Bison vs Western Illinois Fighting Leathernecks

The Bison (15-8) (3-0 SL) open a 3 game Summit League series with Western Illinois (2-19) (0-3 SL) at Alfred D. Boyer Stadium in Macomb, IL today, April 1, 2022, at 3 PM CDT. The forecast for gametime is sunny skies and a temperature of 46 degrees.

The following preview is from the Fighting Leatherneck website: " North Dakota State comes into Macomb 15-8 overall and 3-0 in Summit League play after winning all three matchups over Northern Colorado in their Summit League opener. The sweep helped the Bison extend their winning streak to six. Logan Williams has been on a home run tear as of late for NDSU, hitting seven in his past six games. His ten home runs rank first in the Summit League. North Dakota State's pitching staff has been the main story for their season, ranking second in the conference in team ERA at 4.04. All three expected starters for NDSU this weekend rank in the top 10 in ERA in the Summit League. Western Illinois will look to win its home opener on Friday for the first time since the 2018 season when they beat North Dakota State 2-0."

Probable pitchers for the weekend are Max Loven (3-1, 4.09 ERA) vs Chandler Fochs (0-3, 10.71 ERA) on Friday, Cade Feeney (3-1, 4.25 ERA) vs Jace Warkentien (1-3, 11.03 ERA) on Saturday, and Evan Sankey (3-2, 4.91 ERA) vs Brian Raymond (0-2, 6.59 ERA) in the finale on Sunday.

Friday's game will be streamed on Western Illinois All-Access network, while Saturday and Sunday games will be shown on ESPN+.

Quiet 1st for the Bison as they go 1-2-3 on 2 groundouts and a pop-up. Loven gets 2 quick groundouts and then gets bit for a solo homerun by WIU 3rd baseman Kory Olson. Bison trail 1-0 after 1 inning.

Each team gets 1 in the 3rd. WIU leads 2-1 after 3 innings.

Sac fly by Will Busch ties the game at 2 each and an RBI single by Brock Anderson gives the Bison a 3-2 lead going into the bottom of the inning. Leathernecks fail to score and it is 3 - 2 Bison after 4.

The Bison explode for 5 in the 5th and 3 in the sixth, while WIU gets 1 in the 5th and nothing in the 6th and it's 11 - 3 Bison heading into the 7th.

Leathernecks get 2 off of reliever Wyatt Nelson, who started the 7th replacing Max Loven and the Bison lead 12 - 5 at the start of the eighth inning.

WIU gets one in the 8th on a single, a pair of wild pitches by Nelson and a sac fly. We're heading to the ninth with NDSU leading 12 - 6.

Bison get 3 in the top of the 9th on an RBI single by Druw Sackett, his 4th hit of the game, and a double by Will Busch that drove in two. Leathernecks fail to score in the bottom of the 9th.


Bison (16-8, 4-0 SL): 15 runs on 19 hits with no errors and 10 LOB
WIU (2-20, 0-4 SL): 6 runs on 13 hits with 3 errors and 7 LOB

WP: Max Loven (4-1)
LP: Chandler Fochs (0-4)

Saturday's game is a 2 PM CDT start and will be available on ESPN+.

Thank you for the baseball updates, Elvis...... much appreciated.

You are very welcome. I've been a fan of "America's Pastime" my whole life. In the words of Garret Morris' most famous character on SNL (when it was still funny) Chico Escuela, "Baseball...has been berra, berra good....to me!"

The boys are on a tear.

WIU is terrible.
Fairfield, UNC were too. Play Minnesota 1 more time & St Thomas than garbage Omaha

NDSU should be 26-8 or so going into Oral Roberts series

Late to the party today. Game 2 of the series already going into the top of the 7th with the Bison trailing WIU 4-2. Leatherneck lefty starter Warkentien has been replaced by another lefty, Kyle Rosenfeld. Good outing for Warkentien, only allowing 2 runs on 4 hits while striking out 10 Bison hitters. Bison score one on a walk, a sacrifice, a hit batsman, and an RBI single by Brookfield to pull within one run. Bison starter Cade Feeney is pulled after 6, having surrendered 4 runs on 7 hits and walking only 3. Skyler Riedinger comes on to pitch for the Herd and retired the first 2 Leatherneck batters before giving up a triple then ending the inning with a strikeout. WIU leads 4-3 after 7.

Quiet top of the 8th for the Bison. WIU threatens in the bottom half with a walk, sac bunt, and a hit batsman. Jake Drew on to pitch for the Bison, replacing Riedinger with runners on first and second and 2 outs. Drew ends the inning with 8 straight strikes to the WIU batter Nick Mitchell before he registered the strikeout. Bison have 3 outs left to keep their seven-game win streak going. 4-3 Leathernecks after 8 complete.

Bison open the 9th with a walk to Garrett Hill, who was replaced by pinch runner Cadyn Schwabe. A sac bunt by Calen Schwabe moves the runner to second. Anderson drove in the tying run with a single to center. A walk to Sackett prompts a pitching change for the Leatherncks, with Jack Bell coming in to replace Rosenfeld. After a strikeout by Peter Brookshaw, Logan Williams ripped a 2 run double down the left field line. The side is retired on a groundout, but the Bison score 3 in the ninth to take a 6-4 lead into the bottom of the inning.

Jake Drew has a chance to pick up his first win of the year to go along with his 4 saves. Strikeout, groundout, strikeout, and the winning streak is at 8.

NDSU: 6 runs on 7 hits, with 1 error and 8 LOB
WIU: 4 runs on 8 hits, with no errors and 9 LOB

WP: Jake Drew (1-0)
LP: Kyle Rosenfeld (0-3)

Final game of the series at 1:00 PM CDT on Sunday. Available on ESPN+

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Originally Posted by Elvis was a Bison

Jake Drew has a chance to pick up his first win of the year to go along with his 4 saves. Strikeout, groundout, strikeout, and the winning streak is at 8.

NDSU: 6 runs on 7 hits, with 1 error and 8 LOB
WIU: 4 runs on 8 hits, with no errors and 9 LOB

WP: Jake Drew (1-0)
LP: Kyle Rosenfeld (0-3)

Final game of the series at 1:00 PM CDT on Sunday. Available on ESPN+

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espn+ ? awesome

Today's game was on the Plus as well. I was able to watch the last 4 innings. The 2 young men doing the broadcast did a nice job. No grandstanding. No hyperbole. A few baseball cliche's, but overall, very tolerable.

Game 3 of the series is scoreless going into the top of the third. Each team has 1 hit in the first 2 innings and both escaped minor threats with good pitching. The Bison strand a runner in scoring position in the top of the inning and the Leathernecks do likewise and the game remains scoreless after 3.

The Bison strand another runner at second in the top of the 4th. WIU gets 3 singles and a double to score 3 in the bottom half and lead the Bison 3-0.

Bison bats remain quiet through the top of the sixth. WIU facing new pitcher Tristan Roehrich in the bottom half and the Leathernecks promptly load the bases with no one out. They score a run on a fielder's choice, another one on a passed ball, and the 3rd run of the inning on a wild pitch to take 6-0 lead to the top of the 7th.

Leatherneck pitching walks in 2 runs in the top of the 7th and the Bison hold firm in the bottom half. 6-2 lead for WIU after 7.

Bison can't get the offense rolling and the win streak ends at 8, as they fall to the Leathernecks 6-2.

WIU: 6 runs on 9 hits with 2 errors and 9 LOB
NDSU: 2 runs on 3 hits with 2 errors and 9 LOB

WP: Caden Kratz
LP: Evan Sankey

Next up for the Bison is a Tuesday game at the Minnesota Gophers.

Final series of the Summit Legue regular season vs Western Illinois begins with a weather delay on Thursday. Therefore, we will have a double feature today with games at 1:00 and 4:30. A sweep today gives the Bison their first regular season Summit League title and the number one seed in the conference tournament.

From gobison.com :

"SATURDAY IS SENIOR DAY
Prior to the series finale on Saturday, NDSU will recognize nine seniors: Charley Hesse, Logan Williams, Calen Schwabe, Jake Drew, Evan Sankey, Riley Johnson, Jack Simonsen, Hunter Koep and Ben Smith.

LAST TIME AGAINST THE LEATHERNECKS
NDSU went 2-1 against Western Illinois in April after winning the first two games of the series and dropping the series finale. Druw Sackett posted a team-high five runs with four hits and three RBI in the series, while Cade Feeney tossed a team-high six strikeouts in the 6-4 win in game two over the Leathernecks.

STACKING UP WINS
The Bison enter the final week of the regular season with 28 total wins. With three games to play in the regular season, NDSU has the chance to reach the 30-win mark for only the seventh time in program history. The Bison have notched 30 or more wins in six seasons dating back to 1909, including a program record 42 wins last season. NDSU has also reached the 15-win mark for the second straight season and sixth time overall in conference play since joining the Summit League in 2008.

THE BATS GOT HOT LAST WEEK
The Bison totaled 41 hits in the series against Northern Colorado last week, including a season-high 21 in the 13-12 win over the Bears. It marked the most hits in a single game for NDSU since 2015.

HITTING THE LONG BALL
The Bison have connected on 44 home runs, which ranks second in the Summit League and seventh on the NDSU single-season list. Logan Williams is tied for first in the conference with 10 home runs, while Peter Brookshaw has added a career-high seven this season.

LIGHTS OUT
The Bison pitching staff has earned 15 saves this season, which ranks third on the NDSU all-time single-season list and leads the Summit League. Four different pitchers have contributed at least one save this season. Last season, NDSU set a program record with 27 total saves.

LOOKIN' TO RUN
NDSU has stolen 76 bases on 100 attempts this season, which ranks tied for second on the Bison all-time single-season list. Cadyn Schwabe is slotted fourth in the Summit League and has totaled a team-high 15 stolen bases on 19 attempts.

BY THE NUMBERS
NDSU is slotted second in the Summit League and 22nd in the nation in shutouts with four. The Bison pitching staff boasts a 4.67 ERA this season, which ranks third in the Summit League. NDSU also paces the conference and is positioned 27th in the country in sacrifice bunts with 31.

NCBWA STOPPER OF THE YEAR MIDSEASON WATCH LIST
Senior right-handed pitcher Jake Drew and junior right-handed pitcher Tristen Roehrich have been named to the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association (NCBWA) Stopper of the Year Midseason Watch List. NDSU is one of only four schools in the nation with multiple players selected joining Michigan, Arizona and UCLA.

Drew has made 16 appearances on the mound this season with a 3-0 overall record. He boasts a 0.00 ERA over 20.0 innings pitched. The Alexandria, Minn., native has notched a career-high seven saves this season, which is tied for fifth on the NDSU all-time single-season list. He has contributed 11 saves over five seasons, which ranks seventh on the NDSU all-time saves list.

Drew assembled a streak of seven straight appearances from April 2 at Western Illinois to May 13 against Northern Colorado (7.5 innings) without allowing a hit. Additionally, he hasn't allowed a run in his last 12 appearances dating back to March 8 at Minnesota (15.0 innings).

Roehrich has made 13 appearances this season with a 5-2 overall record. He has registered a 2.98 ERA over 42.1 innings. The West Fargo, N.D., native has fired a career-high 47 total strikeouts and has limited opponents to .231 batting average. Roehrich, who was named Summit League Pitcher of the Week on March 21, has also contributed a career-high five saves this season.

LOVEN CLIMBS THE RANKS
Max Loven has made 13 appearances on the bump this season and boasts a 6-4 overall record. He has fired 51 total strikeouts to increase his career total to 195, which positions him in fifth place on the all-time NDSU strikeout list. Loven has also totaled 241.0 innings pitched and is slotted in fifth place on the NDSU all-time innings pitched list. He's one of only nine players in program history to pitch in 200 innings or more.

SCOUTING WESTERN ILLINOIS
Western Illinois enters the weekend with a 7-42 (4-17 Summit) overall record and most recently fell short against Eastern Illinois on Tuesday night, 6-1. Bryan Rumping made the start on the mound and tossed three strikeouts over 2.0 innings.

THE SERIES VS. WESTERN ILLINOIS
NDSU has won six of the last seven meetings with Western Illinois and leads the all-time series, 44-39. In their most recent meeting earlier this season, the Leathernecks edged the Bison, 6-2, in the series finale. Evan Sankey got the start on the mound and tossed a game-high five strikeouts with one walk over 5.0 innings."

First game: Bison 8 Western 3

Thanks, Road. A little more information on game 1.

NDSU 8 runs on 12 hits with 1 error and 10 LOB
WIU 3 runs on 9 hits with 1 error and 5 LOB

WP: Max Loven (7-4)
LP: Jace Warkentien (2-7)
Save Tristen Roehrich (6)

The Bison magic number for clinching the Summit League title is 1, as Oral Roberts has beaten SDSU 13-5.

Game 2 about to begin with Cade Feeney (5-3 5.02 ERA) on the mound for the Bison. He will be facing Chandler Fochs (2-7, 7.44 ERA) for the Leathernecks.

2022 Summit League regular season Champions!

That means they’ll host the summit league tournament next year, correct? If so, hopefully the weather in 2023 will be conducive to a large turnout.

Congrats guys, now go get the NCAA tourney bid this year!

Quote:

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Originally Posted by land grant bison

That means they’ll host the summit league tournament next year, correct? If so, hopefully the weather in 2023 will be conducive to a large turnout.

Congrats guys, now go get the NCAA tourney bid this year!

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Yep on hosting. Really fun to see NDSU BASEBALL getting better and competing.

Game 2 final NDSU 7 - WIU 3

NDSU: 7 runs on 10 hits with 1 error and 9 LOB
WIU: 3 runs on 11 hits with 5 errors and 7 LOB

WP: Cade Feeney (6-3)
LP: Jack Carberry (0-6)
Save: Jake Drew (8)

Final game of series and regular season set for Saturday at 1:00 PM. Senior Day!!

Summit League Champs for 1st time ever

so they host the tournament next year!

Game 3 of the series gave the Bison a chance to rest several starters who are a bit nicked-up and gave some innings and at bats to some reserves who may be needed next week in Tulsa. Bison starter Evan Sankey threw only 2 innings, as 5 relievers got some game experience. Leatherneck reliever Kyle Rosenfeld held the Bison to 1 hit over the last 5 innings and the game remained tied until the 7th when WIU took the lead 4-3. They added 2 in the 9th to go on to win, with a final score of WIU 6 - NDSU 3.

WIU: 6 runs on 8 hits with 2 errors and 11 LOB
NDSU: 3 runs on 7 hits with 1 error and 12 LOB

WP: Kyle Rosenfeld (1-4)
LP: Wyatt Nelson (0-1)

NDSU finishes the regular season with an overall record of 30-17 and a Summit League record of 17-5 to win the league title.
WIU finishes the regular season with an overall record of 8-44 and a Summit League record of 5-19 to finish 6th in the league.

The Bison will travel to Tulsa and will open the Summit League Tournament with the first game against #4 seed Omaha on Wednesday May 25th, 2022.