VALLEY CITY, N.D. – The Valley City State Vikings will on the road this weekend for a four-game Frontier Conference series with the Bismarck State Mystics.

The Vikings are 15-17-1 overall and 2-9-1 in the Frontier Conference. Bismarck State is 4-7 in the conference and 16-15 overall.

This will be the fourth time these two teams have met this season, twice in the fall and once this spring. The Vikings have won two of the three meetings so far this season. These are the first three games ever that these two teams have played.

Valley City State is coming off a 1-2-1 series at Dakota State Monday and Tuesday this week. The Vikings won the first game of the series, scoring five runs in the bottom of the seventh for a 6-5 walk-off win. Dakota State took game two 3-2. On Tuesday, the Trojans won game one 18-16, while game two ended in a tie. Cam Pero hit a grand slam in the bottom of the ninth to tie the game at 16-16, but due to a medical situation in the Viking dugout, the game was called a tie.

The Vikings' offense is led by several players. Cody Wielgosh is leading the way with a .349 batting average. He also leads the team in runs scored (29), hits (37), walks (21), on base percentage (.473), and stolen bases (8). Nicholas Senn is hitting .330 this season, his first with the Vikings. Alexis Velasco is hitting an even .300 with a team high 13 doubles and 55 total bases which also leads the team. Evan Gonzalez leads the team in home runs with five and Hunter Logan is tops in RBI with 28.

The pitching staff is led by Connor Martin and Takao Cookson. Both have 4-3 records in eleven appearances and ten starts. Martin has a team high 53 innings and 79 strikeouts. He also leads the team with a 5.43 ERA. Cookson has 50 strikeouts in 49.2 innings. Grady Shipman is 3-2 in eight appearances and seven starts. He has 33 strikeouts in 33 innings pitched. The bullpen has been anchored by Jarrett Faue. All eight of his appearances have been in relief. He has logged 23.2 innings with 35 strikeouts, a 1-1 record with one save and a 4.94 ERA. Opponents are hitting just .183 versus the right-hander.
After this series, the Vikings are scheduled to host Mayville State on Tuesday, April 14^th for one nine-inning game at Charlie Brown Field.