Leading Off
The Mavericks (18-22, 7-11) close out their home slate on Wednesday when they host Penn State (24-15, 6-11) for a non-conference game. Then, they head up north for their first of seven-straight road games when they open a three-game series at North Dakota State on Friday.

Upcoming Schedule
Wednesday: 7 p.m. vs. Penn State at Tal Anderson Field
Friday: 6:30 p.m. at North Dakota State at Newman Outdoor Field
Saturday: 2 p.m. at North Dakota State at Newman Outdoor Field
Sunday: 1 p.m. at North Dakota State at Newman Outdoor Field

Around the Horn

• The Mavericks went 2-2 last week after falling late in a slugfest at Missouri State, before taking the last two games vs. Western Illinois at home in the team's final home weekend of the season.
• The Mavericks scored a total of 25 runs on 45 hits across all four games last week. They also picked up 12 extra-base hits.
• Devin Hurdle had another hot week at the plate, going 8-for-17 with three extra-base hits, five runs, and two RBIs. His batting average is now back over .400 (.405) and his OPS has also increased to 1.021.
• Mike Boeve also had a strong week, picking up six more RBIs, including his third home run of the season vs. WIU on Sunday. He also had his second four-hit game of the year on Saturday. Boeve recorded his 11th double of the season and the 50th of his career on Saturday. He is now only one double away from reaching second all-time at Omaha.
• Haiden Hunt, Drew Lechnir, and Brennen Bales all had a three-hit game last week. At Missouri State, Hunt became the first Maverick since 2020 to hit two triples in a single game.
• The last two games vs. WIU featured a couple of career-best pitching performances from starters Harrison Kreiling and Charlie Bell. Kreiling was named Summit League Pitcher of the Week after going six shutout innings, allowing only two hits while striking out a career-high 11 batters. The next day, Bell had the longest out of his career at seven innings, as well as striking out seven batters en route to his fourth win of the year.
• Bell also became the second Maverick this year (alongside Caleb Riedel) to reach 100 career strikeouts, reaching the milestone in the second inning of his start.
• Omaha's bullpen saw a trio of notable firsts over the weekend, with Bales earning his first win as a Maverick with a scoreless eighth inning on Saturday. Jackson Gordon shut down the Leathernecks in the ninth to earn his first save since 2021. Joel Benes also earned his first save of the year with two scoreless innings on Sunday, capping off each inning with a high strikeout.
• Wednesday vs. Penn State will mark the final home game of the season for the Mavericks. They are currently 13-7 at Tal Anderson Field, with a 2-1 record on Tuesdays at home.
• Omaha won three games last year against North Dakota State. Though they only went 1-2 vs. the Bison in the regular season, the Mavericks went 2-0 against them in the Summit League Tournament.

Scouting Penn State
Penn State comes to Omaha at 24-15 on the season and halfway through an eight-game road trip that began with a three-game sweep at the hands of Rutgers.

The Nittany Lions' currently have four players that are producing an OPS above .900 and have at least 20 RBIs, chief among them being Kyle Hannon, who also leads the team with seven home runs and 25 steals, and Grant Norris, who paces the team with 38 RBIs. Three players also have at least 10 doubles, with Jay Harry on top with 12.

Penn State's top starter is Travis Luensmann, who boasts a 3.61 ERA and .225 BAA, while mid-week starters Tommy Molsky (7.03 ERA) and Ben DeMell (8.75 ERA) have struggled for much of the season. In the bullpen, Ryan Partridge (4.50 ERA in 22 IP) and Steven Miller (4.54 ERA in 39.2 IP) are the only relievers on the team with sub-5.00 ERAs.

Head Coach Rob Cooper is in his 10th season with the program, owning a 197-266 record with the team. Last season, he led the Nittany Lions to their first  Big Ten Tournament appearance since 2012. Before coaching at Penn State, Cooper spent nine season at the helm of the Wright State program, going 286-230 with three NCAA Tournament berths.

Scouting North Dakota State
North Dakota State is currently second in the Summit League with a 10-5 conference record and 16-26 overall record after sweeping Northern Colorado last week, winning each game by at least 10 runs.

Five Bison own batting averages above .300, led by Cadyn Schwabe (.314) and Peter Brookshaw (.313). Brookshaw also leads the team with a .996 OPS and 12 home runs, while Schwabe is NDSU's top base stealer with 26.

NDSU's starters are led by Parker Puetz who owns a 2.94 ERA and .219 BAA. Tristen Roehrich (4.11 ERA) and Cade Feeney (4.46 ERA) are both having solid seasons as well. In relief, Skyler Riedinger leads the way with a 3.54 ERA and three saves.

Head Coach Tyler Oakes is in his second season at the in charge of the Bison and is the reigning Summit League Coach of the Year after guiding NDSU to a Regular Season title last year at 30-17.