ST. PAUL, Minn. – CSP baseball (21-18, 13-17 NSIC) returns to their home diamond against Minnesota State (25-14, 21-8 NSIC) with a midweek doubleheader before concluding the week on the road with a three-game tilt against Bemidji State (1-39, 0-30 NSIC) at BSU Field.
 
Action against the Mavericks will occur on Wednesday at 1:30 p.m. and 3:30 p.m. at Barnes Field. First pitches (altered from original times) against the Beavers will take place on Saturday at 1:00 p.m. and 3:00 p.m., concluding with a Sunday finale at noon.
 
WATCH ONLINE - NSIC NETWORK
Powered by the NSIC Network, all Northern Sun home and away baseball games will be broadcast online, free of charge, weather permitting. Visit www.nsicnetwork.com/cspbears to watch the Golden Bears. Away games will feature production by the host institution, while home games are broadcast using BlueFrame Technology with the play-by-play call of Dan Flanagan, voice of the Golden Bears for over a decade. Flanagan is a St. Paul native who professionally trained in broadcasting at Fordham University in New York where he was the voice of the basketball and football teams, among other sports. NSIC Network Announcement & FAQ
 
DOWNLOAD THE APP
Fans can download the CSP Bears fan app, free of charge and available in the App Store or on Google Play. The app contains rosters, schedules, scores, stats, news, social media and more! Customize your options to get notifications to your favorite teams, as well. Search "CSP Bears" in the app store to stay up-to-date on Golden Bear athletics.
 
FOLLOW ON SOCIAL MEDIA
Not able to watch or keep an eye on live stats? Check in on social media by following our Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram feeds. Each platform will have different levels of engagement. Twitter will offer scoring updates, Instagram will feature live look-ins and engaging content and Facebook is a great place to get links to previews, recaps and more. Simply search for CSP Bears on any of the platforms and remember to #BeGolden
 
NSIC STANDINGS
The Golden Bears dropped a spot to ninth in this week's NSIC standings. They are currently one game behind Sioux Falls (S.D.) (14-16 NSIC) and are currently one game ahead of Minnesota Duluth (12-18 NSIC). CSP still has the Cougars and Bulldogs on their remaining schedule.
 
No. 13 Augustana (S.D.) (24-4 NSIC) added another 5-0 week to remain in the top spot of the standings. Minnesota State (21-8 NSIC) and St. Cloud State (21-8 NSIC) round out the top three.
 
The eight-team double elimination NSIC Tournament takes place May 8-11, hosted by the University of Mary at Veterans Memorial/Municipal Ballparks in Mandan & Bismarck, North Dakota. The tournament will be streamed on the NSIC Network, with tournament passes or single game access available for purchase.
 
SEASON LEADERS
Nick Thimsen has been a leader at the plate for CSP with a slash line of .424/.511/.771 after 39 games. The Minnetonka, Minnesota native has collected 61 hits, 48 RBIs, 46 runs and 18 walks. His .511 on-base percentage leads the entire NSIC, while he also leads the conference with 17 doubles. In addition, the senior is tied for second in RBIs and is tied for fourth with 11 homers.
 
Bennett McCollow has also been a key contributor offensively with 55 hits, 46 runs, 38 RBIs and 21 walks. His extra-base hits continue to grow, as he has secured 11 doubles, five home runs and a triple in 140 at-bats.
 
Mason Nadolney's 14 home runs are the third most in the NSIC, and Noah Juliar is tied for the third most triples in the conference with four so far this season.
 
Korey Dahlberg (4-3) leads the pitching staff with 35 strikeouts in 50.0 innings, and the Farmington, Minnesota native has acquired a WHIP of 1.44. Gavin Rusch (3-3) is slightly behind Dahlberg with 32 strikeouts, while freshman Ian Segna (4-1) holds the best earned run average among starters at 5.98.
 
Eric Lundell (4-2)(4) has played a pivotal role from the bullpen with an NSIC-leading four saves. The senior has made 14 appearances on the bump with 28 strikeouts in 30.0 innings. Fellow senior Matt Sherman has been an anchor in the bullpen with 26 strikeouts in 25.0 innings.
 
LAST TIME OUT
CSP finished 1-4 on the road last week after spitting a midweek doubleheader with Winona State before falling in the three-game series against No. 16 Augustana.
 
The Golden Bears collected 31 hits as a team and scored 16 times over the five-game stretch. Thimsen led the way with six hits, including a home run and a double. He added three runs, two stolen bases, two walks and an RBI for the Navy and Gold. Jaden Werner also shined at the plate with a team-leading four RBIs.
 
Reece Piontek displayed his best outing of the season with four strikeouts in 5.1 innings to collect his first win of the season. Jack Nicklaus provided a strong arm from the bullpen with a career-high six punchouts, while Evan Eberle added a career-best four Ks against Augie.
 
On Wednesday, the Golden Bears claimed the opening game of the doubleheader with a 5-3 victory that was highlighted by Werner's 2-RBI game and Piontek's 5.1 innings clinic on the mound. However, they dropped a one-run decision to WSU, 4-3. In the loss, Juliar collected his fifth homer of the season and Nicklaus toss six strikeouts in 4.0.
 
The weekend series against the nationally-ranked foe from South Dakota halted Concordia's offense to eight runs in 21 innings of action. Augustana claimed game one 8-1, game two 14-4 (7) and game three 14-3 (7). McCollow and Thimsen each homered and Kal Brohmer collected his 100th-career hit against the strong pitching staff, while Eberle had a career-high in strikeouts to close out the finale.
 
SERIES HISTORY AGAINST MSU
The Golden Bears and Mavericks have met 50 times since 2000, with Minnesota holding a 43-7 series advantage. The Mavericks have claimed the last 12 matchups between the two squads, with Concordia's previous win coming in 2018. CSP's first win against MSU was in 2006 when the Golden Bears claimed a 6-4 decision in Minneapolis, Minnesota, at a neutral venue. Their largest margin of victory against the Mavericks came in 2010 with a 17-7 run-rule victory in Mankato, Minnesota.
 
ABOUT THE MAVERICKS
MSU posted a 43-18 (25-8 NSIC) record in the 2023 campaign and was picked to finish second in the NSIC Preseason Coaches' Poll with 156 points (1). They made their presence known in the postseason with a runner-up finish in the NSIC Championship before winning the NCAA Regional Tournament in Joplin, Missouri. However, their season ended in heartbreaking fashion against Augustana after dropping the NCAA Super Regional best of three series, 2-1, in Sioux Falls, South Dakota.
 
The Mavericks currently possess a 25-14 (21-8 NSIC) record this season and are coming off a series defeat at home against the Minnesota Crookston Golden Eagles.
 
In non-conference play, Minnesota State has gone 5-5 with wins against Northwest Missouri State, Embry-Riddle (Fla.), Ashland (Ohio) and Northwood (Mich.). This afternoon, they conclude their non-conference schedule with a single-game clash with Northwestern (Iowa).
 
In NSIC play, the Mavericks are off to a strong start with series victories over Northern State (S.D), St. Cloud State, Minnesota Duluth, Minot State, Winona State and Bemidji State. Additionally, they have split series with UMary (N.D.) and Sioux Falls.
 
The player to watch for Minnesota State is #11 Aidan Byrne. The junior has slashed .416/.471/.578 with 67 hits, 45 runs, 39 RBIs and 10 walks. He has collected 16 extra-base hits with 10 doubles, four home runs and two triples.
 
 The pitcher to watch is #30 Mitch Gutknecht (2-3). The junior lefty has an ERA of 3.69 and a WHIP of 1.26 after 39.0 innings pitched. He has collected 34 strikeouts and has walked 11 batters this season.
 
SERIES HISTORY AGAINST BSU
The Golden Bears and the Beavers have met 71 times since April 15, 2000, with the Golden Bears holding a 49-22 series advantage. The Beavers claimed the first five matchups between the two schools, including a 12-5 win in the inaugural matchup. However, the Golden Bears have dominated the series recently, claiming the last nine, including a series sweep last season at the Woodside Sports Complex in Mauston, Wisconsin.
 
ABOUT THE BEAVERS
Bemidji State posted a 2-46 (1-32 NSIC) record in the 2023 campaign and was picked to finish 14th in the NSIC Preseason Coaches' Poll with 13 points.
 
The Beavers have struggled to find a rhythm this season, as their current record is 1-39 (0-30 NSIC). Their lone win of the season came in conference play against William Jewell (Mo.), where they won the contest with 8-7 to snap a 37-game losing streak. Three of the blemishes in conference play have been by three runs or less.
 
The player to watch for Bemidji State is #22 Jack Munson. The senior has slashed .301/.331/.463 with 41 hits, 19 runs, 17 RBIs and five walks. He has collected 14 extra-base hits with 10 doubles and four home runs.
 
The pitcher to watch is #20 Brandon Lind (1-3). The junior lefty has an ERA of 8.63 and a WHIP of 2.00  after 24.0 innings pitched. He has collected 28 strikeouts and has walked 15 batters this season.