MANKATO —
It took just two games and 15 total innings for the members of the Minnesota State baseball team to re-establish themselves as contenders for the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference title this spring.
Minnesota State opened its 2010 NSIC season Sunday afternoon with a doubleheader against Northern State at the MSU field. It took about five hours for the Mavericks to dismantle the Wolves with a 12-1, eight-inning win in Game 1 and a 21-0, seven-inning win in Game 2.
Newcomer Zach Rowles, a transfer shortstop from Arkansas-Little Rock, continued his torrid hitting, going 2 for 4 with a pair of runs scored in the opener and 4 for 6 with an RBI and five runs scored in Game 2.
A native of Sun Prairie, Wis., Rowles was recruited by Arkansas-Little Rock out of high school and jumped at the chance.
“They had warm weather and it was a Division I opportunity so I took it,” Rowles said. “I started at shortstop my freshman year and had a good time but then they brought in a whole new coaching staff and things started to change.
“The guys who had recruited me were no longer there, and I wasn’t getting along very well with the new coaches. I played about half the season and decided I had had enough so I quit.”
Rowles had heard from friends in Wisconsin that Minnesota State had a pretty good program so he contacted somebody in Mankato to see if they might have room for him for the 2010 season.
The call came out of the blue to MSU coach Matt Magers, and he’s been smiling ever since.
“After he got his release we did some digging to make sure he was the kind of player we wanted in our program,” Magers said. “Anytime somebody quits in the middle of a season it raises your antennae, but we did our homework, and we were satisfied he’d be a good fit for us.”
The timing could not have been better as MSU graduated third baseman Geno Glynn after last season and returning shortstop Kosuke Hattori was capable of moving to third. That opened up a spot for Rowles, and he’s filled it well. He went into the series batting .491 and leading the team in hits (26), runs (21), doubles (8), stolen bases (7 in 9 attempts) and slugging percentage (.736).
“He’s come in and has been ripping the ball for us,” Mager said. “He’s playing good shortstop, too.”
In Sunday’s opening 12-1 win, Rowles was one of six players with at least two hits for the Mavericks. Hattori finished 3 for 5 with three RBIs; Danny Miller was 3 for 5 with a double; Steve Helget was 2 for 4 with a triple; Matt Kuchenbecker was 2 for 3; and Pat Dockendorf was 2 for 4.
Aaron Berner smacked a two-run homer, while Ben Kincaid and Mike Eckhart each cracked doubles. MSU finished with 17 hits in all.
Returning ace Patrick Lenton pitched seven strong innings, allowing one earned run on three hits, striking out six and walking one.
Game 2 was more of the same as Kincaid ripped three hits while Hattori and Eckhart each had two. Berner slammed a three-run homer and Miller and Kincaid also homered. By game’s end MSU had belted 20 total hits.
Blake Schwartz was masterful on the mound, limiting the Wolves to three hits in his seven-inning, complete-game shutout. He struck out four without walking a batter.
“Our pitchers threw well today,” Magers said. “They got their off-speed stuff over for strikes and the defense played well behind them. In terms of pitching, defense and hitting we did a good job in all three facets.”
The Mavericks (13-5, 2-0 in NSIC) and Wolves (3-14, 0-2) have another doubleheader at noon today to complete the four-game series at the MSU field.
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Zach Rowles
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Aaron Berner
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