For Immediate Release
Monday, March 4, 2024
NSIC Media Relations

NSIC Player of the Week
#2 Keenan Wenzel (2B, 5-9, 150, Sr., R/R, Rosemount, Minn. / Rosemount HS) - SMSU
- Hit .583 (7-for-12) with one double, two triples, one home run and 10 RBIs
- Racked up 15 total bases and a 1.250 slugging pct., while scoring four runs
- Also had four putouts, three assists and no errors at second base
- Went 3 for 4 in both games against Malone 
- Combined nine RBIs and four runs scored
- In game one, he was 3 for 4 with four RBIs and a home run
- In game two he was 3 for 4 with five RBIs, with three runs scored
- Had a double and two triples
- In Sunday's win over Adams State, he was 1 for 4 with an RBI

NSIC Pitcher of the Week
#8 Ashton Michek (LHP, 6-3, 205, So., L/L, Bangor, Wis. / Bangor HS) – Augustana
- Threw six nearly-perfect innings to help the Vikings past Drury 5-0 in a 7-inning game 
- Allowed just two hits and did not allow a run
- Racked up eight strikeouts, one shy of his career high
- Holds a 1.50 ERA and has struck out 12 in 12 innings on the year

Other Top Performances - Player
Jack Hines (AUGIE) 
- Went 4 for 12 with four runs scored and three RBI against Drury
- Hit a home run and stole a pair of bases
- Scored at least a run and had at least one RBI in each of the three games
- Batting .424 with three home runs and 11 RBI on the season
- Extended his hitting streak to eight games to open the season
Jackson Schaffer (BSU)
- Batted .667 over four games at William Jewell to lead the team
- Extended his hitting streak to nine games
- Recorded multiple hits in three of the four games
- Had a career-high four-hit game in the series finale
- Two of his hits were home runs while also hitting a triple in the series
- Drove in two runs
Noah Juliar (CSP) 
-Slashed .636/.583/1.000 in opening three games against Adams State and Walsh 
- Has recorded seven hits in 11 at-bats
- Had three extra-base hits consisting of a pair of doubles and a triple
- Drove in four runners against Walsh
- Has scored one run of his own in the three-game span
- Has been perfect from the field with a 1.000 fielding percentage
Carter Beck (UMary) 
Led Marauders to a 3-2 swing through Colorado by hitting .400/.577/.950 with a 1.627 OPS
- Hit 3 HR and 2 2B, scored 7 times, drove in 10 runs and stole 2 bases
- Had a hit in all five games and multiple hits three times
- Hit HR and drove in 5 runs in 14-4 win at CCU
- Double and HR in 12-7 win over MSU Denver
Teddy Giefer  (UMC) 
- Was 6-of-10 last week, hitting .600, with one run scored, two doubles, and six RBI, 
- Went 2-of-3, with two doubles, and five RBIs in a win at Embry-Riddle
- Was 3-of-4, with an RBI, and a run scored against Ashland 
Hesser Karson (NSU) 
- Aided in the Wolves weekend split against Truman State
- Hit .417 (5-for-12) over the four-game series against the Bulldogs
- Recorded a .500 OB % and .667 SLG % on the weekend
- Knocked three doubles against TSU along with three runs and three RBIs
- Was perfect on the defensive side with 11 put outs and two assists 
Austin Beyer (WSU)
- Went 2-for-5 at the plate while having one sac fly to earn two RBIs
- Had a stolen base during this game and scored a run
- Earned three put-outs and three assists at shortstop

Other Top Performances - Pitcher
Korey Dahlberg (CSP)
- Collected his second win of the season on the mound against Adams State
- Pitch a complete 7.0 inning game for the second time in his career
- Allowed only one earned run and four hits to finish with an earned run average of 1.29 against 
- Recorded five strikeouts and had zero walks from the bump
Paxton Miller (UMary)
- Earned the Marauders win in a 12-7 victory at MSU Denver
- Struck out six hitters in seven innings
- Allowed three runs on six hits and a walk
- UMary’s 1st win over 2023  NCAA playoff qualifier MSU Denver in six decisions 
Brody Sorenson (Minnesota Crookston)
- Pitched five innings in a win over Davis & Elkins, 6-1
- Struck out nine, and walked just three
- Allowed just five hits in the game
- Is 1-0 with a 3.00 ERA in 15 innings pitched as a senior
- Has struck out 20, and walked just three
Jack Miller  (NSU) 
- Pitched 5.1 innings with eight strikeouts against 18 batters
- Recorded a 0.00 ERA  and eight strikeouts on the weekend
- Notched the save in the 11-7 win against Truman State
- Held hitters to a .111 batting average in the weekend series
Pierce Gritzmaker  (WSU) 
- Pitched 5.0 innings only allowing three hits and two runs to cross the plate with 74 pitches
- Faced 19 batters where he collected eight strikeouts and had a six of those 19 batters flyout 
NSIC Baseball Players of the Week
2/13/24
Player: #4 Trey Wells – Wayne State  
Pitcher:  #12 Corbin Kirk – Wayne State
2/20/24
Player: #19 Mason Nadolney – Concordia-St. Paul
Pitcher: #21 Luke Tupy – St. Cloud State
2/27/24
Player: #2 Cal James – St. Cloud State
Pitcher: #26 Owen Weadge – Sioux Falls
3/4/24
Player: #2 Keenan Wenzel  - SMSU
Pitcher: #8 Ashton Michek  – Augustana

About the NSIC
The NSIC is a 16-team, 18-sport, NCAA Division II conference with institutions located in Iowa, 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 quarter century, maturing into a 16-team union of Upper Midwest colleges and universities. The NSIC has won 25 team national championships and crowned 111 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.