Baseball is Back: Augustana Heads to Cameron University for Season Opener

3/2/2021 3:42:00 PM

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. -- The 360 day wait for Augustana baseball comes to an end this weekend as the Vikings head to Lawton, Oklahoma, for a four-game series against the Aggies of Cameron University.

The Games
Baseball gets underway Friday at 2 p.m. The teams will then play a doubleheader on Saturday with game two's first pitch slated for noon, before concluding the series on Sunday at noon. Live streaming ($4.99 PPV for 24 hours) and live stats will be available for the games on GoAugie.com/Live.

The Aggies
Picked to finish 11th in the Lone Star Conference, Cameron University comes into its matchup with Augustana at 3-3 on the season. The Aggies dropped two-of-three games in their season-opening series against West Texas A&M, before taking two-of-three against Eastern New Mexico. The Vikings have played just four games against Cameron University since the 1992 season.

The Vikings
Augustana, picked to finish first in the NSIC Preseason Coaches' Poll, comes into its season with high expectations and boasts the NSIC Preseason Player and Pitcher of the Year in junior Jordan Barth and senior Max Steffens.

Offensively, the Vikings return big bats from 2020 in Barth (.471 average with an OBP% of .481 and .647 SLG%), sophomore Carter Howell (.440 average with eight extra-base hits and 17 runs scored), junior Jaxon Rosencranz (.370 average with six homers, four doubles and 19 RBIs), senior Riley Johnson (.340 average with 12 runs scored, two homers and eight RBIs), senior Sam Baier (.292 average with five extra-base hits and eight RBIs) and junior Will Olson (.333 average with three homers and 11 RBIs).

On the mound, Augustana returns the reigning (2019) NSIC Pitcher and Newcomer of the Year in Steffens. It also returns junior Tanner Brown (19 strikeouts in 16 innings pitched). The two will spearhead a strong Vikings rotation. Seniors relievers Parker Hanson, Koby Bishop and Jordan Gesling also return to the mound in 2021 for Augustana.

Projected to finish first in the NSIC last season, the Vikings found success in 2020 despite the season being cut short due to COVID-19 pandemic. Augustana went 9-4, including two wins over then-No. 21 Arkansas Monticello and a three-game road sweep of Southwest Baptist. Barth hit safely in all 13 games and was named NSIC Player of the Week and NCBWA Central Region Player of the Week when the Vikings swept Southwest Baptist. Brown also earned NSIC Pitcher of the Week honors with his win against Arkansas Monticello.

Player to Watch
Junior Jaxon Rosencranz's bat caught fire during the COVID-shortened 2020 season. Rosencranz led the Vikings in homers, extra-base hits, total bases, RBIs and slugging percentage.

One Last Thing
Over the last nine seasons, the Vikings have emerged victorious in their season opener just once. That season? The 2018 national championship team that won it all in Cary, North Carolina. A Friday win could be the start of something special in 2021.

-- GoAugie.com --

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