FARMINGTON, N.M. --- The second-seeded Minnesota State Maverick baseball team, rated #15 in the nation, opened competition against the fifth-seeded Nebraska-Kearney Lopers in the NCAA Central Regional Baseball tournament held in Farmington, N.M. Thursday morning. The Mavericks defeated the Lopers, 6-1.
Junior right-handed pitcher Bret Mitchell started the contest for the Mavericks, entering the game with a 9-3 record, a 4.29 ERA and a team-best 94 strikeouts. Starting for the UNK Antelopes was senior right-handed pitcher Jared Loschen. Loschen entered the contest with a 9-4 record, a 4.96 ERA and a team-best 68 strikeouts.
After five scoreless innings, Nebraska-Kearney scored the opening run of the game. UNK junior third baseman LukeValerius reached on an error by the shortstop, also advancing to second on the error. Junior first baseman Andrew Haake then slapped a RBI single through the right side, sending Valerius in to score.
The Mavericks knotted things up at one in the bottom of the sixth when junior shortstop Zach Rowles hit double number 24 down the left field line. Rowles was then moved over to third on a sacrifice bunt from senior third baseman Kosuke Hattori and reached home when Kincaid grounded out to the shortstop.
In the bottom of the seventh, junior outfielder Aaron Berner walked to first and sophomore second baseman Matt Kuchenbecker reached on his third single of the day. Sophomore first baseman Matt Odegaard then reached on an error by the second baseman, allowing Berner to reach home, while Kuchenbecker advanced home after a passed ball by the catcher, putting MSU up 3-1.
MSU added three more in the eighth, making the score, 6-1. Hattori hit an infield single to the shortstop, junior designated hitter Pat Dockendorf sent Hattori home with his sixth double of the year. Junior outfielder Danny Miller then sent Dockendorf in to score with a triple to right center, followed up by a single from Berner, allowing Miller to score.
Miller's triple ties a single season record of six and marks triple number 12 of his career, which sets a new career record for MSU. The former mark was set by Mike Carroll who earned 11 during his career with the Mavericks.
Dockendorf set a new season-best 19 game hitting streak for the Mavericks with his double in the eighth inning.
Kuchenbecker led the team at the plate, finishing three-for-four with one run scored.
Mitchell improved his record to 10-3 on the year with his fourth complete game victory of the season. The righty gave up one run (unearned) off of ten hits, walking none and striking out six batters.
As a team, MSU set a new single-season record for at bats with 1735, breaks the old mark of 1711 set in 1980. The team also set a new single-season record for RBI with 374, breaking the old mark of 368 set in 2006.
The Mavericks finished with nine hits, one error and five left on base, while UNK finished with 10 hits, two errors and left nine runners on base.
The Mavericks (41-13) will take on the winner of Mesa State and Winona State tomorrow night at 7:00 p.m. Mountain Standard Time.
