SIOUX FALLS -- The University of Sioux Falls Baseball Team (10-14, 7-7 NSIC), which is looking to build on a season-best three-game winning streak, will continue a five-game home stand as they host Winona State (6-20, 6-10 NSIC) in NSIC action at Sioux Falls Stadium on Friday and Saturday.  Due to a rain forecast for Sunday, the four-game series has been moved up  with doubleheaders starting at 4 p.m., on Friday and 1:30 p.m. on Saturday .  At 7-7 in league play USF is seventh in the NSIC while Winona State at 6-10 for 12th in the league. At 7-7 in league play USF is seventh in the NSIC while Winona State at 6-10 for 12th in the league.

USF owns a three-game winning streak
Led by first year head coach Grant Hieb, USF has a three-game winning streak to improve to 10-14 overall and 7-7 in the league. In each of the last three games, the Cougars have scored double digit runs and hits. In fact, the Cougars have totaled 37 runs on 45 hits or 12.33 runs and 15 hits per game.  In addition, USF has hit a total of six home runs, including two by Josh Rehwaldt and Brent Jarvis. In the past five games, Jarvis has three home runs, including a grand slam in an 11-9 loss to Bemidji State on April 1 and his first career two-home run game against Dakota Wesleyan on April 4. Against DWU, the Cougars won, 14-2, as they wrapped up their non conference schedule. In that game USF had four home runs, including two from Jarvis and one each from Rehwaldt and Ryan Bernardy whose three-run shot ended the game by run rule.

As a team, USF is hitting .307, which ranks fourth in the NSIC. The Cougars have 239 hits and 154 runs, with 62 extra base hits, third in the league. Through 24 games, USF has a .419 slugging percentage (4th, NSIC) and .383 OBP (5th NSIC). The Cougars have pilfered 46 bases, which ranks second in the league and have done it in 57 attempts for .807 success rate.  

USF ranks 15th in the NSIC with an overall 7.51 ERA, which is down over two runs from two weeks ago. In lead play, the Cougars are a 6.32 ERA. USF is fourth in fielding with a .965 fielding percentage and have turned 15 double plays.    

Winona State sits 6-20 overall, 6-10 in NSIC play
Winona State stands 6-20 overall and 6-10 in NSIC play, including a 5-0 shutout over Wayne State on April 5 when Tanner Haessly (1-0) threw six innings of three hit baseball with five strikeouts. Parker Holmstrom completed the shutout with his first save, going three innings without allowing a hit and recording a strikeout.  The Warriors have won 2-of-4 in NSIC play but have lost nine of their past 11 games. A 9-0 shutout over Minot State April 1 ended a seven-game losing skein. Mitchell Heid leads the hitting attack with a .362 average while Chad Herbst is hitting .319. Overall, WSU is hitting .257 as a team, which is 12th in the league. They have hit five home runs with 210 hits and 89 RBI.  The Warriors are 10th in pitching with a 5.94 ERA. Mitchell Stalsberg leads the pitching staff with a 2-2 record a 2.80 ERA. He has 55 strikeouts and 35.1 innings.

Cougars hitting .318 with runners in scoring position
USF is .hitting .318 (90-of-283) with runners in scoring position and have converted at a .642 rate (52-of-81) with runners on third and less than two outs. In advancing runners, the Cougars have been successful in 234-of-451 occasions for .519.  USF, which has 42 two-out RBI, is batting .319 (129-of-404) with runners on and 13-of-44 for .295 with bases loaded. USF is hitting .329 (48-of-146) against left handers and .302 (191-of-632) against right handed pitchers.
 
Numbers to Ponder - Cougars holding own late in games
USF has been outscored, 175-to-154 this year, but held its own down the stretch of games. USF has a 48-to-45 scoring advantage combined in seventh, eighth, ninth and extra innings. USF's most productive inning has been the fifth and seventh innings where they have scored 27 runs. When USF leads after six inning, they are 7-1 but 1-12 when trailing after six innings. The one win after trailing through six innings was the eight run explosion when they rallied from down 6-5 for a 13-6 win on the road at Bemidji State on April 2. When USF scores first, they are 8-6 but 2-8 when the opponent scores first. The Cougars are 10-1 when they outhit their opponent. When USF scores 10 runs or more they are 4-3. When the Cougars have the lead after three innings they are 7-1.
 
Breaking down Coo hitting crew –

Johnson's team-high 12 steals ranks second in NSIC - In 22 games junior centerfielder Rob Johnson is hitting .315 with 23 hits in 73 at bats and 10 walks. He leads USF with 12 stolen bases in 13 attempts, a total that. He has ranks second in the NSIC. He two home run and five doubles with 10 RBI. He owns a .493 slugging pct., and .391 OBP.
 
Jarvis ranks in NSIC's top 10 in slugging and OBP – Brent Jarvis has used a recent hot streak to push his batting average to .356. In the past five games, he is 9-of-18 for a .500 batting average with three home runs and 10 RBI with eight runs scored. With that spurt, Jarvis ranks ninth in the NSIC with an .474 on-base pct., and 10th in slugging at .587. He has nine multi-hit games - second on USF - and is the only USF player with six hits in a game as he was 6-of-6 against Nebraska-Kearney. He is tied with Josh Rehwaldt with a team-high five multi-RBI games at five. Jarvis, who has a current five game hitting streak, has had two games of three or more with one with five RBI.

Minnick has reached base team-season high 14 straight games -- Matthew Minnick, who has a three-game hitting streak, has a team-season high 14 game streak of reaching base. Minnick, who has raised his average 170 points after a slow start to .235, has five multi-hit games and two multi-RBI games with 12 overall.    

Crow leading USF in hitting - Senor outfielder Trevor Crow is leading USF with a .372 batting average, lifting his average 30 points over the past week. He has 29 hits, 21 runs (tied with Jarvis for team-high) with three home runs and 14 RBI. Crow, who has a four-game hitting streak, has nine multi-hit games, including a team-best six three-hit games.

Merriam ranks third in NSIC in HRs with 5 - Connor Merriam, who is hitting .310, five home runs this season which ranks third in the league. He hit two in a 15-13 loss to SCSU on March 19. Merriam has a .582 slugging percentage. He has 15 RBIs and a .380 OBP while owning a .968 fielding percentage. Merriam, who caught all 54 games a year ago, has started all 24 games this season, a run of 78 straight games.  

Rehwaldt leads team with 22 RBI – A sophomore first baseman, Josh Rehwaldt, who has a four-game hitting streak and seven game on-base streak, has pushed his average to .356. In a pair of walk off wins vs SCSU on March 20, he scored the winning run. He has a team-best 22 RBI with a .522 slugging percentage and .443 OBP. With a home run vs Dakota Wesleyan, he now has two on the season and six in his career. Rehwaldt is tied with Jarvis for a team-best five multi RBI games and owns a team-best 10 multiple hit games. He has four games with at least three hits.

Gunner Peterson ranks second in hitting for USF – Petersen, who hit his first career grand slam and just his second HR of his career in a win over Bemidji State, has risen his average to .364 as he owns a team best seven game hitting streak. Peterson, who has a .468 slugging pct., and .417 OBP, has 14 RBI and a .942 percentage as a steady hand at shortstop.
 
Mound Assessment: USF's pitching beginning to stabilize
Through 24 games, USF has an 7.51 ERA in 183 1/3 innings with 108 strikeouts but 122 walks. The Cougars have thrown one shutout, two complete games and recorded a pair of saves. On Tuesday, Ryan Patrick has his best performance of the season, hurling five innings of shutout baseball as he moved to 1-1 on the season with an 11.57 ERA. Sophomore Dan Johnson (2-1) owns a 4.30 ERA with eight appearances, including four starts.

At SMSU on March 29, Johnson and Mitchell Lyall combined on a seven-inning four-hit shutout in a 2-0 victory. Johnson allowed just five hits across five innings while registering five strikeouts. Wallner also just a hit in two innings of shut down relief as he earned his first career save. As for Johnson, he was the last USF's starting pitcher to toss a shutout, a 1-0 nine-inning four-hitter against Concordia St. Paul on May 1, 2016.

Senior Zak Wallner has been solid as a starter with a 1-0 record and 4.91 ERA. He has made five starts with seven appearances, recording 21 strikeouts to 14 walks. Stuart Maes has made eight appearances, including two starts. Zachary Miller, who has a 1-3 record and 9.99 ERA, has had a series strong starts, making six appearances with five starts. He also has a save for USF.  Chris Thompson (1-2, 7.81 ERA) has made nine appearances while Mitchell Lyall (0-1, 5.23 ERA) has made the team's most appearances with 10. Cody Blackwell (1-0, 5.40 ERA, 7 appearances) has been solid in relief. Dylan Gavin (0-0) has made two starts with a 4.50 ERA with two starts.