MINNEAPOLIS—Bethel University's baseball team spent the night at U.S. Bank Stadium, as BU and Buena Vista started a nonconference series at 7 p.m. Sunday evening. The Royals jumped ahead early and never looked back in game one, defeating the Beavers 6-3. Bethel then spotted BVU three runs in the second contest before coming back to defeat Buena Vista 9-4 in nine innings. Buena Vista is ranked No. 33 in the Collegiate Baseball 2017 Preseason Poll after finishing with a record of 33-11 in 2016.
 
Esteban Velasco finished 3-for-4 in game one with a double, RBI-single, and one run scored. Michael Wesner had the hit of the night, as he blasted a two-run home run in the fourth that put Bethel up 4-0. He finished the evening affair 2-for-3 with two runs driven in and two runs scored. John Horner also recorded a multi-hit game and Bret Neuville drove home a pair of runs.
 
Michael Willman improved to 2-0 on the season, as the senior allowed three runs in 5.2 innings pitched. Willman surrendered zero walks and struck out five in the win. Carson Selin earned his first save of the season by getting four straight outs in the sixth and seventh inning.
 
Game two was a little more interesting for Bethel, as Buena Vista went ahead 3-0 after the first two innings. The Royals got one back in the bottom of the third, but BVU answered with another run in the fourth. Trailing 4-1 after 4.5 innings, Bethel tied things up in the fifth with a three-run frame. BU then went ahead for good with a trio of runs in the seventh and two more insurance runs in the eighth to defeat the Beavers 9-4.
 
Esteban Velasco continued his dominance at the plate, finishing 3-for-4 in game two with a walk, double, run scored, and two RBI. As a result, the junior short stop finished the night 6-for-8 with one walk, two doubles, one triple, two runs scored, and three RBI.
 
Bryce Marquardt also tallied a pair of hits in game two with one walk, two runs, and two stolen bases. Designated hitter Lars Anderson went 1-for-3 with a double and two RBI and catcher Mitch Butvilas finished 1-for-4 with a double and two RBI. Joey Fredrickson finished 1-for-3 with two walks, one run, and one RBI. In total, Bethel finished game two with 10 hits, nine walks, and three stolen bases.
 
Houston Droel got the win in relief for the Royals, as the Bloomington, Minn., native allowed two hits and struck out four in 3.0 innings of work. Michael Bohlke got the start, allowing six hits and four runs over 3.1 innings pitched. Grant Martinson then came in and struck out two, while suffering zero walks and zero hits in 1.2 innings pitched. Following Droel was Carson Selin again, who pitched a 1-2-3 ninth inning.
 
Now 4-1 on the season, BU will play its next set of games in Fort Myers, Florida, beginning with a doubleheader against the University of Pittsburgh at Bradford on March 11. The Royals then play Washington College on Sunday, March 12, and the Minnesota Twins Rookie Team on Monday, March 13.