For Immediate Release
Monday, March 23, 2026
NSIC Media Relations

NSIC Player of the Week
#14 Carter Heinsch (OF, 6-2, 200, So., L/R, Moorhead, Minn. / Moorhead HS) – Augustana
- Hit .909 (10-for-11) in a three-game sweep of St. Cloud State
- Recorded three doubles, a triple, a home run, 11 RBI and scored seven runs
- Posted an .867 on-base percentage and 1.636 slugging percentage
- Tallied multiple hits in all three games
- Opened the series going 4-for-4 with a double, three RBI and two runs scored
- Followed that with a triple, home run, four RBI and three runs scored in game two. 
- Finished the series with another four-hit game, reaching base all six times he stepped to the plate while driving in four runs

NSIC Pitcher of the Week
#24 Lucas Burgum (RHP, 6-3, 210, Jr., R/R, Mandan, N.D. / Mandan HS) – University of Mary
- Threw a seven-inning complete game in a 5-1 win over Southwest Minnesota State 
- Allowed two hits with one unearned run while holding SMSU to a .087 batting average
- Struck out six of the 26 batters he faced
- Finished with six consecutive scoreless innings after the first 

Other Top Performances - Player
Kieran Gaffney – UMary
- Recorded two game-winning RBIs and scored the winning run in another as UMary swept SMSU 
- Scored a run in all four games and drove in six 
- Hit a bases-loaded triple in game one that scored the first three runs in a 5-1 win 
Jackson Fliflet – Minnesota Crookston
- Went 5-for-10 with three home runs, eight RBI and five runs scored in a three-game sweep of Jamestown 
- Hit a grand slam in an 11-6 win over Jamestown 
- Leads the NSIC with 10 home runs this season 
Mateo Tahsini – Northern State
- Went 6-for-9 in the NSIC series against Sioux Falls 
- Scored two runs including the game-winning run in the eighth inning of game three 
- Added a double and five putouts defensively 
Drew Miller – Sioux Falls
- Hit .545 (6-for-11) across three starts 
- Scored three runs and drove in two RBI 
- Recorded a double and multiple hits in all three games 
- Added three walks while striking out once 
Easton Mains – Wayne State
- Hit .538 (7-for-13) with two home runs and 10 RBI in a sweep of Concordia-St. Paul 
- Both home runs were grand slams 
- Hit a walk-off grand slam in a 21-19 win 
- Recorded six RBI and three runs in that game 
- Added three stolen bases in the series opener 
Ethan Patterson – Winona State
- Went 5-for-10 with five RBI and two runs in a four-game sweep over Bemidji State 
- Recorded two multi-hit games in the series 
- Went 2-for-4 with four RBI, two doubles and two runs in a 16-3 win 
- Added two doubles and a stolen base during the weekend

Other Top Performances - Pitcher
Mariano Gomez – Augustana
- Threw six innings in a victory over St. Cloud State 
- Allowed one run on three hits 
- Tied a season-high with nine strikeouts 
- Improved to 3-0 with a 2.37 ERA and 30 strikeouts in conference play 
Isaac Wensloff – Minnesota Crookston
- Tossed five innings in relief to earn the win against Jamestown 
- Allowed one run on four hits 
- Struck out five and walked two 
Jacob Thompson – Minot State
- Threw the first complete game of his collegiate career in a 4-3 win over Minnesota Duluth 
- Pitched a career-high seven innings 
- Struck out six while allowing two earned runs on five hits 
Ethan Price – Northern State
- Earned the win in relief in a 4-3 victory over Sioux Falls 
- Pitched two scoreless innings allowing one hit 
- Struck out three of the seven batters he faced 
Brady Baur – Sioux Falls
- Threw six shutout innings in a win over Northern State 
- Allowed five hits with no walks 
- Recorded eight strikeouts 
- Helped Sioux Falls secure the series victory 
Sawyer Hoffman – Winona State
- Tossed six innings in a 4-3 win over Bemidji State 
- Allowed three runs (two earned) on eight hits 
- Struck out three and walked one 
- Helped Winona State complete a four-game sweep of the Beavers 
NSIC Baseball Players of the Week
2/10/26
Player: #1 Troy Berg - Augustana
Pitcher: #36 Ryan Chamberlain – University of Mary
2/17/26
Player: #2 Jake Berkland  – Minnesota State
Pitcher: #77 Brady Baur - Sioux Falls
2/25/26
Player: #23 Jackson Fliflet  - Minnesota Crookston
Pitcher:  #24 Cody Wichmann – SMSU
3/3/26
Player: #27 Liam Moreno – St. Cloud State
Pitcher:  #10 Colton Bagshaw - Minot State
3/9/26
Player: #3 Bjorn Lind - Augustana
Pitcher: #23 Nolan McCaffery - Jamestown
3/16/26
Player: #20 Nate Cunningham – Wayne State
Pitcher: #33 Justin Benjamin – Concordia-St. Paul
3/23/26
Player: #14 Carter Heinsch  – Augustana
Pitcher: #24 Lucas Burgum – University of Mary

About the NSIC
The NSIC is a 16-team, 18-sport, NCAA Division II conference with institutions located in Minnesota, Nebraska, North Dakota, and South Dakota. The NSIC is a model Division II conference that uses high-level athletics competition to develop champions in the classroom and community while empowering student-athletes to be impactful and positive leaders. Formed in 1992 by the merger of the Northern Intercollegiate Conference (men’s league) and the Northern Sun Conference (women’s league), the NSIC has flourished over the past three decades, maturing into a union of Upper Midwest colleges and universities. The NSIC has won 27 team national championships and crowned 126 individual national champions. For additional information, visit NorthernSun.org.

About NCAA Division II
The NCAA, the national governing body for college athletics, is a volunteer association of more than 1,000 colleges and universities that classify their athletics programs in one of three membership divisions. The 300+ institutions in NCAA Division II support a balanced approach in which student-athletes can earn scholarships based on their athletic ability, pursue their desired academic degree, and participate in all the campus and surrounding community have to offer. Division II student-athletes annually graduate at rates higher than their student body peers, and they have access to the best championships-participant ratio among the NCAA’s three divisions. Division II gives student-athletes the unique opportunity to compete in the classroom, on the field, in their career, for their causes, and on their terms. For additional information, visit NCAA.org.