Star Tribune: Minnesota State, Bemidji State set NCAA D2 mark with 56 total hits in 41-20 win by MSU

BEMIDJI, Minn. — The Minnesota State Mavericks sure have their swings in shape.

They swept a Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference doubleheader at Bemidji State on Saturday by scores of 10-9 in seven innings and, yes, 41-20 in eight innings. The Mavericks had 53 hits, including eight home runs, in 101 at-bats over the two games.

With 56 combined hits in the second game, the teams set an NCAA Division II record. The 41 runs by the Mavericks, who were national runners-up in 2013, established a program best.

How’s this for pace of play? The second game took just 3 hours, 55 minutes, despite the 61 runs that crossed the plate.

Minnesota State led 27-20 until a 14-run outburst in the eighth. Bemidji State committed five errors, leading to 12 unearned runs.