BEMIDJI, Minn. – The Bemidji State University Baseball team returns to Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference action this weekend and travels south to Sioux Falls, S.D., to face No. 23 Augustana for a four-game series beginning Friday, March 8.
 
The Beavers will play one game Friday beginning at 3 p.m., followed by a doubleheader Saturday at 1 p.m., and the series concluding with game four Sunday at Noon.
 
Bemidji State will attempt to improve upon a 1-13 record to start the season going 1-9 in non-conference play. The Beavers shifted their NSIC series with Wayne State College to Feb. 9-11 falling in all four games against the Wildcats to being the conference season.
 
All four games in the series can be streamed online at https://nsicnetwork.com/bsubeavers/ with live stats found at https://goaugie.com/sidearmstats/baseball/summary.
 
The Beavers are 6-36 all-time against the Vikings (6-2) and have lost the last 16 games in the series.
 
Freshman Matt Filippi is pacing the Beavers at the plate batting .349 with 15 hits off two home runs, one triple and one double. His 14 runs lead the team and is slugging .558 to go along with an on-base percentage of .453 for a 1.011 OPS. He has also been quick on the base paths and has four stolen bases, 10^th most in the NSIC.
 
Sophomore Jackson Schaffer is batting .513 in 10 games for the Beavers and leads the team with 20 hits off two home runs, a triple and has driven in a team-high eight runs. He has recorded a hit in nine consecutive games, the longest streak of the season for the Beavers.
 
Junior Brandon Lind leads the Beavers on the mound with a 1.59 ERA over 5.2 innings and has allowed just one run off four hits and has struck out seven batters. Freshman Jacob Smith leads the team with 11 strikeouts and has a 7.43 ERA in 13.1 innings. Smith, Derek Hoffman and Christian Lindow have each made three starts to tie for the team lead.
 
For more information on the Bemidji State baseball program, follow the Beavers on Twitter (@BSUBeaversBase), like them on Facebook (facebook.com/BSUBeavers) and follow them on Instagram (@BSUBeaversBase).
 
Located on the shore of Lake Bemidji, Bemidji State University sponsors 15 varsity athletic programs with NCAA Division I men's and women's hockey membership in the Western Collegiate Hockey Association, while its 13 NCAA Division II programs hold membership in the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference (NSIC).

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