.

 
ROUND 4
Aiden Johnson has put together five consecutive strong outings on the hill this season for UMary. The junior righthander:

• allowed one run in four innings in his Marauders debut against UC Colorado Springs
• Limited MSU Denver to three runs in six innings. All three runs came in the first inning as Johnson finished the day with five straight shutout innings.
• Gave up three earned runs in six innings to Minnesota State, holding the Mavericks to three hits 
• Held CSP to one run and struck out six over six innings in a 4-1 win
• Limited Winona State to three hits and one earned runs in six innings of an 11-3 win
• In 18 NSIC innings, Johnson has a 2.50 ERA, giving up 10 hits and striking out 13

 
ROLLING
Ryan Chamberlain has strung together three straight impressive starts after two tough outings to start the year. In his last three outings:

• Two earned runs and four hits in five innings against NSIC-leading Minnesota State
• Named national pitcher of the week after pitching a 9-inning complete game shutout, striking out 10 and holding Concordia-St. Paul to three hits in an 9-0 win
• Limited Winona State to three runs on six hits in seven innings of a 7-5 win
•  In 21 Northern Sun innings he has a 2.14 ERA, allowing 13 hits and striking out 18 in 21 innings

 
SPENCER REACHES 100 COACHING WINS
Marauders head coach Tanner Spencer reached 100 career wins when UMary swept a doubleheader from Concordia-St. Paul on March 13. In just his fifth season as the Marauders head baseball coach, Tanner Spencer has accumulated 105 wins and is second in career coaching victories at UMary. Steve LeGrand leads the way with 121 (1997-2001) with Brad Walsh third with 90 (2005-11). The Marauders have eclipsed 20 wins each of the last four seasons, the only 20-win seasons for UMary since beginning NCAA play in spring 2007.
 
RECORD DAY
The Marauders rewrote the record book in a 26-22 win at Missouri Western on February 26:

• Team record for most hits (26) and most RBIs (26)
• Ties team record for most runs (26 at Southern Nazarene February 14, 2023)
• Rhett Chisholm broke team NCAA single game record for RBIs (8). Previous record (7) set by Carter Beck in 2024 and Derek Schoen in 2023. This was the first game started by Chisholm and his second collegiate game overall.
• Carter Shin set team NCAA single game record by reaching base safely seven times (3 hits, 3 walks, 1 hit by pitch)
• Bryce Leafgren tied team NCAA single game record with five hits (7^th time in team history, last done by Josh Walker vs. Sioux Falls in 2024).

 
CHAMBERLAIN SWEEPS NSIC, REGION AND NATIONAL PITCHING HONORS
Ryan Chamberlain claimed Northern Sun and National College Baseball Writers Association Central Region and National Pitcher of the Week honors for his stellar outing against Concordia-St. Paul. The junior righthander from Laramie, WY, struck out ten hitters and allowed three hits in a 9-inning 8-0 shutout win over the Golden Bears. He didn't walk anyone. After giving up hits in each of the first two innings, Chamberlain retired 11 straight hitters before giving up a third and final hit to lead off the 7^th inning. He then retired the final nine batters to close out the game and 20 of the final 21 hitters he faced.

• The 9-inning complete game shutout was the first for the Marauders since Michael Vollrath blanked the Apprentice School in 2014
• Chamberlain joins Jonathan Draheim (2021) and Shane Trattles (2013) as Marauders who won NBCWA national pitcher of the week honors at UMary. Draheim and Trattles were both honored after pitching no-hitters.

 
 
WELCOME BACK
The Marauders return 22 players, including 12 pitchers and 10 position players… Seven position players have earned at bats with the Marauders while eight pitchers have made appearances on the mound.
 
HANEY SELECTED TO 2025 NCBWA ALL-CENTRAL REGION PRESEASON TEAM
Marauders infielder Kalem Haney was named to the National College Baseball Writers Association (NCBWA) Preseason All-Central Region team. Haney becomes the first UMary player to earn NCAA preseason all-region baseball honors from the NCBWA.
 
HANEY NAMED UMARY'S 2025 NSIC PLAYER TO WATCH
A junior middle infielder from Lethbridge, Alberta, Kalem Haney was a dynamic leadoff hitter for UMary in 2024. Primarily playing second base, he hit .360/.460/.560 with a 1.010 OPS. He led the Marauders in steals (14 bases in 15 attempts) and triples (4) and was second in runs scored (48), doubles (13) while starting all 50 games. He also had five home runs. He had at least one hit in 39 games with 17 multiple hit performances. Only once did he fail to have a hit in back-to-back games. Haney was named to the 2024 All-NSIC 1st team and the 2024 NSIC All-defensive team. He earned NSIC Player of the Week honors once last year.
 
CHAMBERLAIN UMARY'S 2025 NSIC PRESEASON PITCHER TO WATCH
A junior right-handed pitcher from Laramie, WY, Ryan Chamberlain finished 2024 with a record of 3-2. He pitched 51 innings over 12 appearances, including six starts. Chamberlain tossed one complete game and struck out 41 batters while walking just 12 to post a WHIP of 1.37. He tied for the team lead in wins, was second in innings pitched and fourth in strikeouts.
 
ROSTER BREAKDOWN

• 47 players
• 22 returners
• 25 newcomers (11 freshmen, 14 transfers)
• 11 freshmen
• 5 redshirt freshmen
• 7 sophomores
• 18 juniors
• 6 seniors
• 28 pitchers (21 RHP/7 LHP)
• 19 position players

 
2024 REWIND

• The Marauders made the NSIC tournament for the 3rd time in four seasons, the only appearances in program history
• UMary tied the school record for home runs, hitting 72 for the second straight season
• Carter Beck was the NSIC Freshman of the Year
• Kalem Haney and Mark Schommer earned NSIC 1st team honors
• Noah Hull and Carter Beck earned NSIC 2nd team honors
• Haney and Hull were selected to the NSIC All-Defensive Team
• Mark Schommer was named to the ABCA/Rawlings All-Central region 1st team and the NCBWA All-Central Region second team
• Noah Hull and Kalem Haney earned NSIC Player of the Week honors
• Lukas Frers received NSIC Pitcher of the Week honors

 
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