Moo travel to Hastings for pivotal three-game set

Alex Burstein

Cooper Fuchino leads the Moo in both batting average and home runs. (File photo/Mindy Wittig)

Hastings, Nebraska - With two weeks left in the regular season, the Moo (25-15, 12-4 second half) find themselves with a half-game lead over the Spearfish Sasquatch for the second spot in the 2024 Independence League Baseball championship series. That leaves little room for error for Fremont as they take on the Sodbusters (23-17, 8-9) for three-games in Hastings beginning Tuesday.

After dropping three of the first four meetings against the Sodbusters, the Moo have had Hastings’ number recently. Most recently it was five straight wins against Hastings near the end of June, to bring the season series to 6-3 in favor of the Moo.

The latter three of those wins came at Historic Moller Field from June 25 to 27. The Moo took game one 3-0 behind six scoreless innings from Robert O’Malley. Game two got suspended mid-way through, but it when it resumed the next day Hunter Snyder hit a homerun to put Fremont up 3-1, which is all the Moo would need in a 3-2 win. Then in a hitters friendly game three, the Moo won 8-5 to sweep the series.

It’s been a mixed bag of results for Hastings since then, who sit a game under .500 in the second half. Most recently came a three game set in Casper. In game one, the entire starting lineup recorded an RBI en route to a 18-7 route of the first-place Spuds. The bats stayed hot in game two, but Casper out-dualed them to a 11-9 win. And in game three, Hastings almost came back down 5-0, but fell 8-6 to the Spuds.

Drew Vega has been the most consistent player on offense for Hastings, hitting .330 with nearly 100 at-bats on the year. He’s followed by Sayer Duddleston, who’s hitting .312 for the Sodbusters. It’s hard to hit homeruns at Duncan Field, but Alexiel Delgado has been the power leader with two home runs. And rounding out a blanched offense has been Ryan Jarvis with a team-leading 20 RBIs.

On the mound, Jack Kruger has been the brigest star for the Sodbusters, with a 4-0 record and a miniscule 1.091 era. In relief, Braden Cork has a team-leading four saves on four opportunities, with a .389 ERA.

The Moo have been hotter since the last meeting against the Sodbusters, including another series with this past weekend in a five-game set with the Prospects. Fremont’s offense was on fire in game one, led by a solo home run from Stephen Espinoza, as the Moo won 10-5. It was a similar story in game two, with a 10-8 Fremont win as Brandt Phillips picked up his second win of the year. There was less offense in game three, but Dylan Brandenburg called game with a walk-off home run in the bottom of the ninth for a 3-2 win. The Prospects put an end to Fremont’s six-game win streak on Saturday with a 4-2 win. But Fremont got back in the win column Sunday with a 8-1 win behind eight innings of one-run ball from Gage Ingram.

Cooper Fuchino continues to be a strong offense presence for Fremont with a .331 batting average. He’s trailed by Bridger Coleman (.330), Tyrus Petsche (.327) and Collin Pitts (.320). Fuchino also has the edge in home runs with 4, with Coleman (3) and Espinoza (2) right behind. Espinoza has the lead for RBIs with 23 followed by Fuchino (22) and Coleman (21)

It’s been a balanced pitching effort for the Moo, with Reese Kortum (3-2, 3.971 ERA), Robert O’Malley (3-1, 2.512) and Bobby Simmons (3-0, 7.147) all with three wins. Alex Oliver continues to be the top reliever, going 4-for-4 on saves with a 2.368 ERA.

In the second-half standings, the Spuds lead, with the Moo (2.0 games back), Sasquatch (3.0), Zap (5.0) and Sodbusters (6.5) trailing. Should Capser win the second-half, the second playoff spot will be determined by overall standings. Fremont is .5 games ahead of the Sasqautch, 2 games ahead of Hastings and 12.5 games ahead of the Zap.

First pitch for all three games in Hastings, on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, is set for 6:35 p.m..

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Moo Recap: 6/14 - Bovine Nine capture their 3rd-in-a-row, sweep the series

June 15, 2025

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.

Daily Moo: 6/14 - Game 17

June 14, 2025

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

Moo Recap: 6/13 - The Comeback Cows reemerge as they score three unanswered late to capture win

June 14, 2025

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.

Daily Moo: 6/13 - Game 16

June 13, 2025

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

Moo Recap: 6/12 - Moo strike big late, get back into win column

June 13, 2025

Bats come alive behind Dickinson's strong start to get Moo fourth win of the season

Daily Moo: 6/12 - Game 15

June 12, 2025

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 Recap: 6/8 - Moo can't recover after going down early

June 9, 2025

Moo drop ninth-in-a-row as they enter a three-day break

Daily Moo: 6/8 - Game 14

June 8, 2025

Moo Recap: 6/7 - Doubleheader doesn't go the way of the Moo as they drop to 3-10

June 8, 2025

Moo drop game 1, 5-2. Then drop game 2, 6-5.

Daily Moo: 6/7 - Game 12 & 13

June 7, 2025

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