BURNSVILLE, MINN. – After closing the season with 11 wins in 16 games, the University of Sioux Falls Baseball Team (21-19) has earned a berth in the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference Postseason Tournament for the first time since 2016. This is the second postseason tourney berth for USF in the DII era.

With a dramatic come-from-behind 13-8 win over Concordia St. Paul on Saturday in St. Paul, Minn., the Cougars clinched eighth place in the NSIC. When the NSIC announced the pairings on Sunday, USF was matched against top seed and No. 15 Minnesota State (32-7) and head to Mankato for a three-game series on May 13-14.

"It was a great team win on Saturday to clinch a berth in the conference tourney! I am very proud of my guys. They never quit, all season long," said Hieb, whose team opened the season at 4-0 and then won 16 league games as well as a nonconference game with Upper Iowa. "We started off slow in conference play but they kept putting in the work and it paid off as we fought our way back into the race. We are excited about the opportunity for us next weekend," said Hieb.

In the postseason tourney, the top eight teams in the final regular season standings will participate in the tournament, which will have a two-week format. The tournament will begin on May 13-14 with a best of three game series hosted by the top four seeds (one 9-inning game Thursday and Friday with a second 9-inning game if necessary on Friday). The remaining four teams move forward to a four-team double elimination tournament in Sioux Falls hosted by Augustana University May 19-21, 2021. Minnesota State earned the number one seed after winning its 10th NSIC Regular Season Championship with a league record of 28-6. All games will be streamed live on the NSIC Network.  

First Round Series match-ups:
(8) Sioux Falls at (1) Minnesota State
(5) Minnesota Crookston at (4) Minot State
(7) Winona State at (2) Augustana
(6) UMary at (3) St. Cloud State  

The winner of the NSIC Baseball Tournament will earn an automatic bid to the NCAA Central Region Tournament. The NCAA Central Region is made up of 39 teams from the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference (15), the Mid-America Athletic Association (MIAA) (12) and the Great American Conference (GAC) (12). Automatic bids are awarded to the tournament champions from each conference with the final three spots awarded on an at-large basis. In all, six teams will advance to the NCAA Regional Tournament. 

USF Baseball has won 11-of-16 to earn spot

Regardless of what happens this postseason, USF, directed by Head Coach Grant Hieb and assistants Rob Hirrschoff and Gunner Petersen, has had its best season at the DII level and guaranteed themselves a .500 record with their 21^st win (21-19), which is a first in the DII era. USF's 16 league wins (16-19 overall), ties the 2017 team (19-31 overall, 16-24 NSIC) for the most in the DII era. The 21 wins by USF this year is tied with 2016 (21-30-1) for the most victories in a season at the DII level. In 2016, USF lost to Minnesota Duluth, 10-1 in the opening round and 6-4 to Minnesota State in the elimination round.

 Over the past 16 games, USF has recorded 11 wins. In that stretch, USF has outhit opponents, .297-to .261 and outscored them 96-to-76 with a 144-to-129 edge in hits. USF has 21 doubles, three triples, 12 home runs and 85 RBI while registering a .427 slugging and .390 OBP. USF, which as 26 steals in that stretch, has 207 total bases. USF has been led by redshirt freshman Tyler Cate who has a .390 mark in that stretch with 15 runs and 10 RBI and a .471 OBP. Leadoff hitter Connor King has hit. 375 with 18 runs and nine RBI plus a .521 OBP. Trey Hubers is hitting .362 with 17 hits and 12 runs. Ryan Bernardy has hit four of his DII program mark 11 home runs in a season during that stretch.

On the hill, USF has a 4.18 earned run average led by Andrew Maslowski who is 3-0 with a 1.59 earned run average and a 10-2 strikeout-to-walk ratio. Also for USF, Keenahn Coyle and Matt Graham are both 2-1. USF has a 73-to-33 strikeout to walk ratio and registered five complete games. Alex Krout has five saves, which has set a school record in the NCAA DII era.  

Overall, USF is hitting .278 as a team, led by Cate's .360 average and .448 OBP. Trey Hubers is hitting .306 with a .417 OBP while Connor King has 14 stolen bases, 40 runs, and two HRs with a .447 OBP. Ryan Bernardy has hit 11 home runs with 37 RBI and a .591 slugging while shortstop Grant Lung has four home runs and 37 RBI and 10 steals. On the hill, USF has a 5.82 earned run average. Alex Krout leads the bullpen and is tied with Andrew Maslowski for a team-high five wins. He has a 3.86 earned run average with five saves and a 33-to-7 strikeout to walk ratio. Maslowski is 5-3 with a 4.25 earned run average and 30-to-8 strikeout to walk ratio. Keenahn Coyle is 3-2 and Matthew Graham 3-3.