Minnesota State Wins Northern Sun Tournament

For the 2nd straight year, Minnesota State has won the Northern Sun Conference post season Tournament.  This win gives the Mavericks both the regular season and post season trophies along with an automatic bid into the NCAA Division 2 Central Region Tournament. 

The team beat Southwest Minnesota State by a score of 6-5 to earn the title and will await the announcement of the 6 teams to make the Central Region Tournament tonight.  It’s expected that Winona State and St. Cloud State will also make the NCAA Tourney as representatives from the NSIC.  The selection show can be watched live at 9pm Central here – NCAA Selection Show.  The biggest suspense may be where the Central Region games will be located.  The NCAA has a nice Division 2 baseball recap posted here – NCAA Division 2 – Final Countdown

Minnesota State’s Zach Rowles (Junior – Shortstop) was named Tournament MVP. 

All-Tournament Team
1B – Andrew Kinney, SMSU
2B – Matt Kuchenbecker, MSU
3B – Orry Enebretsen, UMD
SS – Zach Rowles, MSU
OF – Derick Swenson, SMSU
OF – Joey Benke, SCSU
OF – Aaron Berner, MSU
C – Brian Burman, UMD
P – Bret Mitchell, MSU
P – Jared Pick, SMSU
DH – Pat Dockendorf, MSU

3 For 1

There are 3 teams left battling for the top spot in the Northern Sun Tournament.  Southwest Minnesota State will play Minnesota Duluth at 11am today with the winner facing off against top seeded Minnesota State for the Tourney Title and an NCAA automatic bid.

We got to this point as Minnesota State won a pair of games yesterday, eliminating Winona State 20-4 and giving Duluth their first loss by a score of 7-6 in 11 innings.  Meanwhile, Southwest Minnesota State knocked St. Cloud State out of the tournament with a 5-3 win. 

In a strange twist, the St. Cloud State Huskies will now be best served by rooting for the Mavericks to win the Tourney giving them the clearest path to an at-large bid to the NCAA Tourney.