SIOUX FALLS -- The University of Sioux Falls Baseball Team (9-14), which has won seven-of-12 games, will step out of league play and host Dakota Wesleyan (11-14) in nonconference action on Tuesday night at the Birdcage (Sioux Falls Stadium). USF-DWU game time is set for 5 p.m. Following the nonconference matchup, USF will host Winona State on Saturday in a doubleheader at 1:30 p.m. and again on Sunday with the double dip set for noon at the Birdcage.

USF has gone 7-5 over past 12 games
Sioux Falls, led by first year head coach Grant Hieb, will look to build on a 9-14 start against DWU. The Cougars are coming off a sweep of Bemidji State on Sunday when the Cougars found offense in a big way, scoring 23 runs and 32 hits combined, a season-best over two games. In fact the 18 hits in a 10-9 win Sunday was USF's best hitting effort of the season. Interestingly, USF has split all four of its series in NSIC play this year as they stand 7-7 for fifth in the NSIC.

USF has split each of its four NSIC series this season. After losing the first two games to BSU, the Cougars responded by sweeping the games on Sunday, registering 23 runs on 27 hits.

On Sunday, the USF offense broke out in a big way with a .405 average with 32 hits on 79 at bats and 23 runs scored. For the second time this season, the Cougars scored double digits runs, producing a .494 slugging percentage and .473 OBP on the day. In addition, the Cougars had six stolen bases. Leading the way was sophomore first baseman Josh Rehwaldt, who was 5-of-6 for an .833 average with six runs and six RBI while walking five times and reaching base an incredible 10 times in 11 plate appearances. Gunner Peterson had four hits in seven at bats while hitting a grand slam. Senior outfielder Trevor Crow hit .545 with six hits in 11 at bats with three runs and two RBI. In addition, Anthony Lopez came off the bench to produce three hits in five at bats with two RBI while Brent Jarvis had three hits and two walks while knocking home two RBI and scoring three runs.

While USF had a 7.31 ERA, several pitchers came up huge, including Chris Thompson (1-2), the game one winner, who shut down BSU in the seventh inning in game one for his first win. Stuart Maes worked 2 1/3 innings in game two to move to 2-2 on the season..
 
USF hitting .311 with runners in scoring position
USF is .hitting .311 (85-of-237) with runners in scoring position and have converted at a .628 rate (49-of-78) with runners on third and less than two outs. In advancing runners, the Cougars have been successful in 222-of-436 occasions for .509.  USF, which has 35 two-out RBI, is batting .310 (88-of-305) with runners on and 13-of-43 for .302 with bases loaded. USF is hitting .290 (36-of-124) against left handers and .305 (190-of-622) against right handed pitchers.
 
Through 23 games, USF is hitting .303 as a team with a .393 OBP and a .424 slugging percentage.  USF scored double digit runs on Sunday in a sweep of BSU for the second time this year.

Top Performers
Dan Johnson and Mitchell Lyall combined on a seven-inning four-hit shutout as USF defeated SMSU, 2-0 in the first half of a doubleheader last Wed. Johnson, who moved to 2-1 on the season, allowed just three hits over five innings with five strikeouts and two walks. He was also USF's last starting pitcher to throw a shutout, a 1-0 nine-inning four-hitter against Concordia St. Paul on May 1, 2016.
 
Senior outfielder Trevor Crow hit .412 against Bemidji State to lift his team-high batting average to .360 in 21 games. He has three HR and 13 RBI.

Over the four-game series with BSU, Josh Rehwaldt hit .462 with six hits in 13 AB and with six walks had a .650 OBP over four games. He hit his first HR of the season.  On Sunday, Rehwaldt was 5-of-6 and walked five times as he reached base in 10-of-11 plate appearances. Rehwaldt has pushed his average to .352 with a team high 22 RBI. He has 18 runs, a team-high 31 hits and 43 total bases.
 
Jarvis, who in addition to his first career grand slam, hit .438 with seven hits, five runs scored, team-best eight RBI and a .622 slugging percentage with a .550 OBP. Jarvis has pushed his average to .341 with a .494 slugging mark and .456 OBP, best on the team. He has collected 29 hits and scored 18 runs.

Gunner Peterson hit .462 in four games with six hits, including his first career grand slam in the series vs. BSU. He is now hitting .347 on the season with 26 hits, 12 RBI, .413 slugging and .402 OBP.