Mavericks Down Wayne State Twice to Claim 2009 Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference Baseball Tournament Championship
Miller’s RBI Single in Top of the Eighth Inning Gives Minnesota State Win; Glynn Named Tourney MVP
St. Cloud, Minn. — Minnesota State defeated Wayne State twice Sunday to claim the 2009 Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference baseball tournament championship held at Joe Faber Field in St. Cloud.
The Mavericks, who lost its opening game of the tournament Thursday, won five games in a row to capture the title, including two wins over Wayne State today. MSU won the first game today, 6-5, to force a second game, which it also won, 10-9.
Trailing 8-5 after six innings in the second game, the Mavericks scored four times in the top of the seventh to take a 9-8 advantage. After senior first baseman Travis Taran was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded to score a run and junior third baseman Mike Kinsel’s fielder’s choice plated another, sophomore catcher Steven Helget singled to right to score two runs.
Wayne State got one back in the bottom of the seventh to tie the game, but sophomore leftfielder Danny Miller singled up the middle in the top of the eighth to score junior shortstop Kosuke Hattori with the game-winning run.
Senior righthander Nathan Kafka, who threw the final three innings, got the win and now stands 6-2 for 2009.
Senior second baseman Jay Bresnahan went four-for-five in the game to pace the Mavericks offensively.
The Mavericks, who are now 38-15 on the year, earn the league’s automatic berth to the 2009 NCAA Division II tournament with the field scheduled to be announced Monday morning. MSU will enter the postseason go-round having won 11 of its last 13 games.
NSIC Tournament Notes: Four Minnesota State players were named to the 2009 NSIC All-Tournament Team - senior third baseman Geno Glynn, senior first baseman Travis Taran, senior pitcher Jimmy Dale and junior pitcher Josh Castanza. Glynn, who hit .545 (12-for-22) with nine runs scored, two home runs and 10 runs batted in in five games, was named the tournament’s Most Valuable Player.
