College Baseball: Pierz’s Boser dreaming of being on the baseball field

Former Pierz Pioneers Noah Boser gets congratulated after scoring a run for the Bemidji State University baseball team. BSU Photo Services

By Jeremy Millsop

March 31, 2020 at 4:00 AM

Hate is a strong word, but Noah Boser had new reservations about using it to describe his senior season of baseball at Bemidji State University.

Or more correctly the lack of a senior season.

Like every other college athlete competing in a spring sport, Boser saw his season end abruptly because of COVID-19.

The former Pierz Pioneer went 1-for-4 with an RBI in what could have been his final game as a Beaver in a 7-2 loss to Valley City State March 11 in Tucson, Ariz.

“This is my first spring ever of no baseball,” Boser said. “It’s been crazy. I hate it. I absolutely hate it. It’s been way different. I’m sitting at home doing my online school work and I would much rather be at the baseball field. That’s for sure.”

The BSU baseball team went 2-10 in its first 12 games. It had a scheduled doubleheader with Minnesota State University Mankato for March 14, but then the news hit.

“We were still in Arizona when we found out,” Boser said. “Our AD called our head coach. We were in Arizona at a shopping mall in the food court. We were all eating there. The head coach got up and said, ‘Well boys, the season is over.’

“We were all like ‘what?’ We did kind of know it was coming because we saw all the D1 programs were done. They had canceled all the championships. The NBA was done. MLB pushed back their opening day so we kind of knew it was coming. It was just a matter of time.

“I had no clue I was playing my last game for BSU. It was a shock after that.”

Boser finished his senior season with 18 hits in 44 at-bats. He scored 11 runs from his leadoff position and drove in four runs. He hit two doubles, four triples and walked seven times to finish with a .409 batting average. He added four stolen bases.

“My coach did call me the other night and said I would get an extra year of eligibility,” Boser said. “I was set on not playing baseball next year when I found out the season was over even if I got an extra year of eligibility. But now, he called me and we talked things through. He just said ‘whatever you need baseball, lifewise, schoolwise just let me know.’ I do have another year of school so there’s a chance of me going back and playing, but I’m not sure yet. I still have to think about it.”

If Boser doesn’t come back for another season he will have finished his BSU career with a .253 batting average. He started 99 of a possible 105 games in his career. In 328 at-bats, he collected 83 hits, 21 doubles, seven triples and four home runs. He drove in 30 runs and scored 46 times. He walked 27 times and was hit by 13 pitches. He stole eight bases and finished with a .970 fielding percentage.

Boser is looking forward to starting the Victory League amateur baseball season. Boser plays for Buckman, but he’s a little hesitant about this season.

“Usually when coming into that season, after playing college ball, I feel like I’m in my best form of baseball shape,” he said. “The first game when the amateur baseball season starts most of the guys are playing their first game and I’ve already had 50 games in by then. I might be a step behind from what I usually am when Victory League starts.”

Also on the BSU roster is junior outfielder Austin Weisz of Little Falls. Weisz played in seven games with 25 at-bats. He finished with nine hits, three of them triples. He walked six times and scored five runs for a .360 batting average.

Junior catcher Matt Kummet from Pierz saw action in nine games. In 31 at-bats, he hit .323 with 10 hits, six runs, one RBI and seven walks.

Junior pitcher Casey Welsh of Pequot Lakes redshirted his junior season.

“We flew down to Phoenix and took vans from the airport to where we were playing our games,” Boser said. “On the van ride back to the airport, we had a couple of seniors who were crying in the van. I wasn’t one of them, but when they started crying it really hit that this was it. The conversations we had basically entailed us just saying ‘boys, I did not think this was going to be or last game together.’ It was kind of tough at the time, but I’m just glad I got to play baseball for four more years. I’m just kind of thankful.”

Other former area male athletes at BSU