Leading Off
The Mavericks (2-12) are fresh off their first two wins of the season as they return to Omaha this week for their first of three games this season against Creighton (11-2) at Charles Schwab Field, followed by the Summit League opener against North Dakota State 3-11 at Tal Anderson Field.

Upcoming Schedule
Tuesday: 6 p.m. at Creighton at Charles Schwab Field
Friday: 3 p.m. vs. North Dakota State at Tal Anderson Field
Saturday: 2 p.m. vs. North Dakota State at Tal Anderson Field
Sunday: 1 p.m. vs. North Dakota State at Tal Anderson Field

Around the Horn

• Omaha got its first win of 2024 in a massive way on Saturday, shutting out SIUE 20 for the team's first victory by at least 20 runs since defeating Purdue Fort Wayne 26-0 on March 24, 2019.
• Saturday's enormous victory brought several career highs with it. Henry Zipay had his first ever multi-hit game with three, along with his first ever multi-RBI game with three. Matt Goetzmann also had his first game with at least three runs scored. Zipay and Goetzmann both had notable performances on Sunday as well, with Zipay getting his first career double and Goetzmann his first game with multiple stolen bases. 
• Ultimately, seven Mavericks drove in a run in their 20-run victory over SIUE. 6 totaled multiple RBIs, with three having at least 3 RBIs.
• Only 2 Mavericks pitched in the shutout, though, as Caleb Riedel earned his first win with 6 IP, while Gage Ingram threw the seventh and final inning.
• Trent Burkhalter and Tyler Bishop continue to impress in their first seasons with the Mavericks, as Burkhalter went 6-for-14 last week and recorded both a hit and an RBI in all four games, including back-to-back games with a home run at SIUE. Meanwhile, Bishop had the single best offensive game by a Maverick yet this year on Saturday, going 3-for-5 with four RBIs, four runs scored, and a home run.
• Sid deMayo also hit the first double of his career and scored his first ever run on Saturday after coming in as a pinch hitter.
• On the mound, Preston Tenney lowered his season ERA to 1.00 after five shutout innings on Sunday, needing only 60 pitches.
• Luke Gainer earned the first save by a Maverick this year when he pitched the final two innings at SIUE on Sunday.
• Freshman reliever Ethan Louthan extended his scoreless innings streak to 7.1 to start his career after throwing 3 vs. Portland.

Scouting Creighton
Creighton had a five-game winning streak snapped on Sunday when they dropped the final game of their series vs. Portland 6-3 after taking the first two games against them by a combined score of 18-7.

Infielder Clifford Nolan swinging a red-hot bat this season, boasting a .529 AVG and 1.483 OPS with three home runs and 15 RBIs. Matt Scherrman (.483), Ben North (.417), and Connor Capece (.409) are all batting above .400 as well. Scherman and Capece are tied for the team lead in doubles with seven, while North is first in home runs with four and RBIs with 24.

Dominic Cancellie and Jack Pineau head up the Bluejays rotation with a 2.00 ERA and 2.19 ERA, respectively. The former also leads the team with 18.0 IP and 18 strikeouts, while the latter's .196 BAA paces the starters. Creighton's bullpen has been incredibly stingy so far, with six relievers boast sub 3.50 ERAs, including Mason Koch (1.04) who has allowed just one run in 8.2 IP.

Head Coach Ed Servais is the winningest coach in Creighton baseball history at 654-389-1, while his career record of 836-471-2 is 21st among all Division I coaches. In 21 years with Creighton, he has led them to six NCAA Tournaments.

Scouting North Dakota State
NDSU begins the week at 3-11 after dropping their final two games at SLU. Before coming to Omaha, they will wrap up their Louisiana trip with two at LSU to start the week.

Outfielder Colten Becker leads the Bison with a .382 AVG and a 1.151 OPS. Rookie infielder Jake Schaffner is right behind him with a .300 AVG, while senior James Dunlap leads the team with two home runs and 12 RBIs.

Nolan Johnson has been NDSU' top starter with a 3.32 ERA, 23 Ks, and a .176 BAA, while fellow starters Logan Knight (6.62 ERA) and Landon Koenig (9.37 ERA) have struggled early on. The Bison bullpen has also struggled this year, with Skyler Riedinger boasting the lowest ERA at 7.04. 

Head Coach Tyler Oakes is in his third season in charge of the Bison. He was named Summit League Coach of the Year after guiding NDSU to a Regular Season title in 2022 with a 30-17 record.