THIS WEEK
Embarking on their last regular season road trip of the 2025 season, the University of Mary baseball team visits Bemidji State University for a midweek Northern Sun doubleheader on Wednesday, April 23, before taking on Southwest Minnesota State University for a 3-game weekend set on Saturday-Sunday, April 26-27.
 
The Marauders doubleheader Wednesday against the Beavers is set to start at 1:30 pm at the BSU Baseball Field in Bemidji, MN.
 
The Marauders then faces the Mustangs in Marshall, MN, at Legion Field. First pitch for Saturday's doubleheader is 1:30 pm. Sunday's single 9-inning game is slated for 12 noon.
 
THE RECORDS
The Marauders are 18-21 overall this season and 14-16 (10^th place) in the Northern Sun… Bemidji State is 5-30 overall and 4-24 in the NSIC (14^th place)... prior to hosting 2^nd place Augustana on Wednesday, SMSU is 22-15 overall and 17-13 in the NSIC (5^th place).   
 
HISTORY
The Marauders are 20-18 against the Beavers since 2010. UMary has won the last six games, including the last four in Bismarck. The last time the two teams met in Bemidji, MN, was 2021 with the home team winning twice… The Marauders are 10-21 against the Mustangs since 2010. UMary claimed 2-of-3 games against SMSU in a series hosted by the Marauders. The last six games were played in Bismarck-Mandan. The last time the teams played in Marshall, MN, was 2022 with the home team sweeping the doubleheader.
 
FOLLOW LIVE
Visit www.GoUMary.com/coverge for available links to live video and stats.
 
LAST TIME OUT
After Sioux Falls swept a doubleheader against UMary on Friday, the Marauders claimed the third game 9-6 Saturday. Hank Griffin had three hits, a home run and a double with four RBIs in the win. Issac Pegors also hit a home run and drove in two runs in the win.  
 
HULL BREAKS MARAUDERS CAREER RBI RECORD
Noah Hull broke the Marauders career record for runs batted in with a sacrifice fly at Sioux Falls in UMary's opening game against the Cougars on Friday, April 19.  A two-time All-Northern Sun selection, the first baseman from Scarborough, Ontario, has driven in 143 runs in his four seasons with the Marauders. He broke the old mark of 141 shared by Jeff Wedul and Tyler Liffrig.
 
CLIMBING THE CHARTS
Now the Marauders career leader in runs batted in, Noah Hull is climbing the all-time leader board in several other categories. The 2-time All-NSIC senior first baseman ranks:

• 1^st place tie for RBIs (143) after passing Jeff Wedul (141) and Tyler Liffrig (141)  
• 3rd in home runs with 34. Tyler Liffrig (39) is the career record-holder, followed by Derek Shoen (37).
• 2^nd in hits (191). Cal James is 1^st (198).
• 3^rd place tie in doubles (41). James leads with 48, followed by Liffrig (44) and tied with Michael Feldman (41).
• 6^th in runs scored (124). James is the all-time runs leader (154), ahead of Schoen (134), Leer (132), Wedul (130), Liffrig (126) and Feldman (124).

 
SEASON SURGE
Issac Pegors is adding his name to the Marauders single season leader boards in several categories. With 10 regular season games remaining, the junior outfielder from Bismarck, ND, ranks:

• 7^th in home runs with 11 (Derek Shoen hit a record 14 HRs in 2022)
• 7^th in RBIs with 47 (Josh Walker recorded 54 RBIs in 2023)
• 6^th in batting average at .400 (Dan Piilola hit .427 in 1999)

 
DOUBLE TROUBLE
Hank Griffin and Noah Hull both have 13 doubles this season, tied for 9^th in a single season. Calvin James owns the record with 18 in 2002… As a team the Marauders average 2.05 doubles a game to rank 43^rd in NCAA Division II.
 
HOT HOT HOT
Isaac Pegors and Hank Griffin are on a heater… In his last four games, Pegors has at least two hits in each game and is 9-for-15 with two doubles, two home runs and nine RBIs… Griffin has at least two hits in each of his last six games. In that stretch he is 14-for-20 with four doubles, a home run, seven RBIs and nine runs scored.
 
DON'T RUB IT
UMary batters are ninth in the country in being hit by pitch. The Marauders have been plunked 96 times. Bryce Leafgren has wore a pitch 15 times, Kalem Haney 13 times and Krece Papierski and Isaac Pegors a dozen times each.
 
HITTING THEIR STRIDE

• Isaac Pegors has surged to the top of the Marauders hitting charts, posting a line of .400/.493/.758 for a 1.251 OPS. He has ten doubles and leads the team in home runs (11) and RBIs (47). He is among the NSIC leaders in batting average (2^nd), slugging percentage (2^nd), OPS (2^nd), On Base Percentage (7^th), RBIs (3^rd) and home runs (4^th).
• Bryce Leafgren has scorched the ball this season to a tune of .353/.493/.578 for a 1.071 OPS. In 37 games he is 41-for-116 with 11 doubles, five home runs, 26 runs scored and 20 RBIs… In the NSIC Leafgren ranks 6^th in on base percentage. Leafgren is also 2^nd in the NSIC with 15 hit by pitches.
• Kieran Gaffney is 2^nd on the team in runs scored (29) and has four home runs and 24 RBIs. The junior third baseman in his first year at UMary is hitting .271/.377/.371 with a .748 OPS.
• Noah Hull leads the Marauders with 35 runs scored, 13 doubles and three triples. Nineteen of his 44 hits have gone for extra bases, including three home runs. He also has 30 RBIs. The All-NSIC 1^st baseman is hitting .303/.393/.497 for a .890 OPS.
• Kalem Haney is hitting .292/.406/.425 (.831 OPS) with 28 runs scored, two home runs and 12 RBIs.
• Krece Papierski is 3^rd on the team in home runs (4) and has 21 RBIs, six doubles and 14 runs scored while batting .255/.378/.425 (.803 OPS).
• Freshman catcher Marcus Butts is off to a strong start to his collegiate debut. He is 22-for-66 with a line of .333/.423/.500 and a .923 OPS in 18 games. He has eight doubles, one home run, nine RBIs and 13 runs scored. He hit a game-tying solo home run on a 2-out full-count pitch in the bottom of the ninth inning to force extra innings against SCSU.  
• In his first season at UMary after transferring from Hutchinson Community College, infielder Hank Griffin is hitting .313/.396/.484 with 13 doubles, three triples, a home run, 22 RBIs and 26 runs scored. He leads the team with 14 steals in 15 attempts.

 
TAKING THE HILL

• Aiden Johnson has been stellar anchoring the Marauders rotation in his first season at UMary. The junior transfer from McCook Community College leads the Marauders starters in ERA (4.44). He has gone at least 6.0 innings in five of his nine starts and has a 4-2 record. Johnson has pitched 46.2 innings and has allowed 52 hits and 12 walks for a 1.37 WHIP while striking out 35… Johnson is 10^th in the NSIC in ERA and 9^th in wins.
• Ryan Chamberlain is 2-4 on the season, leads the team in innings (48.2) and is tied for strikeouts (35). He has a 7.03 ERA and is 8^th in the NSIC in innings pitched… Twice this season Chamberlain has pitched 9.0 innings in a game.
• Sam Hayen leads the Marauders in saves (5) and is tied for the team lead in appearances (10)… he is 5^th in the NSIC in saves and is 2-0 on the year.
• Konnor Kirchoffner is 2-0 with two saves and a 5.30 ERA in a team-high 10 appearances (three starts).
• Jeff Tiw moved into the starting rotation after four relief outings and is third on the team in innings pitched (27.1). 

 
MUNICIPAL BALLPARK ARTIFICIAL TURF DEBUT
The new artificial turf at Municipal Ballpark experienced its first game action when the University of Mary opened a 4-game home series against visiting Wayne State College on Thursday, March 27. Part of a $2.2 million renovation to Municipal Ballpark, the artificial turf was installed last fall. 
 
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 112 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.

 
JOHNSON NAMED NSIC PITCHER OF THE WEEK
A stellar complete game shutout effort by the University of Mary's Aiden Johnson earned the Marauders righthander Northern Sun Pitcher of the Week honors. Facing defending Northern Sun champion Augustana University featuring reigning pitcher of the year for the NSIC on the mound, Johnson held the Vikings to five hits and one walk in a 2-0 Marauders win on April 5, 2025. The junior from Westminster, CO, struck out seven hitters in the 7-inning complete game. Johnson, who improved his record to 4-1 on the season with the win, ended strong. After inducing a ground ball double play to close out the sixth inning he retired the side in order in the seventh to finish the win. Johnson becomes UMary's second NSIC Pitcher of the Week in 2025, joining Ryan Chamberlain.
 
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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