Missouri Western State comes into the weekend set with a record of 4-3. The team took 2 out of 3 in  their opening series at Harding University, and followed that up with a 2-2 split at Arkansas Tech. The Griffons have been tasked with replacing plenty of key cogs from their 2017 roster, graduating All-MIAA and All-Central Region selections 2B David Glaude and OF Nick Gawley, along with C Logan Marston, 3B Jeremy Alvarado, and DH Alex Heuring. In 2018, Missouri Western State’s has experienced plenty of turnover. Redshirt senior catcher Nick Schranck has exploded onto the scene, hitting .368 with 3 doubles and 1 home run after transferring in from the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley. Redshirt junior first baseman Will Jibas gets on base at a .421 clip, going 5-15 with 3 walks over the team’s first 7 games. It hasn’t just been newcomers leading the way for MWSU, as 2017 Co-MIAA Freshman of the Year SS Dusty Stroup paces the team with 9 RBI. Fellow Griffons returnee Levi Schreiner is slashing .429/.577/.632 and has driven in 7 with 2 doubles and 1 triple. Schreiner has walked 7 times this season for an outstanding 26.9% walk rate. On the mound, MWSU is led by pair of standout senior returners in righties Nate Hunter and Dustin Agnew. The two worked behind All-MIAA pick and staff ace Richard Peoples last season. Hunter posted a 2.52 ERA last season across 96.1 innings and 14 starts (19 total appearances). He struck out 67 and allowed a minuscule .631 opponent OPS. Agnew started 8 games over 16 appearances, pitching to the tune of a 2.66 ERA while surrendering just 9 free passes in 71.0 innings for a stellar 3.2% walk rate. Hunter has thrown well in his first two outings of 2018, allowing 4 earned on 15 hits and 3 walks with 10 strikeouts over 13.1 frames. In his latest start, Hunter went the full 7 innings against Arkansas Tech for his first victory of the season, allowing one earned run on 7 hits and 3 walks while striking out 3. Things haven’t been so kind for Agnew, as he’s failed to make it through the fourth inning in either of his two starts. The Nebraska-born hurler has let in 10 earned runs on 9 hits and 3 walks over 4.1 innings to open the year. He’ll be hoping to bounce back this weekend, and history is on his side. Across 8 starts in 2017, Agnew posted a 2.42 ERA across 52.0 frames, walking just 8 batters (3.9% BB rate) and holding opponents to a .593 OPS. Redshirt sophomore Carson Dwyre has pitched very well after missing practically two full seasons with an injury. The 2014 Oregonian Player of the Year has won his first two starts for MWSU, allowing just 2 earned runs in 11.1 innnings. In his second start of the year at Arkansas Tech, the righthander, went 6.0 strong, giving up 1 earned run on 6 hits and 3 walks while striking out 6.

 

#21 St. Cloud State enters Opening Weekend with many key parts of their 2018 NSIC-Leading offense back in the lineup. All-NSIC selections Mat Meyer (.347/.397/.425, 47 RBI) and Bo Schmitz (.328/.414/.419, 58 R) are back in the infield, along with Jordan Joseph and Ethan Ibarra on the left side. Joseph put up an OPS of .728 in 2017 and led the club with 48 RBI. His .284 batting average was pinned down by a BABiP of .293 (NSIC BABiP was .337), signaling a very good chance for the redshirt sophomore to climb above the .300 mark in 2018. Ibarra well-deservedly won a Gold Glove for his defensive exploits at third base, and he’ll hope to ride his red-hot finish to 2017 into a breakout junior year. The silky smooth defender raked over his last 16, slashing .345/.438/.473 with 12 runs scored, 13 RBI, 4 doubles, and his walk rate (10.6%) was higher than his strikeout rate (9.1%). Like Joseph, Ibarra’s batting average was suppressed by an incredibly low BABiP of .281. Aaron Hammann will likely get the Opening Day start at second base after OPS’ing .889 in limited at-bats as a true freshman. In the outfield, senior Jackson Goplen will man centerfield with the speedy Caeden Harris and masher Mitch Mallek in the corners. Goplen led the team with a .974 OPS last season, hitting 7 long balls, swiping 7 bags, and a walk rate of 13.4%. Mallek slotted in right behind Goplen with a .955 OPS while leading the team in batting average (.350) and doubles (19). Harris brings an exciting blend of speed and power to the Huskies lineup, as he slashed .306/.366/.491 with 10 steals over two seasons at Allen County between 2015-16. Isaac Matchinsky’s light tower power (career .607 slugging, 1.066 OPS, 13 home runs at SCTCC) will be a welcome addition to the everyday lineup. Freshman righthanded thumper Reid Conlee could potentially see some Opening Weekend AB’s after clubbing 8 doubles and 4 bombs at Blaine in 2017. On the mound, junior Dominic Austing will get the Opening Day nod for St. Cloud State. The righty posted the sixth-highest K% of any NSIC pitcher with a28.6% mark, along with a 3.36/2.94 ERA/FIP, a .622 opponent OPS, and an insane 3.9% walk rate. Junior Kyle Boser will make the move from the bullpen to the rotation with the bump in Game Two. He put up stellar numbers in 2017: a 3.57 ERA, a 20.4% K rate, and a ridiculous opponent OPS of .516. Boser backed that up with a great summer in the Northwoods for the St. Cloud Rox, getting the start in his final 5 appearances. The result over that span? A 1.88 ERA, an 18.8% strikeout rate, an opponent OPS of .561, and an opponent slugging of .257. The starter for the third game of the series remains up in the air, with the probable starter being either Hammann or freshman southpaw Matt Osterberg, the 2017 Wisconsin Division 3 State Player of the Year. Osterberg posted video game numbers as a senior for Coleman High School: a 0.75 ERA, an 11-1 record, and 122 strikeouts over 65.1 innings. Hammann threw to the tune of a 3.99 ERA over 13 appearances and 8 starts in 2017 with a walk rate of 5.1%.

 

First pitch on Opening Day is tentatively scheduled for 12:00 p.m. with Game Two to follow. Be sure to follow @KVSCSports on Twitter for the official game time announcement. All three games can be heard on the KVSC Sports Stream, with Thomas Breach on the call. Husky Den Pregame begins a half hour before first pitch.

 

 

Projected Series Starters

Game 1, Saturday TBD.- Dominic Austing (7-3, 3.36*) vs Nate Hunter (1-1, 2.70)

Game 2, Saturday TBD- Kyle Boser (2-1, 3.57*) vs Carson Dwyre (2-0, 1.59)

Game 3, Sunday at 12:00 p.m.- TBD vs Dustin Agnew (0-0, 20.77)

 

*- 2017 NCAA Stats