By Chad Courrier
Free Press Staff Writer
MANKATO —
If things had gone as planned, Danny Miller would not have pitched the last two weekends for the Minnesota State baseball team.
But in championship games of the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference tournament and NCAA Central Region tournament, the junior lefthander took the mound needing a victory to advance his team.
“It was a little nerve-racking,” Miller said. “But it was a lot of fun. It brings out the best in me. There’s nowhere else I’d rather be than pitching because you control the entire game.”
The Mavericks will play in the NCAA Division II championship this weekend at Cary, N.C. The eight-team tournament begins Saturday, but Minnesota State (44-14) doesn’t play until 5 p.m. Sunday when it faces Southern Indiana (48-13). This is the Mavericks’ fifth trip to the World Series but the first since 1986. However, it wouldn’t be possible if Miller hadn’t dabbled in some pitching this season.
Miller was an accomplished hitter and outfielder during his first two seasons at Minnesota State, leading the team with a .343 batting average, .526 slugging percentage and 27 RBI as a freshman. He followed that up with a sophomore season in which he hit a team-high 10 home runs and established a program record of 11 consecutive hits.
During the offseason, he also worked on pitching drills and was scheduled to make his first start during the Florida trip. But that game was canceled because of rain, and in the next few weeks, the Mavericks were able to use a four-man rotation of Bret Mitchell, Patrick Lenton, Blake Schwartz and Ben Kincaid.
“We recruited him as a pitcher,” Mavericks coach Matt Magers said. “When he got here, he did a great job in the outfield so we had him out there.”
He finally got one start and a relief appearance during the regular season but didn’t pitch again until the championship game of the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference tournament. Using a fastball that runs between 82 and 85 mph, and mixing in a curve, he pitched 71⁄3 innings to get the victory.
On Sunday, at the Central Region tournament, the Mavericks had lost the first championship game to St. Cloud State and were facing the Huskies again to advance to the final eight. Miller took the mound in the biggest game of the season and again provided a quality start, going seven innings and allowing three runs on four hits and four walks with five strikeouts as Minnesota State won 20-6.
“He’s such a level-headed, quiet guy,” Magers said. “He’s a competitor and such a good character kid that you trust him to do well because he has worked hard.”
Miller was named the outstanding player in the region tournament. He’s now 3-0 with a 3.98 earned-run average, having allowed 14 hits and nine walks in 201⁄3 innings. He has 25 strikeouts.
“I need to throw strikes and get ahead of hitters because I’m never going to blow it by batters,” he said. “I try to keep them off-balance and hit my spots.”
Miller, who was an all-star outfielder with the Mankato MoonDogs last summer and will play there again this summer, is also hitting .338 with 16 doubles, six triples, six home runs and 53 RBI. He also leads the team with 32 walks.
“It’s different to pitch and hit (in the same game),” Miller said. “It’s tough to get into a hitting mode and then get back to pitching, but I’ve done it before.”
Magers said that Mitchell and Lenton will each get a start in the double-elimination national tournament, and Miller might be a candidate to start if there’s a third game. Miller has played in a national tournament as an American Legion player, so he has some experience in this type of setting.
“This is what you play for,” he said. “So far, it’s been an exciting run.”
