THIS WEEK
NDSU is set to travel to St. Thomas this weekend after weather in the Fargo area forced the series to shift locations. The Bison and Tommies will play a doubleheader on Saturday beginning at Noon before wrapping the series on Sunday with a single game at 1:00 p.m. All three will be nine inning games at Koch Diamond.
LAST TIME OUT
NDSU fell short in the series finale at Western Illinois on Sunday, 6-2. Jack Simonsen paced the Bison going 2-of-4 at the plate. Evan Sankey (3-3) got the start on the mound and tossed a game-high five strikeouts with one walk over 5.0 innings. Tristen Roehrich finished the final 3.0 innings with one strikeout.
SUMMIT LEAGUE ATHLETE OF THE MONTH
Logan Williams was named Summit League Athlete of the Month on Thursday for the first time in his career. He helped lead NDSU to an 11-4 overall record in the month of March and registered a .362 batting average to go along with a .894 slugging percentage. Williams totaled a team-best 22 RBI, 42 total bases and 17 hits. He also notched a team-high eight home runs, including a streak of seven games with at least one.
HOW ABOUT THAT MONTH OF MARCH?
The Bison rolled through the month of March assembling an 11-4 overall record. NDSU posted 12 or more runs in four games and outscored its opponents, 119-65. Peter Brookshaw led the way for NDSU starting all 15 games with a .362 batting average and team-high 21 hits.
ONE OF THE BEST IN THE SUMMIT LEAGUE
NDSU leads the Summit League in seven categories: batting average (1st, .289), earned run average (1st, 4.18), home runs (1st, 33), home runs per game (1st, 1.27), on-base percentage (1st, .400), sacrifice bunts (1st, 21) and slugging percentage (1st, .462).
ON HISTORIC PACE
Logan Williams has connected on a team-high 10 home runs this season, which leads the Summit League and ranks 26th in the nation. His 10 home runs are also the most in the NDSU Division I era in a single season and tied for 11th overall on the NDSU all-time single season list.
The senior assembled a streak of seven games with a home run from March 15-March 27. The NCAA record for consecutive games with a with a home run is nine, which was set by Nevada’s Tyler Bosetti in 2021 from April 24-May 9.
Williams had a performance to remember at Northern Colorado with two grand slams and a career-high eight RBI to help the Bison to a 15-1 win. His eight RBI were the most in the NDSU Division I era and one shy of the program record of nine.
THE BAT IS HOT
Through the first 26 games, NDSU has six different players with a batting average of .300 or better. Peter Brookshaw has registered a .333 batting average with a team-high 31 hits and team-best 23 runs. The Prescott, Wis., native has logged a team-high 10 multiple hit games and nine multiple RBI games this season.
PLENTY OF ARMS
NDSU has 10 different players that have totaled at least five strikeouts this season. The pitching staff as compiled 181 strikeouts and boasts a 4.18 ERA, which leads the Summit League. Cade Feeney paces NDSU with a team-best 33 total strikeouts.
LOOKING FOR MORE
NDSU has totaled 53 stolen bases this season, which ranks second in the Summit League and 26th in the nation. Calen Schwabe and Cadyn Schwabe are both slotted tied for second in the Summit League with a team-high 10 total stolen bases this season.
SCOUTING ST. THOMAS
St. Thomas enters the week having dropped its last four contests and most recently fell short against South Dakota State, 6-1. Devon Schewe tossed seven strikeouts over 5.0 innings in the loss.
THE SERIES VS. ST. THOMAS
This will mark the first meeting between NDSU and St. Thomas since 1985 with the Tommies holding the slight edge in the all-time series, 7-4.
UP NEXT
NDSU will be back in action against Dakota Wesleyan on Tuesday at Newman Outdoor Field. First pitch is set for 5:30 p.m.
*Myles Johnson, NDSU Athletics
