Moo set to begin first home series of year against Zap Saturday
Alex Burstein
Fremont's Cooper Fuchino takes a swing in the Moo's 6-1 win over the Hastings Sodbusters on Tuesday, May 28 (Photo by Mindy Wittig)
Fremont, Nebraska - After a five-game road stretch to open the 2024 campaign, the Fremont Moo (4-1) return to Historic Moller Field Saturday, June 1 for their home opener. It will be the Moo’s first home game since an 8-1 win over the Casper Spuds last August to capture the 2023 Independence League Baseball title.
The opponent on the other side of the diamond will be familiar for Fremont. The Oahe Zap (1-6), who make the trip to Fremont, played host to the Moo for the opening series last weekend. The Moo took three of four in Pierre, South Dakota to open their title defense.
Fremont took game one of that series 6-4 thanks to a five-run eighth inning. The Zap showed resilience, defeating Fremont 9-5 in the second game of the series. But as the weekend came, the Moo took control. Scoring six runs in both outings, Fremont took game three 6-3 and game four 6-4 to take the series 3-1.
This was just the start of what has been a rough week of action for the Zap. After a last place finish in 2023, Oahe finds itself in a similar position early on in the 2024 series. The Zap hosted the Spearfish Sasquatch on Tuesday, as Spearfish got its first victory of the year 10-6. The start of a Nebraska trip then commenced for Oahe, but the Zap were swept in a two-game set at Hastings Thursday and Friday night.
Bullpen issues have haunted Oahe early on in the season. In the opening series, Zap starters only gave up three combined earned runs across the four-game set. The bullpen meanwhile gave up eleven.
On the opposite side, strong pitching has led Fremont to three-straight victories. The Moo traveled to Hastings on Tuesday and defeated the Sodbusters 6-1. Midland University senior Zach Vincent went seven innings for Fremont, giving up just one run and striking out seven to take the win. Nebraska Wesleyan’s Theo Hughes and University of Sioux Falls pitcher Logan Anderson both had scoreless innings of relief.
After a slow offensive start to the year, the Moo put together 13 hits in Tuesday's victory, including a five hit, four run fourth-inning inning.
Three Fremont players are hitting .350 or higher on the year. Outfielder Miles Meadows has hit .368 in four starts, while catchers Bridger Coleman and Cooper Fuchino are hitting .357 and .350, respectively.
While some players have started strong for the Moo, a new crop of players will likely be making their debuts this weekend. Charleston Southern infielder Stephen Espinoza, San Jose State outfielder Trey Brooks and Johnson County Community College outfielder Tyrus Petshe all arrived in Fremont this past week. They join a trio of Columbia University players — left handed pitcher Justin Bowman, utility player Dean Reynolds and infielder Hunter Snyder — who will all be active for the first time this weekend.
All those players may play in the home opener for the Moo. Last year, Fremont was dominant at Moller Field. En route to an ILB title, the Moo went 22-12 at home, compared to a 12-10 road record.
First pitch for the series opener is set for 7:05 p.m. Saturday night. It’s a Salute to Service day. Veterans, active, or reserve military members will receive free admission with an active military ID.
Additionally it is teacher/staff appreciation night. All teachers/staff with school ID will receive a half-priced GA ticket and a free drink chip.
Finally, fans wearing stars and stripes clothing will get a half priced GA ticket for a Red, White and Moo theme.
Game two of the series is set for 5:05 Sunday before the series finale Monday night at 7:05.
The Moo came to Moller Field looking for a quick, three-game sweep of the Nebraska Prospects. The series finale would end with a massive 14-1 victory over the Prospects, run-ruling their opponent in seven innings. Zach Vincent (Midland) would take the mound and allow a run to score in the first on a fielder's choice. It would be the only run the Moo would allow as the bats would answer back big. Joshua Hardamon (Midland) would double home Cooper Fuchino (Creighton) to tie it up at one in the bottom of the first. Then in the third, Tanner Jacobsen (Cloud County) would scramble home on a passed ball to give the Moo a lead they wouldn’t relinquish. The fourth would see three runs score. One on a Brayden Jones (Doane) single, and two on a Preston Gajewski (NOC-Tonkawa) to make it 5-1 Moo. The fifth would be the Moo’s biggest inning. SEVEN runs would cross the plate in the inning, highlighted by Jake Mitchell’s two-RBI double, and a Joshua Hardamon two-run RBI double. To cap it all off in the bottom of the 6th, Grant Rychnovsky (Northwestern) would double home Brayden Jones and Caiden Brezinski (Butler) to put it well out of reach. 14-1 would be the final after seven innings because of the ILB’s ten-after-seven-run rule. The final line saw the Moo score fourteen runs (14) on twelve (12) hits and committed four (4) errors. The Prospects scored one (1) run on four (4) hits and committed two (2) errors. The Moo improves to a 6-11 record. The Prospects fall to a 4-7 record. The Moo are back at Moller Field on Wednesday, June 18th. It starts a seven-game home stand against the Plainsmen and the Nebraska Prospects.
This is the Daily Moo! Getting Moo fans ready for every single game day with storylines, insight, stats, and more about the Fremont Moo. Check in every day for the Daily Moo here on the Fremont Moo official website. —------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- STORYLINES Back-To-Back The Moo have won back-to-back games for the second time this season. The last time they won games back-to-back was on May 28th and May 29th. Comeback Cows The Moo scored three runs in the 9th last night to secure the Moo win. It was the first time all season that the Moo had won a game trailing after the seventh inning. They are now 1-9 in that scenario. Familiar Faces The Prospects will face the Moo fifteen (15) times throughout the season—nine (9) times during the homestand. Breaking Out the Brooms The Moo goes for what would be their first series sweep of an opponent this season.. PLAYERS TO WATCH FOR: FREMONT: #31 - INF MICHAEL BAKER (B/T: R/R) Michael Baker (Cal State-Chico) had the big two out, two RBI doubles to give the Moo the late lead and eventual win in last night's contest. “Play Maker Baker” is batting .368 at home with 6 RBIs. #3 - INF SEVE AGUIRRE (B/T: R/R) Aguirre (Southeastern Oklahoma State) is currently on a four-game hit streak and is currently batting .318 with an on-base percentage of .400. PROSPECTS: #17 - INF AIDEN MARTIN (B/T: R/R) Martin continues to lead the Prospects with a .417 batting average, collecting 10 hits in 24 at-bats. He also holds the third-highest OPS on the team at .958 #83 - OF AVERY MOORE (B/T: R/R) The monstrous Avery Moore has been a problem for pitchers all season. With a batting average of .387, he is second on the team in that statistical category and is tied for second with 5 RBIs. —------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The first pitch is set for 7:05 CT at Moller Field in Fremont, Nebraska. The game will be broadcast live on Fremont Moo Mixlr and BSDN Live on YouTube, and on Big Dog 98.9 FM and 1340 AM. Join Moocasters, Bobby Hessling, and Coop Lipski on the call with pregame at 6:45. -Game Notes
It was a fiesta, it had fireworks, and it had the Moo come out on top. The Friday night at Moller Field was a party from the start, the Moo needed keep the party going through the night. It was Broc Songster (Doane) against Drew Deremer for mound dominance and Deremer would get the leg up thanks to a Songster pass ball that would allow Jaxon Schumacher to score in the top of the third. The Prospects would take a 1-0 lead and it would hold as Deremer would mow through the Moo. Six scoreless innings with seven strikeouts for Deremer before leaving after the sixth. Songster would navigate through four, before giving the ball to Wes Cunningham (Howard College). The “Hotstepper” would throw four scoreless innings, striking out a season high, six batters. The eighth would turn the tide for Moo. With two outs and trailing by one, Cooper Fuchino (Creighton) would single-home Grant Rychnovsky (Northwestern College) to tie it at one. Then, play-maker Michael Baker (Cal State-Chico) would hit a double to right, scoring two, to give the Moo a 3-1 lead. Joe Hauser (Creighton) would put down the Prospects in order, 1, 2, 3, to end the ballgame. Moo picking up their second win in as many days. The final line saw the Moo score no three (3) on five (5) hits and committed no errors. The Prospects scored one (1) run on five (5) hits and committed no errors. The Moo moves to a 4-11 record. The Prospects fall to a 4-6 record. Join the 2025 Moocasters Bobby Hessling and Coop Lipski on the call at 7:05 exclusively on the Big Dog Country 98.9 FM / 1340 AM, Mixlr, and BSDN Live on Youtube.
This is the Daily Moo! Getting Moo fans ready for every single game day with storylines, insight, stats, and more about the Fremont Moo. Check in every day for the Daily Moo here on the Fremont Moo official website. —------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- STORYLINES Back in the Win Column The Moo snapped their historic nine-game losing streak yesterday with a 9-3 win over the Prospects Lucky Number 7 For the first time all season, the Moo scored in the seventh inning. They had scored in every inning so far, except the seventh, this season. Familiar Faces The Prospects will face the Moo fifteen (15) times throughout the season. Nine (9) times during the homestand. Firework Friday The Moo are 1-0 on nights when fireworks are shot off after the game. That lone win came against the Spearfish Sasquatch at Black Hills Energy Stadium on May 30th. PLAYERS TO WATCH FOR: FREMONT: #22 - INF LUKE SAXTON (B/T: R/R) In Saxton’s last game against the Prospects, the Missouri-St. Louis middle infielder went 2-4, with an RBI in the loss. Saxton has 4 hits in his last 5 games as well as 2 RBIs in that span. #32 - LHP BROC SONGSTER Songster (Doane) has made two starts this season—his first against the Spearfish Sasquatch was on May 29th. Songster went going 6.2 innings, giving up 2 earned runs, walking 3, and striking out 5 as he picked up the win. Songster’s last outing on June 6th was an impressive 6.0 inning outing, giving up 3 hits while striking out a team-high nine 9 opposing batters. PROSPECTS: #18 - INF ELIJAH RUSSELL (B/T: R/R) Russell went 1-3 yesterday with 3 RBIs. His lone hit and 3 RBIs came from a three-run home run in the top of the fourth to tie the game at three. #19 - UTL NICKOLA FRENCH (B/T: R/R) French had a good night at the plate yesterday, collecting 2 hits in 3 at-bats, and scoring once. One of his at-bats ended with a double as he looks to continue his dominance at the plate today. —------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The first pitch is set for 7:05 CT at Moller Field in Fremont, Nebraska. The game will be broadcast live on Fremont Moo Mixlr and BSDN Live on YouTube, and on Big Dog 98.9 FM and 1340 AM. Join Moocasters, Bobby Hessling, and Coop Lipski on the call with pregame at 6:45. -Game Notes
Bats come alive behind Dickinson's strong start to get Moo fourth win of the season
This is the Daily Moo! Getting Moo fans ready for every single game day with storylines, insight, stats, and more about the Fremont Moo. Check in every day for the Daily Moo here on the Fremont Moo official website. —------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- STORYLINES Snapping the Streak The Moo enter today on a club record, nine (9) game losing streak. They send Luca Dickinson (Skyline) to the mound who won the Moo’s first game of the season back on May 28th. Summertime Blues The start of June has been tough on the Moo. They are 0-8 for the month and have been outscored 62-31. Familiar Faces The Prospects will face the Moo fifteen (15) times throughout the season. Nine (9) times during the homestand. Turning It Around The Moo currently have the lowest team batting average (.206) and the highest team ERA (4.94) among playoff-eligible teams in the Independence League. PLAYERS TO WATCH FOR: FREMONT: #31 - INF MICHAEL BAKER (B/T: R/R) The Play-Maker, Michael Baker (Cal State-Chico) has been the most productive bat for the Moo this season. He leads the Moo with a .389 AVG, fourteen (14) hits, five (5) doubles, and one (1) home run this season. #35 - RHP LUCA DICKINSON Dickinson (Skyline) has made quite the impression on the mound for the Moo this season. When it comes to starters, Dickinson has arguably been the silent producer for the rotation. While not having the large strikeout numbers like Broc Songster or Aiden McGrath, Dickinson has dazzled, only allowing three (3) walks and two (2) earned runs this season. PROSPECTS: #17 - INF AIDEN MARTIN (B/T: R/R) Martin enters this series batting .450 in six (6) games played this season. On top of that, he also has collected five (5) RBIs, which ties him with three other players for second on the team. #15 - OF JACOB PERRIN (B/T: R/R) The Southeast CC product has played a big part in the Prospects lineup this season. In eight (8) games this season, Perrin has nine (9) hits, going without one in only one game. He also leads the team with seven (7) RBIs this season. —------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ The first pitch is set for 7:05 CT at Moller Field in Fremont, Nebraska. The game will be broadcast live on Fremont Moo Mixlr and BSDN Live on YouTube, and on Big Dog 98.9 FM and 1340 AM. Join Moocasters, Bobby Hessling, and Coop Lipski on the call with pregame at 6:45. -Game Notes
Moo drop ninth-in-a-row as they enter a three-day break
This is the Daily Moo! Getting Moo fans ready for every single game day with storylines, insight, stats, and more about the Fremont Moo. Check in every day for the Daily Moo here on the Fremont Moo official website. —------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- STORYLINES Doubleheader Blues The dropped both games of their doubleheader yesterday. The first game against the Sodbusters saw Hastings take a 5-2 victory and game two saw the Moo mount a five run comeback to tie in the sixth, only for the draw to disappear after a solo home run in the seventh to see the Nebraska Prospects steal a win. Busting a Slump The Moo have lost eight (8) in a row since May 31st. It is the longest losing streak in club history. Make Yourself at Home The Prospects will face the Moo fifteen (15) times throughout the season. Nine (9) times during the homestand. PLAYERS TO WATCH FOR: FREMONT: #2 - OF JAKE MITCHELL (B/T: R/L) Jake Mitchell hit his first home run of the season over the left field wall in game one of the doubleheader. Mitchell has four hits during this homestand. NEBRASKA: #26 - OF SAM PATTON (B/T: L/L) Patton entered yesterday’s game as a pinch hitter in the top of the seventh and drilled a home run over the right field wall to give the Prospects the lead and the win over the Moo —------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The first pitch is set for 5:05 CT at Moller Field in Fremont, Nebraska. The game will be broadcast live on Fremont Moo Mixlr and BSDN Live on YouTube, and on Big Dog 98.9 FM and 1340 AM. Join Moocasters, Bobby Hessling, and Coop Lipski on the call with pregame at 4:45. -Game Notes
Moo drop game 1, 5-2. Then drop game 2, 6-5.
This is the Daily Moo! Getting Moo fans ready for every single game day with storylines, insight, stats, and more about the Fremont Moo. Check in every day for the Daily Moo here on the Fremont Moo official website. —------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- STORYLINES Aces In Action The Moo’s Broc Songster (Doane) and the Sasquatch’s Evan Luke would make it hard on their opponent's bats as the two would go six (6) innings in the game. Songster would strike out nine (9) but Luke pitched a shutout and would get the win. 2-0 Spearfish the final Any Ideas? The Moo have now lost six (6) games in a row. It is the worst start in club history at a 3-8 record. Doubleheader Duty The Moo will face the Hastings Sodbusters in a game rescheduled from Tuesday, June 3rd. That will start at 4:05 with the originally scheduled Saturday game versus the Nebraska Prospects to follow at 7:05. Hot and Cold The Sodbusters enter with a perfect 8-0 record to begin the season. The Moo currently hold the longest losing streak in the ILB having dropped the last six (6). However, the Sodbusters have not won in Fremont since July 29th, 2022. (7-6 Sodbusters) Make Yourself at Home The Prospects will face the Moo fifteen (15) times throughout the season. Nine (9) times during the homestand. PLAYERS TO WATCH FOR: FREMONT: #17 - C CARTER SCHELLSMIDT (B/T: R/R) Schellsmidt (Valparaiso) has been a vital bat during this home stand. He currently has four (4) hits, including a solo home run and a double, as well as an RBI. He continues to be a loud bat in an otherwise quiet lineup. #2 - JAKE MITCHELL (B/T: R/L) Mitchell has turned it around at the plate during the homestand. After going 1-16 on the road to open the season, Mitchell has collected three (3) hits in ten (10) at bats, hitting a pair of doubles and collecting his first multi-hit game last night. HASTINGS: #25 - OF LUKE CAUSSEY (B/T: L/L) Caussey continues to swing a hot bat at the plate. Currently on a six-game hit streak, he has driven six (6) RBI’s in those games, as well as clobbering a home run at the spacious Duncan Field, and hitting two (2) triples. NEBRASKA: #83 - OF AVERY MOORE (B/T: R/R) Moore enters today batting a team-leading .435 with 10-23 at-bats. He has mustered five (5) singles, three (3) doubles, and two (2) triples so far this season with three (3) RBIs. —--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The first pitch is set for 4:05 for game one and 7:05 for game two at Moller Field in Fremont, Nebraska. Game one will be on the air at the Fremont Moo Mixlr, BSDN Live on Youtube, and game two will be broadcast on the Big Dog 98.9 FM - 1340 AM. Join Moocasters, Bobby Hessling, and Coop Lipski on the call with pregame at 3:45 for game one and 6:45 for game two. -Game Notes