The Augustana Vikings have reclaimed their throne. After a one-year absence, the baseball team stormed back to the top of the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference (NSIC) with a dominant 8-0 victory over Minnesota Crookston in the regular season finale. The win secured the NSIC Regular Season Championship for the fifth time in program history—and the fourth in the last five seasons—marking a triumphant return to glory for the Vikings.
With a record of 36-13 overall and 29-7 in conference play, Augustana showed why they're the team to beat. Minnesota Crookston finished the regular season at 26-22 overall and 19-17 in the NSIC.
The bottom of the order provided a powerful spark for the Vikings. Kobe Eikmeier went 3-for-3 with two RBIs from the nine-hole, while Ryan Clementi added two hits, two RBIs, and two runs scored batting eighth. Nate Soelter chipped in two hits, and Ragan Pinnow reached base three times with a hit and two walks.
On the mound, Joel Van De Stroet was nearly untouchable. He improved to 3-2 on the season by striking out 10 batters over five hitless innings. Myles Hanson followed with two innings of relief, allowing just two hits and striking out two. Riley Rothschadl closed out the regular season by tossing the final two innings and adding a strikeout of his own.
The scoring started in the second inning. With two outs, Clementi reached on a bunt single and moved to second on a wild pitch. Eikmeier then lifted a high fly ball into no-man's land on a 1-2 count, and the ball nestled in for a double, bringing Clementi home to open the scoring.
The Vikings kept the pressure on, adding runs in the fourth on a wild pitch, in the fifth on a sacrifice fly, and in the sixth on a sacrifice bunt to build a 4-0 lead.
Augustana broke the game wide open in the seventh inning. Carter Heinsch led off with a walk and advanced to second on a wild pitch. Pinnow singled to put runners on the corners, and Heinsch scored on a fielder's choice by Troy Berg. Later in the inning, with two outs and Berg and Bjorn Lind in scoring position, Clementi delivered a two-run single. Two pitches later, Eikmeier doubled down the left field line, scoring Clementi and sealing the 8-0 victory.
Now, the Vikings turn their attention to the postseason. As the No. 1 seed in the NSIC Tournament, Augustana will face eighth-seeded Minnesota Crookston in a rematch on Wednesday afternoon at noon at The Birdcage. With the regular season title in hand, the Vikings are poised to make a deep run—and they'll be looking sharp in their gear every step of the way.