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
What a tournament. What a great team Mankato has. They, I believe are the favorite. My hats off to SMSU, just an unreal run in the tournament. The pitching for SMSU was just awesome all week long. It was amazing to follow. I just wish SMSU could bump Kearney from the top six. SMSU is playing just great baseball right now and for the last month and a half.
Great job SMSU! I tip my hat to the Mustang pitching staff.
Good luck to all. I think it will be 1 Highlands vs. 6 Cloud, 2 Kato vs. 5 Kearney and 3 Mesa vs. 4 Winona. Only switch could be Kearney and Cloud.
I need some clarification, if anyone knows. Before anyone starts going crazy, I’m not whining, just want to understand.
There was a play at the plate early in the UMD vs Mankato game, the throw appeared to be to the inside of the plate so there looked to be room to have the runner slide to the outside of the plate. The running seemed to run through the catcher. What is the rule, I was under the impression that you must slide, and certainly are not allowed to run into the catcher. Is it not the rule that you can be thrown out of the game for running in to the catcher in college ball?
Again I’m not trying to get a fight going on this link, it was an exciting game and a great tourney.
Section 7 Page 99 of the NCAA Rule Book. Or look at my post in previous topic “Minn. Duluth Only Undefeted Team Left”
Base Runner cannot run into catcher or any other fielder with the intent to dislodge the ball. If there is a clear path to the base or plate he must take it. If however the fielder is blocking the base or plate the runner has the right to do what’s necessary to tag it. And yes, if in the unpires opinion there was intent to dislodge the ball without taking the clear path to the plast then the player may be ejected from the contest. Judgement call from the man in blue. No comment from me as I was not there to see the play.
Thanks for the reply. Judgement calls are tough. I am trying to be impartial, of course as a Bulldog fan looked like there was room to slide to the plate, I was hoping they would have called him out.