The Minot State football team was selected to finish seventh in the North Division of the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference preseason football poll as selected by the league head coaches and announced by the NSIC conference office on Wednesday.

The Beavers, who finished last season with a 1-10 overall record, received 16 points to finish seventh in the North Division poll.

Minot State was 15th overall receiving 36 points. MSU opens its fall practice with camp on August 12 and heads into the third year under head coach Mike Aldrich.

On offense, junior Ben Bolinske returns at quarterback, after starting the final nine games of the 2018 season with 1,655 all-purpose yards and 16 total touchdowns.

Joining Bolinske on offense will be senior wide receivers Lavante Bushnell, who had 47 catches, 578 yards and eight touchdowns, and Lane Torgerson, who went for 524 rushing yards and two touchdowns.

Both Bushnell and Torgerson were All-NSIC performers in the 2018 season. The entire Beaver offense line returns from a year ago, led by seniors Parker Franzen and Eric Besalda.

On the defensive side of the ball, the Beavers return all four starting defensive linemen, led by All-NSIC Honorable Mention pick junior Jordan Will, who had 42 tackles, 7.5 TFL and 1.5 sacks, and senior Ellis Parr with 46 tackles and 5.5 TFL.

The linebacker corps returns four players with starting experience, including junior linebacker Derek Wax, with 35 tackles, 5 TFL, 1.5 sacks, and sophomore Jackson Green with 58 tackles and 2.5 TFL.

JoseLuis Moreno, a two-time First Team All-NSIC punter and First Team All-NSIC kicker returns for his senior season to captain the Beavers special teams. Moreno broke the school record in 2018 with a 58-yd field goal to help the Beavers win the Battle of the Big Lake.

Bushnell and Will were selected as the Beavers to watch this season in the NSIC.

Minot State will open the 2019 season on September 14 when it hosts Northern State at 1 p.m. at Herb Parker Stadium.

— MSU athletics

Hackman

signs with San Rafael Pacifics

Minot State pitcher Andres Hackman signed last week to the San Rafael Pacifics baseball team. The San Rafael Pacifics are based in San Rafael, California, and play in the Pacific Association League.

“I am really excited for Hack,” MSU head coach Scott Eul said. “He has been a huge piece of our rotation the last couple of years and has worked hard to get here. San Rafael is getting a good arm, but also a guy everyone will get along with. Hack is a competitor which will help him succeed anywhere. I am excited to see Hack get his pro career started.”

Over the course of Hackman’s career, he went 10-8 in 21 appearances with four complete games and two shutouts. Hackman had 95 strikeouts and a 4.41 ERA over his two-year career. Hackman was also a part of the 2018 regular season NSIC Championship team.

“Playing professional baseball is something that my family and I have wanted for as long as I can remember,” Hackman said. “I am truly blessed to start my career with the San Rafael Pacifics. I also want to thank my coaches at Minot State, for the endless support from them every step of the way and I cannot thank them enough for everything they have done for me. Big thank you to my friends and family along this journey which has just begun.”

— MSU athletics