Minnesota State University-Mankato Men's Baseball

One of the winningest coaches in NCAA Division II baseball, Matt Magers has built a program with hallmarks that include success both on the field and in the classroom. Coach Magers completed his 18th season as head coach in 2025-26 and has guided the Mavericks to seven Northern Sun Intercollegiate regular-season championships, eight NSIC postseason tournament titles, 15 NCAA tournament appearances, five NCAA regional tournament first-place finishes. His teams have also made four trips to the DII College World Series, where the Mavericks have placed second (2013), third (2014 and 2012) and seventh (2010). Minnesota State racked up a 38-17 won-loss mark under the guidance of their first-year skipper in 2009 and in addition to claiming the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference postseason tournament title, made an appearance in the 2009 NCAA Division II Central Regional. The Mavericks finished the year ranking 14th in the country in strikeouts per nine innings (8.8) and 24th in winning percentage (.691). His second year, in 2010, Magers was named American Baseball Coaches Association/Diamond Sports Company NCAA Division II Regional Coach of the Year after guiding the Mavericks to a 44-16 overall mark and first in the NSIC with a 25-7 record. Besides taking the NSIC regular season title, MSU grabbed the NSIC postseason tournament crown and traveled to Farmington, N.M., to capture the NCAA Central Region title. The Mavericks then advanced to the 2010 Division II College World Series in Cary, N.C., where they finished seventh. MSU went 40-12 in 2011 and in addition to capturing the NSIC regular-season title, earned a spot in the NCAA postseason tournament for the third year in a row under Magers. He earned NCBWA Central Region Coach of the Year and NSIC Coach of the Year honors in 2011. In 2012, Minnesota State enjoyed its highest-win total under Magers finishing with a 51-12 mark. The Mavericks claimed NSIC regular-season and tournament championships, hosted and won the NCAA Central Region title, and advanced to the 2012 Division II College World Series placing third. Magers was named NCBWA Central Region Coach of the Year and NSIC Coach of the Year, both for the second consecutive year. MSU ranked 1st in the nation with a .977 fielding percentage. The 2013 season was the best-ever under Magers and in Minnesota State baseball history in terms of a national finish as the Mavericks ended the year 42-9 overall in advancing to the 2013 NCAA Division II College World Series for the third time in the four years where they finished second in the country, winning three consecutive games before falling to Tampa, 8-2, in the national championship game. The Mavericks also claimed the NSIC tournament championship, in addition to hosting and winning the NCAA Central Region tournament. Magers made history by becoming the first head coach in MSU baseball history to be named NCBWA National Coach of the Year. He also picked up the ABCA Central Region Coach of the Year honors, as Minnesota State led the country in fielding percentage for the second straight season at .979 and also ranked first in strikeouts per nine innings at 9.2. The 2014 season was another historic season under Magers as the Mavericks ended the year with a 48-11 overall record, winning the NSIC regular season and advanced to the 2014 NCAA Division II College World Series for the fourth time in five years. MSU won three straight after dropping the first game at the World Series before falling in the semifinals 4-3 to Southern Indiana. The Mavericks won four straight in the Regional Tournament in Russellville, Ark., to advance to Cary, N.C. In 2015, the Mavericks finished 43-9 in Magers' seventh season at the helm and qualified for the NCAA Tournament for the seventh consecutive season. The Mavericks finished 2-2 at the NCAA Central Region Tournament in St. Cloud, Minn., where MSU won the first two games over Missouri Southern and Southern Arkansas before dropping the final two to Henderson State and St. Cloud State. The Mavericks advanced to the eighth straight NCAA Tournament under Magers in 2016 after finishing the year 36-18. For the second straight year, MSU won the first two games at the NCAA Central Region Tournament and then dropped the next two. The Mavericks defeated St. Cloud State 1-0 in 11 innings and Arkansas-Monticello 7-6 before losing to Central Missouri 3-0 and Arkansas-Monticello 13-6 to end the season. Minnesota State returned to the top of the NSIC in the 2017 season, winning the regular season and NSIC Tournament titles, while going 46-11. Magers led the Mavericks into the NCAA Tournament for the ninth straight season and in the Central Region Tournament in Emporia, Kan., MSU went 2-2 for the third consecutive season. The Mavericks defeated Central Oklahoma 4-0, lost to St. Cloud State 9-4, defeated Arkansas-Monticello 6-5 and lost to Central Oklahoma 3-2 to end the season. In 2018, the Mavericks did not make the NCAA Tournament for the first time under Magers after finishing the season with a 31-16 record. A rebound year followed in 2019 with Minnesota State posting a 39-15 mark and a trip to the NCAA tournament for the tenth time under his stewardship. In a shortened 2020 season due to COVID-19, the Mavericks were able to play 13 games, going 8-5, before the rest of the season was canceled.  Minnesota State went 39-10 in claiming both the NSIC regular-season and postseason tournament titles in 2021 en route to a third-place finish at the NCAA regional tournament. The Mavericks finished 39-9 overall in 2022 and won the NSIC Tournament Championship over Augustana 6-5, but fell in a pair of games at the NCAA regional tournament. The 2023 squad boasted a 43-18 record and placed second in the NSIC Tournament Championship before bowing out in the NCAA Super Regional in three games to Augustana. The 2024 team finished second in the NSIC Regular season and conference tournament before making an appearance as the No. 8 seed in the NCAA regional tournament. The Mavericks finished 37-20 overall, including 29-10 in NSIC play. The 2025 season saw the Mavericks claim NSIC regular season and tournament championships as they earned the No. 2 seed in the NCAA Central Region Tournament. Magers earned his second NCBWA National Coach of the Year honor as he guided the Mavericks to a 51-8 record. Magers also earned his fifth NSIC Coach of the Year honor. Magers spent eight years as a member of the Minnesota State coaching staff prior to being named head coach of the Mavericks on May 23rd of 2008. Magers, who served as the Mavericks' pitching coach beginning in 2001, was named Associate Head Coach prior to the start of the 2007 campaign. Ten of his pitchers signed pro contracts during his assistant coaching stint with the Mavericks and under Magers, the MSU pitching staff led the North Central Conference in earned run average four times (2.84 in 2007, 3.82 in 2006, 3.45 in 2005 and 4.73 in 2004), ranked second twice (5.45 in 2003, 5.17 in 2008) and third once (4.95 in 2002). MSU led the nation in strike-outs per game in 2007 and his time as an assistant coach with the program, MSU won four league titles, made five NCAA tournament appearances and amassed a 271-137 record for a .664 winning percentage. A native of nearby Gaylord, Minn., Magers played at South Dakota State from 1995 through 1997. A three-time all-conference pick (All-NCC once, Honorable Mention twice), the left-handed Magers was named the NCC’s Southern Division Top Pitcher in 1997. He was drafted in the 16th round by the Chicago Cubs in 1997 and played for two and a half seasons for Cub affiliates in Williamsport, Pa., (1997) and Rockford, Ill. (1998). Magers, who owns a master’s degree in Sport Management from MSU, served as an assistant coach for the Mankato Mashers of the Northwoods League during the 2000 season. Matt Magers at Minnesota State Year-By-Year as Head Coach Year Year # GP W L Pct NSIC NSIC Tourney Result NCAA Regional Result NCAA Championship Result 2009 1 55 38 17 .691 2nd 1st Qualified 38th 2010 2 60 44 16 .733 1st 1st 1st 7th 2011 3 52 40 12 .769 1st 6th Qualified T-26th 2012 4 63 51 12 .810 1st 1st 1st 3rd 2013 5 51 42 9 .824 2nd 1st 1st 2nd 2014 6 59 48 11 .814 1st 6th 1st 3rd 2015 7 52  43 9 .827 2nd 5th  3rd 2016 8 54   36 18 .667 4th 5th 3rd      2017     9 57 46 11 .807 1st 1st 3rd 2018 10 47 31 16 .660 4th t-7th 2019 11 54 39 15 .722 2nd t-7th 4th 2020 12 13 8 5 .615 --- --- 2021     13 49 39 10 .796 1st 1st 3rd 2022     14     48 39 9 .813 2nd 1st 3rd 2023 15 61 43 18 .758 2nd 2nd 1st 2024 16 57 37 20 .649 2nd 2nd Qualified 2025 17 58 51 8 .864 1st 1st 2nd Totals 891 675 216 .757 Notables NSIC Coach of the Year in 2011, 2012, 2017, 2021, 2025 2010 Rawlings/ABCA Region Coach of the Year 2012 Rawlings/ACCA Region Coach of the Year 2013 NCBWA National Coach of the Year 2021 NCBWA Central Region Coach of the Year 2025 NCBWA National Coach of the Year  

P.J. McIntee joined the Minnesota State baseball staff as an assistant coach in October of 2015. In the summer of 2022 he was named Associate Head Coach for the Mavericks. Over the course of his time with the Mavericks, he has helped lead Minnesota State to three NSIC regular season titles (2017, 2021, 2025), four NSIC tournament titles (2017, 2021, 2022, 2025) and eight NCAA Division II Central Regional appearances (2016, 2017, 2019, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025). The Mavericks advanced to the NCAA Tournament in 2016 after finishing the year 36-18 and Minnesota State returned to the top of the NSIC in the 2017 season, winning the regular season and NSIC Tournament titles, while going 46-11. The Mavericks played into the NCAA Tournament for the ninth straight season and in the Central Region Tournament in Emporia, Kan. that year. In 2018, the Mavericks did not make the NCAA Tournament for the first time in ten seasons after finishing the season with a 31-16 record. A rebound year followed in 2019 with a 39-16 record in advancing to the NCAA regional, and the Mavericks captured both the NSIC regular-season and post-season tournament titles and an NCAA tournament appearance while sporting a 39-10 ledger in 2021. In a season in which they went 39-9, the Mavericks claimed the NSIC tournament title and advanced to the NCAA tournament in 2022. Spring 2023 was another strong season for the Mavericks, who finished 37-20 overall and finished second in the NSIC Tournament. The Mavericks also made an appearance in the NCAA Tournament in Warrensburg, Mo. McIntee helped the Mavericks tie a program record for wins in a season after going 51-8 in 2025, culminating in NSIC Regular Season and Tournament titles, as well as the opportunity to host the NCAA Division II Central Region Tournament at ISG Field, where the Mavericks fell in the Championship game. McIntee came on board the Minnesota State staff after serving as an assistant coach at Morehead State (Ky.) where he helped lead the Eagles to a 38-22 overall record (2015), an Ohio Valley Conference tournament title and a spot in the NCAA Division I Louisville qualifier. McIntee's responsibilities at Morehead State included working with catchers, base running, assisting with hitters, on-campus recruiting and running camps and showcases. From 2012-14 he was assistant coach and recruiting coordinator at Southeastern (Iowa) Community College and helped lead SCC to the 2014 National Junior College Athletic Association World Series where the Blackhawks placed fifth in the country. A 2009 graduate of Bemidji State where he was a four-year letterwinner with the BSU baseball program, McIntee owns an undergraduate degree in sport management (2009). The Randolph, Minn., native, who owns a masters degree in sport studies (2015), spent the 2010 and 2011 seasons as a graduate assistant baseball coach for Tim Belew at Bemidji State. He also has summer collegiate baseball coaching experience in the Northwoods League after serving as an assistant coach with Willmar in 2013 and 2014 and with Nampa of the Boise Summer League in 2009 and 2010.

Veteran baseball coach Tink Larson joined the Minnesota State baseball staff in head coach Matt Magers' first year at the helm in 2009. Larson played baseball four years at MSC (Mankato State College) from 1962-65 and was elected into the Minnesota State Hall of Fame in 1990...MSC junior varsity coach in 1966...Coached Waseca High School to 1990 State Class A baseball championship...Compiled an all-time mark of 420-280 as a coach at Waseca...Also has served as a coach for Waseca town, Legion, and VFW teams...With the town team (Waseca Braves), directed the club to eight region titles and 13 State tournament appearances...Also won 21 playoff championships as the American Legion coach. Coached 105 all-conference players, 14 all-state and two All-Americans. Eight of his former players have gone on to become professionals. Helped produce several college players including MSU standout Monte Dufault (MSU Hall of Fame inductee in 2008), who was on the 1989-1990 NCC All-Freshman basketball team and also played baseball...Gene Glynn (MSU Hall of Fame inductee in 1991) was another of his players at Waseca High School.

Packy Casey joined the Minnesota State baseball staff as an assistant coach in January of 2025 after serving as an assistant coach at the University of Minnesota (2014-2024), Butler University (2013), and University of St. Thomas (2007-2012). In the fall of 2012, Casey was selected by the Minnesota Twins to attend Major League Baseball Scouting and Development School. He served as an associate scout for the Twins in the Midwest during the spring and summer of 2013. In April of 2020, Casey became officially certified under the IFPA as a Biomechanics of Sports Specialist.   In his first season at Minnesota State in 2025, Casey helped the Mavericks win NSIC Regular Season and Tournament Championships after tying the program record for wins in a season with 51. Casey coached the Mavericks in the NCAA Central Region Tournament at ISG Field in Mankato, Minnesota. A member of the National Baseball Coaches Association, Casey is a frequent speaker at Minnesota coaching clinics, and recruiting seminars and presenter at SportsCon Analytics Convention every year. A native of Bloomington, Minnesota, Casey graduated from the University of St. Thomas in 2010 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in English and Literature Arts with a Writing Emphasis.

Chas Verduzco joined the Minnesota State baseball staff in the fall of 2022 as a Graduate Assistant and added the title of Director of Player Performance in 2023-24. Verduzco earned a bachelors degree (2020) and a masters degree from Missouri Western State University (2022). As a player Verduzco primarily was an infielder spending time at Missouri Western State University, Skyline College, and Southwest Baptist University. He was a 2-time member of the MIAA Academic Honor Roll.