Needing a boost before playing its biggest series of the young season, the Winona State University baseball team swept Northern State in four games in fairly easy fashion last weekend at Loughry Field.
WSU outscored the Wolves 29-10 using a consistent offensive effort, winning the four games by scores of 6-1, 7-2, 9-7 and 7-0.
“We had a bunch of guys help out,” WSU coach Kyle Poock said.
Ronnie Olson had another solid weekend at the plate for the Warriors, going 5-for-12 in the series, which included three RBIs in Game 3 of the series, helping WSU win a high-scoring affair 9-5.
The highlights of the series were the pitching performances of Bryan Ruff and Andrew DeSousa, who combined to allow just two hits in the Warriors’ 6-2 win.
In his short outing, Ruff struck out seven without allowing a hit in four innings using only 49 pitches.
Poock said the plan is to keep Ruff’s arm ready for WSU’s series today against Wayne State (Neb.), the team expected to win the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference.
Ruff said his arm feels fine, even though he’s battling tendonitis in his right shoulder, and should be ready to go for the Warriors.
With the sweep, WSU (11-6, 6-2) is now in first place in the conference.
The Warriors’ 68 runs allowed is the lowest in the league in large part to last weekend’s series against NSU, which has the conferences’ second-worst offensive output.
The Warriors’ bats will be tested today, with WSC bringing in two of the stingiest pitchers in the NSIC, John Snyder and Nick Schumacher, who lead the conference with ERAs of 0.43 and 1.44 respectively.
Schumacher is also second in the NSIC in strikeouts (29) and tied for first in wins with Snyder with four.
Striking out is a concern for the Warriors, who have struck out 82 times on the season, but had only 12 in the four-game set with NSU.
WSC sits in a tie for fifth right now in the NSIC, but has played only four games in conference play and boast 16-6 record overall.
Today’s game is obviously a big one for WSU, and Ruff said it will determine where the Warriors are at.
“This is a huge series for both teams,” Ruff said. “We will find out how good we really are.”

Reach Justin at JMagill06@winona.edu