SIOUX FALLS, S.D. - The No. 24 Augustana baseball team prepares for three midweek games in two days. The Vikings will travel to play at Wayne State for an NSIC doubleheader starting at 1:30 p.m., on Wednesday before playing a single nine-inning game against Dakota Wesleyan at 3 p.m., on Thursday at Ronken Field. 

Complete action can be followed on GoAugie.com/Live and the GoAugie app, presented by The Original Pancake House. The app can be downloaded in the App Store or Google Play. 

Number 50
On Saturday afternoon in the second game of a doubleheader at Winona State, Drey Dirksen broke the program record with his 50th career home run. The home run put him ahead of Nate Baumann's record of 49 that had stood since 2011. For more on Dirksen's record-breaking path, visit HERE.

Dirksen has caught fire to elevate the Viking offense, going on a hot streak that helped get him in position to reach the milestone. Dirksen has hit .517 (15 for 29) with eight home runs and 15 RBI in his last nine games. The Vikings are 9-0 and averaging 9.3 runs per game over that stretch. 

Series History
The Vikings are 45-53-1 against Wayne State and 29-5 against Dakota Wesleyan all-time. Those records both move in favor of AU in games played in Sioux Falls, with the Vikings holding a 24-18 advantage over WSC and 17-2 against DWU. 

The last time the Vikings played Wayne State was in the 2023 NSIC Tournament when Luke Ballweg drove in three and Dirksen drove in a pair to help lift AU to a 6-5 victory. It will mark the first matchup between Augustana and Dakota Wesleyan since March of 2022, a game that saw Ballweg go 3 for 3 with 3 RBI in an 11-1 victory. 

The Wildcats
Wayne State is 21-12 overall and 16-7 in the NSIC after getting swept by Concordia-St. Paul last weekend. Alex Koch is 209-213 in 10 seasons with the Wildcats. 

Carter Thomas is batting .475 with 10 doubles and 33 runs scored while stealing 15 bases and adding a 1.134 OPS to lead a WSC offense that has scored 7.7 runs per game, sixth in the NSIC. 

Corbin Kirk is at the top of the rotation for Wayne State, touting a 3.57 ERA and 1.15 WHIP in eight starts. He has struck out 60 in 45 ⅓ innings and is 3-2 overall. The Wildcats hold a team ERA of 5.39. 

The Tigers
Dakota Wesleyan is 15-25 overall and 7-13 in the GPAC after dropping three of four to Jamestown last weekend. Charlie Dubanoski is 30-53 in two seasons with the Tigers. 

Caleb Meyers is batting .357 with a .441 OBP and .574 slugging percentage to lead a DWU offense that has scored 4.4 runs per game.

The Vikings
Augustana is 27-6 overall and 19-4 in NSIC play after a sweep over Winona State. The Vikings are 12th in the country with 9.5 runs per game. 

Mariano Gomez earned NSIC Pitcher of the Week for his efforts against Winona State on Sunday. The junior left-hander threw six shutout innings with 10 strikeouts and allowed just three hits while allowing an opponents batting average of .150. He helped lead the Vikings to their ninth shutout of the season, most among all NCAA schools. The Vikings also have 12.0 strikeouts/9-innings, the second highest mark among all levels behind Arkansas (12.6). 

The Bats
Jack Hines has been the best offensive player in the NSIC this season, batting .439 with a league-high 1.432 OPS, 15 home runs, 58 RBI, and 49 runs scored while adding 11 steals. 

In NSIC action, the numbers get even better. In 23 games against NSIC foes, Hines is hitting .446 with a 1.558 OPS, knocking out 12 of his 15 home runs and driving in 45 of his RBI against the conference. He also has 87 total bases, 11 more than the next highest total. 

Nationally, Hines is first in the country in RBI per game (1.73), second in slugging percentage (.911), eighth in home runs per game (0.42), ninth in runs per game (1.45), ninth in RBI (57), and ninth in home runs (15).

Also asserting himself atop the league with power numbers is Dirksen. After a slow stretch, he has caught fire. He ranks just behind Hines in the conference with a .871 slugging percentage (third nationally), 1.344 OPS, and is tied for second with 14 home runs. In NSIC only games, he also ranks second with an 1.343 OPS, .887 slugging percentage, and 10 home runs. The senior catcher is eighth in the country with .42 home runs per game and 15th in home runs while slashing .333/.481/.943.

Max Mosser is second on the team with a .418 batting average (28 for 67) and a .519 on-base percentage. Behind them is Luke Ballweg, whose .343 average, six home runs, and 1.180 OPS  are all good for third on the team. Parker Mooney has been a key contributor with a .333 average, 1.092 OPS, five home runs, and 23 RBI. 

Jason Axelberg is batting .313 with three home runs and 20 RBI in 29 games and 18 starts. Joe Kolbeck has provided a spark in 30 games this season, hitting .313 with 19 RBI, 27 runs scored, seven stolen bases, and a 1.012 OPS. 

Nick Banowetz is hitting .298 with a team-high 16 stolen bases, and Trevor Winterstein is up to .309 with 14 stolen bases. 

As a team, AU ranks fourth in the country in home runs per game with 1.73, sixth with a .573 slugging percentage, 36th with a .431 on base percentage, 38th with a .321 batting average, and 41st with 2.06 steals per game.

15 AU hitters have recorded multi-hit games, led by 17 from Hines. He has now recorded a hit in 28 of 33 games to open the season, and has reached base in 32 of 33 games. 

The Arms
Ashton Michek and Caleb Saari have been at the head of a pitching staff that ranks among the nations best. Michek has a 2.28 ERA with 58 strikeouts in 47 1/3 innings, and Saari holds a 3.44 ERA and 1.05 WHIP in 49 2/3  innings of action. He has 59 strikeouts and has allowed an opponents batting average of .210. Freshman Riley Rothschadl has a 2.61 ERA in 10 1/3 innings of work. 

Being used both as a starter and out of the 'pen, Mariano Gomez has been electric. Gomez has a .179 opponents batting average and 53 strikeouts in 31 innings, and J.D. Hennen has also shined in his first season of extended work, striking out 36 in 26 innings while allowing an opponents batting average of .214. Tom Sun has allowed two earned runs and struck out 14 in 11 innings in seven relief appearances. True freshman Will Henry has also been impressive in relief, holding an 0.87 ERA and 0.58 WHIP while striking out 17 in 10 1/3 innings. 

As a staff, the Vikings have struck out 340 hitters in 254 2/3 innings. They're first in the country with a 3.51 K/BB ratio, second with a 1.20 WHIP, third with 7.39 H/9 allowed, ninth with a 3.78 team ERA, and 17th with 3.43 BB/9.