SIOUX FALLS, S.D. - For the first time since 2014 and for the second time in school history the Augustana baseball team has hit the 40-win plateau. The No. 11 Vikings moved to 40-6 (26-6 NSIC) win a pair of wins over Wayne State (18-24, 16-16 NSIC) on Friday night at Karras Park.

Augustana took game one, 12-3, and picked up its 40th win in game two with a 9-1 victory. The Vikings are one win away from tying the school record of 41 that was set by the 2014 team (41-16).

The Vikings will also be going for their first NSIC regular season title in tomorrow's doubleheader against Wayne State. The Vikings (26-6 NSIC) and Minot State (27-6 NSIC) are the only two teams with a chance at the regular season title, as the Vikings trail the Beavers by a .5 game. Minot State wraps up with a doubleheader against U-Mary. Augustana is seeking its third conference title in school history (NCC - 1995 and 2003).

GAME ONE: Augustana 12, Wayne State 3
The Viking offense broke out in game one to the tune of 12 runs and 13 hits and were led by junior Lucas Wylie who was 3-for-4 with a double and a career-high five RBI.

The Wildcats jumped out on the board first with an unearned run in the first. The Vikings would answer with a pair of unearned runs in the first on a Wylie two-RBI single. In the second, the Vikings exploded for five runs to take a 7-1 lead. Ryan Menssen leadoff the second with a double and would score on a Riley Johnson single. Johnson would later score on a Sam Baier sacrifice fly. Wylie would get his third and fourth RBI of the game on a double, driving in Jordan Barth and Ryan Nickel. Wylie would score on a Lucas Barry single, making it 7-1.

In the third, Wayne State would close the gap with two runs on a solo homer and back-to-back doubles. The Vikings would add on another five runs in the fifth highlighted by a two-run blast from JT Mix. Michael Svozil had a sacrifice fly, Johnson scored on a Wildcat error and Wylie secured his fifth RBI of the game on a single to conclude the scoring.

Jacob Blank (7-0) picked up the win for the Vikings to move into second all-time of the Vikings wins list with 21 career wins (21-1). Blank went five innings allowing three runs (two earned) on two hits with seven strikeouts. Jonas Lovin finished out the game for the Vikings, going two innings allowing no runs with one hit and two strikeouts.

All but two Viking starters earned a hit in game one and five Vikings had multi-hit games. Wylie led the way with three hits and five RBI and Johnson, Nickel, Barry and Menssen each recorded two hits in the game.

GAME TWO: Augustana 9, Wayne State 1
In game two, the Vikings offense put together a solid evening and the Augustana pitching shutdown the Wayne State offense in a 9-1 victory.

The Wildcats would score first again in with a run in the first, but the Wildcat lead wouldn't last. Sam Baier put the Vikings on the board with a RBI single and would help the Vikings take the lead by scoring on a Ryan Nickel groundout. The Vikings would add one run in each the second  and third innings. Ryan Menssen had a sacrifice fly in the second and Jordan Barth hit his sixth home run of the season in the third.

The Vikings would add three runs in the fifth and two runs in the seventh. In the fifth, Michael Svozil and Baier had RBI singles and Nickel had a RBI groundout. In the seventh, Svozil and Barth would score on a Wildcat error, making the score 9-1 Augustana.

Tyler Mitzel (8-0) picked up his team-leading eighth win of the season after firing five innings allowing one run on four hits with seven punchouts. Austin Orvis, Derek Dahlke, Zach Reeg and Nick Hanson each tossed a scoreless inning of relief for the Viking bullpen.

In the second inning, Ryan Menssen tied the school record with 35 career potential base stealers caught. Offensively, Johnson and Baier led the way with two hits apiece and Nickel led the team with two RBI.

The Vikings will celebrate Senior Day on its final home doubleheader of the season tomorrow, May 5. The Vikings and Wildcats will start at 12 p.m. with Senior Day festivities going on in-between games.