UMC Picked 14th in NSIC Preseason Baseball Coaches' Poll

CROOKSTON, Minn. – The University of Minnesota Crookston baseball team was picked to finish 14^th in the 2016 Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference (NSIC) Preseason Baseball Coaches’ Poll released Wed., Jan. 20. The Golden Eagles earned 34 points, 10 behind Minot State University in 13^th.

UMC players Ryan Haggstrom (Sr., 1B/RHP, Apple Valley, Minn./Accounting) and Nolan Wahlberg (Sr., RHP, Blaine, Minn./Criminal Justice) were selected as UMC’s Players to Watch for the season. Haggstrom was named to the Golden Glove team for the NSIC for the 2015 season. The junior is one of the best defensive first basemen in NCAA Division II. He had a .995 fielding percentage as a junior with 399 putouts, 30 assists and just two errors. In addition to his defensive prowess, Haggstrom was the team’s leader in batting average, hitting at a .346 clip while starting all 50 games. He led the team with 65 hits and 38 runs scored, while posting 12 doubles, four triples and 33 RBI’s. Haggstrom was also the team leader with 10 stolen bases.

Wahlberg shattered the school record in his first season with team in 2015 with six wins. The tall righty from Blaine was 6-4 with a 4.52 ERA with 44 strikeouts in 77.2 innings pitched. Wahlberg also pitched up one save on the season and had five complete games.

The Golden Eagles made huge strides in their first season under Head Coach Steve Gust. UMC won 14 games and looks poised to build on that number as they return 8-of-9 starters from last season’s line-up. In addition, the Golden Eagles return most of their pitching staff with four of their starting pitchers back in the fold, along with several key relievers. UMC also has several new players coming into the fold that should make an instant impact. Coach Gust was able to increase the roster from 29 at the end of the 2015 season to 43 to open the 2016 season.

Gust has also added to his staff for the 2016 season. Ryan Paasch will serve as the full-time assistant for the Golden Eagles, helping with work in the cages and the UMC pitching staff. Paasch was a four-year player for UMC from 2011-14, working primarily out of the bullpen. Kyle Isaacson will serve as a volunteer assistant coach, also putting in a lot of time working in the cages and as the team’s hitting coach and helping out with strength and conditioning. Alex Sumner and Michael Lukkason will both help out on a volunteer basis. Isaacson, Sumner and Lukkason are all former players for Coach Gust at Dakota Wesleyan University.

St. Cloud State University was picked first in the poll with 10 first-place votes and 190 points. Minnesota State University, Mankato earned second with five first-place votes and 187 votes. University of Minnesota Duluth’s Alex Wojciechowski was picked as NSIC Preseason Player of the Year after earning All-American honors last season. St. Cloud State’s Reese Gregory, a three-time All-NSIC First Team Pitcher and 2015 NSIC Pitcher of the Year was named NSIC Preseason Pitcher of the Year.

For more information, visit the Golden Eagle Athletics website at www.goldeneaglesports.com.