Viking Baseball Set for 2020 Home Opener

3/9/2020 9:46:00 AM

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. -- Winners of three-straight, the Augustana baseball team has its 2020 home opener at Karras Park Home of Ronken Field Tuesday afternoon with a doubleheader against NAIA foe, Briar Cliff.

The Event
Game one's first pitch is set for 3 p.m. The Vikings are 8-21 in the all-time series with Briar Cliff with Augustana sweeping the Chargers in a doubleheader in the most recent meeting on March 25, 2018. Prior to the sweep, the Vikings hadn't played the Chargers since the 1998 season.

The Chargers
Briar Cliff comes into its games with Augustana riding a six-game win streak with an overall record of 7-9 and road record of 0-4. The Chargers dropped three-of-four at the Rube Foster Classic in Kansas City, Missouri, to start the season, before being swept in four games by Central Methodist. Briar Cliff then won six of its next eight games on its spring trip to Tucson, Arizona, in the Tucson Invitational.

The Vikings
Augustana enjoyed its best series of the season, thus far, two weekends ago against Southwest Baptist. Offensively, the Vikings tallied 10-plus hits in all three games, including nine doubles and six homers overall, while scoring 34 runs and stealing eight bases.

The Vikings were led by NSIC Player of the Week and NCBWA Central Region Player of the Week, Jordan Barth, at the plate. Barth went 8-for-12 in the series with five runs scored, seven RBI's, one homer, one double, one walk and two stolen bases. Ryan Nickel, Carter Howell and Will Olson also had good series' at the plate against the Bearcats going 6-for-10, 4-for-12 and 5-for-10, respectively.

Jaxon Rosencranz has also sparked the Viking offense lately, going 13 for his last 30 with 15 RBIs, two doubles, two triples and a home run in five-consecutive games.

On the mound, Augustana allowed just four earned runs and logged 27 strikeouts in its three games against Southwest Baptist while getting 18 out of 25 innings from its starting pitchers. Tanner Brown, Seth Miller and Parker Hanson all logged wins for the Vikings.

Player to Watch
Augustana's game-two starter Seth Miller had his best start of the season against Southwest Baptist. The sophomore threw seven scoreless frames striking out eight while only allowing five hits and one walk.

One Last Thing
Tuesday's doubleheader is the start of a 12-game homestand for the Vikings. Augie begins NSIC action Saturday, March 14 in a doubleheader against St. Cloud State.

-- GoAugie.com

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