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DSU Baseball team heads to Arizona for annual spring break trip
March 4, 2010
The Trojan baseball team will head to Phoenix for their annual spring break trip on March 5th. Dakota State will play ten games in the RussMatt Invitational with their first game starting on Saturday, March 6th. DSU is currently 2-2 overall record this season.
DSU will face Malone (Ohio) on Saturday at the Gene Autry Field #1. Malone is a member of the American East Conference. The Trojans and Pioneers will play at 11 a.m. (CT)/10 a.m. (MT). Malone is ranked No. 22 in the preseason NAIA Baseball poll. It will be the Pioneers' season opener.
Malone finished their 2009 season with a 47-16 record that included a trip to the NAIA Baseball National Championship Opening Round.
Dakota State and Malone will face each other four times during Trojans' stay in Arizona. They will meet on March 8th for a doubleheader at the Snedigar Field #1, starting at 1:30 p.m. (CT)/12:30 p.m. (MT). 
DSU will end their spring break schedule with Malone on March 11th at 2:30 p.m. (CT)/1:30 p.m. (MT).
The Trojans will face Peru State in the second game on Saturday, March 6th at 4 p.m. (CT)/3 p.m. (MT). 
The game will be held at the Gene Autry Field #3. The Bobcats are a member of the Midlands Collegiate Athletic Conference. Peru State is currently 3-3 overall record this season. The Bobcats opened their 2010 season with an upset win over No. 3 Oklahoma City, 5-3. Peru State completed the 2009 season with an overall record of 30-22.
Dakota State and Peru State will face each other three times in the RussMatt Invitational. Their second meeting will be on Sunday, March 7th at the Gene Autry Field #1 at 11 a.m. (CT)/10 a.m. (MT). The third game will be set on Wednesday, March 10th at 12 noon (CT)/11 a.m. (MT) at the Snedigar Field #1.
DSU will play NCAA Division II Northern State on Sunday, March 7th at 1:30 p.m. (CT)/12:30 p.m. (MT). The Trojans defeated the Wolves in their last meeting in Arizona 12-5 last year. Northern State is 1-5 overall record this season and is a member of the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference. The Wolves defeated University of Minnesota-Crookston at the Metrodome earlier this season.
The Trojans will face Trinity International (Ill.) two times in the RussMatt Invitational. Trinity International is a member of the Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference and finished 13-28 overall record last season. The battle of the "Trojans" starts on Wednesday, March 10th at the Snedigar Field #1 at 3:30 p.m. (CT)/2:30 p.m. (MT). Their second meeting will be on Thursday, March 11th at the Gene Autry Field #1 at 11 a.m. (CT)/10 a.m. (MT). Trinity International is on a four-game winning streak to open their season.
Jose Figueroa leads the Trojans with a batting average of .750 and ranks first in the nation. Derek Grundmann records four RBIs to lead the team. Chad Hunt swipes a total of three bases this season. He ranks 30th in the nation in stolen bases per game (0.75).
Jerod Burleson ranks sixth in the nation in total hits allowed (2) and 13th in total runs allowed (1). Jared Donahue records 11 strikeouts in his first pitching appearance this season. He ranks first in the nation in batters struck out per nine innings (17.5), 6th in total hits allowed (2) and 9th in opponent batting average (0.111).
As a team, Dakota State ranks 3rd in the nation in walks allowed per game (1.3), 5th in earned runs allowed (1.3), 6th in runs allowed per game (2.3) and 7th in hits allowed per game (5).
Nick Huntimer, Dakota State University Sports Information Director
