SIOUX FALLS, S.D.--The Augustana baseball team heads to Mankato, Minnesota, this weekend for a three-game matchup against the Minnesota State Mavericks. The series begins with a doubleheader on Friday slated for 1:30 p.m. at Bowyer Field.

As always, please stay tuned to GoAugie.com and @Augiebaseball for the latest on the schedule adjustments. 

Live stats and live video will be available at GoAugie.com/Live and the GoAugie app. The app is available in the app store and Google Play and is presented by the Original Pancake House. 

Scouting the Mavericks
Minnesota State is 24-7 overall and 14-2 in NSIC action. Jackson Hauge, Aidan Byrne, Ryan Wickman and Mikey Gottschalk make up a quartet of heavy hitters at the plate for the Mavericks this season. Hauge is hitting .318 with 34 hits, two doubles and six triples. Byrne tops the team with 35 hits and has a batting average of .313. Leading the team with 12 stolen bases is Wickman, who is batting  .295. Gottschalk rounds out the quartet with a batting average of .276, 29 hits and eight doubles. On the mound, Nathan Culley, Chandler Fochs and Dylan Gotto lead Minnesota State's pitching staff. Culley has an ERA of 2.72 with 64 strikeouts and is 5-2 on the season. Fochs is 4-1 in 2023 with 33 strikeouts and a 3.63 ERA. Gotto holds a 6-1 record with 42 strikeouts. 

The Vikings
Augustana is 26-14 overall in 2023 with a conference record of 15-5. The Vikings split with UMary in a midweek matchup at Ronken Field Wednesday. Augustana has successfully stolen 102 bases this season. Leading the charge is Nick Banowetz, who is 23-of-26 on stolen base attempts. Trevor Winterstein follows closely at 20-of-22 and Jack Hines is 15-of-15. At the plate, Hines, Banowetz, Winterstein, Drey Dirksen and Luke Ballweg have been impressive for the Vikings this season. Hines leads the lineup with a batting average of .385 and has totaled 50 hits, nine doubles and 24 RBI. Dirksen tops the team with 14 doubles, eight home runs and 36 RBI. Following with 11 doubles and two triples is Banowetz, who is hitting .378. Winterstein has a .323 batting average, 50 hits, five doubles, two triples, five home runs and 29 RBI. Ballweg has a batting average of .295 and has recorded 28 hits and eight doubles. Seth Miller was named the NSIC Pitcher of the Week for the second time this season on Monday following a fantastic showing against Minnesota Crookston. Miller has amassed 56 strikeouts and has a record of 5-1. Caleb Saari is the Viking leader with 62 strikeouts and a 2.91 ERA, holding a record of 3-2 overall. Caleb Kranz has struck out 51 batters in 2023, has a 3-1 record and has spent 33.2 innings on the mound. 

–GoAugie.com–