Grand Forks, N.D. - The Fighting Sioux will finally open their home baseball schedule this weekend against Utah Valley, but first the club is traveling to South Dakota State to take on the Jackrabbits in a non-conference tilt on Wednesday (2 p.m.). This is the third straight season UND has ventured down to Brookings to play the Jacks, who have posted a 6-2 record in those eight contests.
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In The Duguout
• This will be the 129th meeting between UND and SDSU. The Jacks hold a slight 66-61-1 edge in the all-time series, which is something the squad has gained over the past two years. SDSU has won six of the last eight meetings since the teams renewed its rivalry in 2009.
• Senior Jake Magner moved into a tie for second on the all-time home run list at UND with his first roundtripper of the season. The blast in game one of Saturday's doubleheader at Houston Baptist was the 33rd of his career, tying him with Carter Rogalla (1994-98).
• With nine total bases in Houston, the Sioux slugger also moved into fourth on UND's all-time list in that category. He now has 302 for his career.
• Magner added a pair of double and six RBI in the series, but he was not the only Sioux player to get his bat going in the Lone Star State.
• Freshman catcher Zack Trygstad had a pair of hits in all four contests, finishing with a .571 average (8-for-14). He had two doubles, a triple and four RBI as he saw his overall batting average vault 82 points to a .286 clip.
• Trygstad was one of five Sioux players to post a .300 or better average in the series. Second baseman Kris Kwak went 4-for-11 (.364) in three starts, which included his second home run (team leading) of the campaign.
• Senior outfielders Josh Ray and Andy Sadler both hit a .333 clip and scored a team-high five runs in the series. Ray connected on his first home run of the season as well and added three RBI.
• Ray hit safely in all four games in Houston and is five-game hitting streak is currently the longest on the team.
• Sadler continues to lead the team with a .354 overall average from his leadoff spot.
• Freshman shortstop Ryan Gerber went 5-for-16 at the plate to round at the .300 hitting quintet in Houston. The lefthanded hitter had a trio of RBI as well.
• Junior Daniel Ross went 2-for-5 in his first start of the season in Sunday's series finale.
• The Sioux got six-plus innings out of three of their four starters during the weekend. Righthander Cory Baker had the longest outing, going seven innings in Friday's series opener. Baker allowed five earned runs on eight hits, while fanning a season-high seven Huskies. HBU would eventually win that contest 8-7.
• Freshman Zach Ransom entered Saturday's doubleheader opener in the fourth and tossed three scoreless innings of relief. Ransom's ERA of 4.72 is tops on the team among players with five or more innings pitched this season.
• Righthander Jake Swift surrendered five earned runs in his Saturday start as he worked 6.2 innings in a game the Sioux would end up losing, 9-6.
• Lefthander David Spies tossed six scoreless innings in Sunday's finale before the Huskies got to the southpaw for six runs in the seventh. HBU rallied to complete the four-game sweep with a 9-8 triumph.
