by - Connor Wachtel - MSU Athletic Communications
BRANDON, S.D. -- No. 19-rated Minnesota State completed a perfect four-game run through the 2022 NSIC Baseball Tournament to claim its second straight and seventh total tournament title in program history after defeating #11 Augustana, 6-5, Sunday afternoon at First National Bank Field at Aspen Park.
With the win to complete a perfect 4-0 sweep in the NSIC Tournament, the Mavericks now own a 39-7 overall record this season. The Vikings fall to 44-10-1 on the year with the loss.
The Mavericks battled from behind during the majority of Sunday's championship matchup, trailing the Vikings up until the eighth inning while closing the gap to just one run on three separate occasions. Displaying heroics for a second-straight game, senior catcher Ben Livorsi notched the eventual game-winning hit in the form of a no-doubt two-run home run in the eighth inning that gave the Mavericks the 6-5 lead they carried through the end. After providing MSU with a game-winning hit during the semifinal round, Livorsi batted two-for-two in the championship with three RBI and a run scored before being named the tournament's Most Valuable Player.
Augie opened the scoring in Sunday's contest with a three-run first frame. After Jordan Barth scored from third on a wild pitch, Jack Hines hit a two-run home run to center to make it a 3-0 ballgame.
In the fourth inning, the Mavericks cut the Vikings' lead to one, 3-2, with a solo home run from sophomore Jackson Hauge and RBI single up the middle hit by Aidan Byrne. However, Augie scored another insurance run in the bottom half of the inning on a sacrifice squeeze bunt laid down by Max Mosser to make it a 4-2 game.
Livorsi began his charge to get MSU to the promised land in the top of the sixth inning when his RBI single up the middle drove in Byrne to shrink the deficit to 4-3. Once again, the Vikings had yet another answer in the bottom half of the sixth when Luke Ballweg homered to right to make 5-3.
After Byrne doubled down the leftfield line with one out in the eighth inning, sophomore infielder Adam Schneider initialized a two-out comeback for the Mavericks when he singled through the right side to cut the deficit back to one run, 5-4. Then Livorsi stepped back into the box and with two outs, he launched a no-doubt two-run shot on the first pitch he saw over the fence in right to give MSU a 6-5 lead in the top of the eighth inning.
In relief, sophomore left-handed pitcher Nathan Culley took the ball to pitch at the start of the bottom of the eighth inning and went the distance to pick up his second save of the season. Culley held Augie scoreless in the final two innings of the contest, allowing one hit and two walks while retiring three Vikings hitters on strikes.
Picking up the win after pitching a scoreless seventh inning was senior right-handed pitcher Kyle Nordby. Nordby, now 2-0 on the season, surrendered one hit, walked one and struck out one before ending up in line for the victory. Junior right-hander Collin Denk made his sixth start and 10th appearance of the year during the championship. Denk pitched six complete innings, where he allowed six hits and five runs while walking three and striking out four.
The Mavericks concluded the game with two more hits than the Vikings, 10-8. MSU had the lone error during the championship. In terms of runners left on base during the game, MSU left one more by an edge of eight runners to Augie's seven stranded.
Among the Mavericks named to the 2022 NSIC Baseball All-Tournament Team were Ben Livorsi (Also named MVP), Mikey Gottschalk, Aidan Byrne and Cam Kline.
The Mavericks, who will receive an automatic bid into the NCAA Tournament after prevailing in the NSIC Tournament, will tune into NCAA.com tonight (Sunday) for the NCAA Division II Baseball Selection Show at 9:00 p.m. CST to find out what's next on the docket with the NCAA DII Central Region Baseball Tournament, next weekend.
| 2022 NSIC All-Tournament |
| 20 |
Ben Livorsi (MVP) |
MSU |
C |
Sr. |
R/R |
Minnetonka, Minn. |
| 3 |
Mikey Gottschalk |
MSU |
INF |
Jr. |
L/R |
Blaine, Minn. |
| 11 |
Aidan Byrne |
MSU |
INF |
R-Fr. |
R/R |
Eagan, Minn. |
| 9 |
Cam Kline |
MSU |
OF/RHP |
Sr. |
R/R |
Stacy, Minn. |
| 1 |
Jordan Barth |
AUGIE |
IF |
Sr. |
R/R |
Cold Spring, Minn. |
| 23 |
Jack Hines |
AUGIE |
IF |
So. |
|
Willowbrook, Ill. |
| 37 |
Ryan Jares |
AUGIE |
RHP |
Jr. |
R/R |
Windsor, Colo. |
| 22 |
Sam Riola |
SCSU |
IF/RHP |
R-Jr. |
R/R |
Ham Lake, Minn. |
| 10 |
Tosten Mann |
UMD |
1B//C |
Sr. |
L/R |
Fergus Falls, Minn. |
| 8 |
Brodie Paulson |
UMD |
RHP / INF |
5th |
L/R |
Woodbury, Minn. |
| 10 |
Drew Behling |
MINOT |
OF |
Sr. |
L/R |
Waupan, Wis. |
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