Hot Bats Key to NDSU Baseball’s Best Start in Program History

Bison off to 16-6 start

FARGO, N.D — After having their 2020 season cut short 17 games in North Dakota State baseball has come out hot in 2021 with their best start in program history, a 16-6 record.
It’s the best mark in the Summit League as conference play is just getting underway.

Where NDSU has found the most success is at the plate. The one through seven spots in the lineup are all hitting over .250 for a combined .287 average.

Shortstop Bennett Hostetler, who is one of two seniors back for a fifth season leads the way in that category. His .447 average, 34 hits and 24 RBI’s are tops in the league and 27th nationally.

For Hostetler, the offensive output comes from keeping it simple.

“He’s such a good patient hitter and he’s not chasing balls out of the strike zone,” manager Tod Brown said. “He’s making guys throw the ball across the plate and when they do, he’s doing a nice job of using all fields. There’s sometimes when he’s getting two strike pitches that are down and away and if you pull them, you ground out to short but instead he’s hitting it to right field to get more hits. Then when he gets his opportunity to hit it out of the park or pull the ball for power, he’s doing that as well.”

“I’m just trying to be as simple as possible at the plate. Not having too much hand movement,” Hostetler said. “Trying to see the pitches as deep as possible. Swinging at good pitches is another hue thing I’ve done better. I’ve been very selective with the wings I want to swing at and its just worked out for me so far.”

The Bison have one more road series at Omaha this weekend before the home opener against Western Illinois next Friday.