SIOUX FALLS, S.D.--The Augustana baseball team travels north to Bismarck, North Dakota, for the NSIC tournament this week. The Vikings will face the Wayne State Wildcats in the first round of the tournament at noon at BNC Field in Mandan, North Dakota. The winner of the series will move on to the second round of the NSIC Tournament, an eight-team double-elimination tournament. 

Full tournament information can be found here. 

The Games
The tournament will take place at two fields in Bismarck, North Dakota, and Mandan, North Dakota. Game one is slated for Wednesday at noon with game two scheduled for Thursday. The two-site tournament is hosted by UMary, with games taking place at Veterans Memorial/Municipal Ballparks in Mandan and Bismarck, North Dakota.

The ticket policy implemented by the NSIC for the tournament is $20 for adults, $10 for students and free for ages five-and-under. General admission all-tournament passes are available for $35 and will provide access for both locations.

Augustana earned the number one seed after winning its third NSIC Regular Season Championship with a league record of 28-7.

First Round Matchups
#8 Wayne State vs. #1 Augustana, BNC Field, Mandan, N.D., Noon
#5 Southwest Minnesota State vs. #4 St. Cloud State, Municipal Ballpark at Dakota Community Bank & Trust Field, Bismarck, N.D., Noon
#6 Minot State vs. #3 Minnesota Crookston, Municipal Ballpark at Dakota Community Bank & Trust Field, Bismarck, N.D., 6 p.m.
#7 Winona State vs. #2 Minnesota State, , BNC Field, Mandan, N.D., 6 p.m.

Scouting the Wildcats
Wayne State is the eighth seed heading into the NSIC tournament. The Wildcats held an overall record of 24-24 and an NSIC record of 18-16. At the plate, Colin Lynam, Carter Thomas and Quinn McCafferty lead the Wildcats in several categories. Lynam is hitting .351 with 60 hits including 11 home runs, 13 doubles and 55 RBI. Thomas follows with a batting average of .348 and 57 hits. Rounding out the trio is McCafferty with 55 hits, 12 doubles and a batting average of .348. On the mound, Corbin Kirk holds a 4-4 record with 75 strikeouts and has spent 52.2 innings on the mound. Braden Cannon has recorded nine saves in 2023 and has made 19 appearances on the hill with 36 strikeouts. 

The Vikings
Last week marked the end of the regular season for Augustana, who achieved an impressive 39-16 overall record in 2023, with a 28-7 NSIC record. The Vikings secured the NSIC regular season title by sweeping Winona State in their final series. This season, the team has managed to steal 138 bases, with Nick Banowetz leading the charge at 31-of-35 stolen base attempts. Trevor Winterstein is close behind at 29-of-32, and Jack Hines has successfully stolen 19-of-20 bases. The Vikings' batting lineup has been impactful, with Hines boasting the highest batting average at .374, along with 71 hits, 11 doubles, five triples, and 32 RBI. Dirksen leads the team with 17 doubles, 13 home runs, and 39 RBI. Banowetz follows with 11 doubles and two triples, hitting at a .359 average. Winterstein has a batting average of .313, with 67 hits, six doubles, four triples, seven home runs, and 40 RBI. On the mound, Seth Miller has amassed 73 strikeouts and an 8-1 record, while Caleb Saari has recorded 69 strikeouts with a 2.70 ERA and a 5-2 record. Caleb Kranz has pitched for 56.1 innings, striking out 79 batters, and has a 6-1 record. Adam Diedrich leads the Viking pitching staff with 11 saves this season, ranking second in the nation.

2023 Series
Augustana faced Wayne State in Wayne, America, in a midweek doubleheader on April 26. The Vikings were victorious in both matchups, defeating the Wildcats 4-0 in game one and 14-3 in game two.

The Tournament
The winner of the NSIC Baseball Tournament will earn an automatic bid to the NCAA Central Region Tournament. The 39-team NCAA Central Region is made up of teams from the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference, the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletic Association (MIAA) and the Great American Conference (GAC). Automatic bids are awarded to the tournament champions from each conference with the final five spots awarded on an at-large basis.

–GoAugie.com–