SIOUX FALLS, S.D. – Winona State baseball went 1-1 on the day at the 2026 NSIC Tournament after losing to Minnesota State and bouncing back with a win under the lights against Minnesota Crookston.
The sixth-seeded Warriors jumped out to an early 7-1 lead against No. 2 seed Minnesota State but were unable to hang on and suffered a 15-8 loss to send WSU to the loser's bracket. Winona State was able to bounce right back, taking care of No. 8 seed Minnesota Crookston by a score 6-3 in the nightcap to advance to the third day of the NSIC Tournament for the first time since 2019.
Game One: MSU (15) – WSU (8)
WSU went down in order during the top of the first. Minnesota State loaded the bases with one out in the bottom of the first, but the Warriors were able to turn a 6-4-3 double play to escape with no runs given up.
After back-to-back singles by Hunter Guenther and Boone Kirst to start off the second, Connor Greuel plated Guenther on a fielder's choice to give WSU an early 1-0 lead. Max Pederson followed that up with an RBI double, extending the Warriors edge to 2-0. A single by Garrett Hietpas made it 3-0 when Pederson scored on an error during the play. The party continued with a double by Josh Hatano, putting two runners in scoring position with one-out. The scoring concluded after a two-RBI single from Connor Weed, plated Hatano and Hietpas, to put the game at 5-0. WSU tallied a whopping seven hits in the second inning. The Mavericks cut into the Warriors lead with a run in the second frame, making it 5-1 after two innings.
Winona State was unable to score in the third after a leadoff double from Kirst. MSU went down 1-2-3 in the bottom of the third, keeping the game at 5-1.
In the top of the fourth, Weed reached base after a one-out hit-by-pitch. Dylan Harer stretched the WSU lead to 6-1 with a double to left-center field, before Adam Wall followed with an RBI double, pushing the advantage to 7-1. MSU cut their deficit in half with three runs in the bottom of the fourth at 7-4.
A two-run double in the bottom of the fifth made it a one-run game with WSU in front at 7-6. The Mavericks took their first lead of the game at 9-7 with three runs in the seventh.
An RBI groundout from Harer brought WSU in within one run at 9-8 in the eighth. Minnesota State put the game away with six runs in the bottom of the eight, taking a 15-8 advantage.
Kirst, Pederson, Wall, and Weed all hit two hits apiece with Harer and Weed tying for a team-high two RBI each in the loss.
Sawyer Hoffman started on the bump for Winona State. Hoffman went 4.2 innings while squandering 11 hits and six runs. Logan LaPlante (1-1) took the loss, tossing 1.1 innings allowing two runs.
Game Two: WSU (6) – UMC (3)
After a run by Minnesota Crookston in the top of the first, Weed homered on the first pitch he saw to tie the game 1-1. After a Wall double, Kirst reached on an error, scoring Wall giving WSU a 2-1 edge after one frame.
Winona State was unable to score after singles by Hatano and Harer in the second inning. Guenther, who started on the mound, stranded a runner at third in the next half inning. Pederson hit a two-strike homer over the left field fence to plate two runs and give the Warriors a 4-1 advantage through three innings.
After a stalemate at the plate by both teams, the Golden Eagles scored on a wild pitch in the seventh to bring it within two. The Warriors had yet another answer as Weed reached base and advanced to second on a delayed steal, then Harer drove the very next pitch up the middle to bring around Weed. Funke then drove in Harer on a pinch-hit single to give WSU a 6-2 lead through seven frames.
UMC scored one run in the eighth inning, but Guenther stranded two Golden Eagles on the bases to allow the Warriors to hold on to the 6-3 lead. Skelley earned the save with a 1-2-3 ninth inning and moved into third all-time within the WSU record books in career appearances (66) and appearances in a single season (23).
Guenther was brilliant on the mound, throwing 127 pitches in 8.0 innings, allowing three runs on six hits while striking out eight batters to pick up the win. Weed and Harer each tabbed a pair of hits while WSU scattered eight hits throughout the game.
Winona State (27-25) advances to the loser's bracket semifinals where they will take on third-seeded UMary at 3:30pm at The Birdcage in Sioux Falls, S.D. The winner of that game plays right after for a spot in the NSIC Tournament Championship.