The Augustana Vikings kicked off their postseason journey in emphatic fashion Wednesday afternoon, dismantling Minnesota Crookston 21-4 in a seven-inning rout at Sioux Falls Stadium. The win marked a powerful start to the 2026 NSIC Baseball Tournament for the Vikings, who improved to 38-13 on the season.
From the first pitch, Augustana’s offense was relentless. Brandon Weigel set the tone by getting hit by a pitch to lead off the bottom of the first, then moving to second on a Nate Soelter single. Carter Heinsch wasted no time, doubling to bring Weigel home and give the Vikings an early lead. Ragan Pinnow followed with a double of his own, driving in two more runs to make it 3-0.
After the Golden Eagles tied things up in the top of the second, the Vikings responded with authority. Maddox Foss singled, and Kobe Eikmeier crushed a two-run homer to reclaim the lead. Weigel doubled, and Heinsch singled him home, stretching the advantage to 6-3.
The third inning saw the Vikings truly explode. Jake Lundquist and Foss set the table with singles, and Eikmeier reached on a dropped fly ball to plate another run. Weigel then delivered a two-run double, pushing the lead to 9-3. After a pitching change, Heinsch singled home Weigel, and Pinnow capped the inning with a towering blast to left field, giving Augustana a commanding 12-3 lead.
Minnesota Crookston managed a single run in the fourth, but the Vikings answered with a nine-run fifth inning to seal the mercy-rule victory. Pinnow added a sacrifice fly, and Troy Berg chipped in with an RBI single. Pinnow finished the day 3-for-4 with seven RBIs, while Heinsch collected three hits, four RBIs, and three runs scored. Weigel crossed the plate five times and drove in three, and Eikmeier scored three runs while driving in three of his own.
On the mound, Mariano Gomez struck out five over three innings, battling through seven walks but limiting the damage to four runs. Jack Sutton and Cal Schmelzle closed the door with two scoreless innings each, locking down the win for the Vikings.
With the victory, Augustana moves to 38-13 and advances in the tournament, while Minnesota Crookston ends its season at 26-24. The Vikings will look to carry this momentum into their next postseason matchup.