Index of Sports Press Releases

Feb. 8, 2010

DWU baseball opener rescheduled for Tuesday afternoon

Phil Johnson

Casey Solem

MITCHELL, S.D. – Earlier Monday the Dakota Wesleyan University baseball team wasn’t sure when it would get to open its highly anticipated 2010 season. Now, it looks like the Tigers will only have to wait an extra half day for the season’s first pitch.

DWU was originally scheduled to open the season Tuesday morning with a 9 a.m. doubleheader at the H.H.H. Metrodome in Minneapolis against Missouri Valley College. Now it looks like the two NAIA schools will still meet for a twin bill Tuesday at the Dome, but the starting time has moved to 6 p.m.

The Tigers were slated to travel Monday for the Tuesday-morning start, but a winter storm and poor travel conditions in southern Minnesota forced them to stay in Mitchell and postpone the game. But after head coach Steve Gust made a few phone calls, they were able to reschedule the games for later on Tuesday, and road conditions look better for Tuesday morning, so the Tigers are hoping they can still start the season as planned.

Dakota Wesleyan will still wait until Tuesday morning to check the weather and road conditions to make a final call, but Gust and his team are hoping its all clear so they take the field and open the season.

Expectations are high for DWU in Gust’s second season as head coach. Last season he guided the Tigers to the second-most wins in school history (35). DWU captured the GPAC Postseason Tournament Championship and received an automatic bid to the NAIA Baseball National Tournament to cap off the incredible season.

This year, the Tigers received three first-place votes and were picked to finish second in the GPAC behind defending regular-season champ Nebraska Wesleyan University. DWU has two All-GPAC First Team players back in starting pitcher Phil Johnson and outfielder Casey Solem, and two All-GPAC Honorable Mention picks as well in pitcher Ethan Opsahl and designated hitter Colin Hacker.

The Tigers also have several other key returners back in the lineup and Gust brought in a great recruiting class, so this year’s team hopes to build on what they started in 2009.

Dakota Wesleyan is also scheduled to hit the road this weekend for three games with Ottawa University in Ottawa, Kan., on Friday and Saturday, however it appears those games will be postponed or canceled due to winter weather. Gust said a final decision would likely be made by the middle of the week.