ST. PAUL, Minn. - On a warm spring day in Minnesota's capital city, an April breeze typically comes from the south which means the stiff spring wind is headed towards the outfield fences at Concordia-St. Paul's baseball home Barnes Field.

This particular Saturday afternoon fit the profile as a cold, wet spring was supplemented, for a day at least by a warm, sunny afternoon. Temperatures remained in the upper 60's for the afternoon as Concordia (18-10, 11-8 NSIC) hosted Minnesota State (21-12, 12-7 NSIC) in the first two of a four game NSIC series. With the warmth came a steady wind of 15 miles per hour, gusting into the 20's out of the south southeast, blowing straight out to left field for Barnes Field's short porches.

The result was a combined effort between the two strong Division II baseball programs of 13 home runs. In game one, Concordia slugged four with MSU hitting a pair before the visiting Mavericks caught onto the afternoon trend by launching seven home runs in game two.

Following game two of the twin bill, Concordia honored its 10-player senior class, as the remaining scheduled home games have a strong threat of rain.

Minnesota State would come out on top in each game, 14-7 in game one before a 14-0 shortened game two.

GAME 1: MSU 14, Concordia 7
Concordia jumped out in front first in the opener of the four game series as sophomore Adam Hildebrandt went with a pitch on the outer half, taking it the opposite way into left center for an RBI single, scoring freshman Ben Suits.

MSU responded with its first of four multiple-run innings in the 7-inning contest to grab the lead before Concordia powered up.

In the bottom of the third, sophomore Connor Olson pulled his ninth home run of the year down the left field line and with two outs senior Eric Fasnacht lifted his fourth homer over Wiesy's Wall in left. The two homer inning cut the margin to a run, 4-3 after three innings.

Senior southpaw Zach Rengel would retire the Mavericks in order in the fourth, his second 1-2-3 inning of the game and third scoreless frame issued to the Mavericks.

Concordia rewarded Rengel when freshman Carter Schmidt hit his first career homer to left field, a no doubt three-run shot for a 6-4 lead.

MSU responded in the top of the inning, matching the three-run homer to end Rengel's afternoon.

He would take the loss, falling to 2-3 on the year despite striking out six over 4.1 innings.

The Mavericks pulled away with a five-run sixth inning to claim a 12-6 advantage.

Schmidt would go deep again in his next trip to the plate, going 2-3 with his first two career home runs and four RBI. Fasnacht went 2-4 in the game, adding a single in the fifth.

Mitchell Bauer picked up the win for MSU, improving to 4-2 as he pitched the first four innings with Concordia tagging him for six runs (five earned) to raise his ERA to 3.97. He struck out four, walked one and allowed five hits. Peter Gaustad silenced Concordia's bats over the final three innings for the save, allowing just the Schmidt solo homer while striking out five and allowing just two hits.

The MSU 4-5 hitters Taylor Branstad and Luke Waldek each went 2-4 with four RBI and their fifth home run while second hitter Josh Wenzel was 4-5. The Mavericks also swiped four bases in the first game.

GAME 2: MSU 14, Concordia 0
The Mavericks kept their momentum from the first game comeback, scoring two in the first on Eric Peterson's two run homer, and added a pair of homers in the second inning, a solo by Ryan Moffett and a two-run by Kyle Toth.

Moffett and Toth each hit two homers in the second game, with Toth hitting a solo in the seventh and Moffett a three-run in the fifth. All 14 of MSU's runs came via the home run as Wenzel hit a two-run in the fourth and Jordan Hart hit a three-run in the sixth.

Kevin Woebke took the loss for Concordia, falling to 1-2 on the year in five innings of work including three strikeouts.

The Golden Bear offense managed just two hits in the game against MSU right hander Jon Ludwig, who struck out eight and walked two while going the distance for the shutout win to improve to 1-2.

The Golden Bears were able to play nine of its 10 seniors on senior day, with the lone exception being left handed starter Kody Knaus who has been starting the first game on Sunday's of NSIC weekend series. He's likely ticketed to toe the rubber tomorrow against the Mavericks with first pitch set for noon at Barnes Field.