MSU President's Newspaper Column
March 28, 2026
A season of Comet pride, campus energy, and new beginnings
The calendar says that we’ve officially sprung into spring. With warmer days come traditions, celebrations, and the excitement of spring athletics. Softball and baseball began their spring seasons during spring break trips to Florida for baseball and Arizona for softball earlier this month. We’re hoping the weather will cooperate so we can host some home games here, but for now, the teams are road warriors, with all games being held in places further south and west. We look forward to more opportunities for the golf team to compete soon, weather cooperating. The golfers will participate in the conference tournament in Phoenix, Ariz. in April.
The softball team battled more than just opposing teams during its spring break trip, as rainy weather led to several game cancellations. Despite the disrupted schedule, the Comets closed the trip on a high note with a hard-fought 3-2 victory over No. 19-ranked Midland University. The win marked Mayville State’s third triumph over a top-25 opponent this season, following two victories over No. 17 Northwestern College.
The team opened Frontier Conference play, defeating Dakota State in three of four games last weekend. That’s a great start, and we look forward to more exciting news from Comets Softball this season. As of March 25, their record stood at 9/13, with the next four games scheduled to be held at Tharaldson Field in Fargo. They’ll play Bellevue, then head out to Dickinson for four games versus Dickinson State. We’re scheduled for home games versus Morningside and Valley City State on April 6 and 7, and versus Bismarck State College on April 11, at Paul Karlstad Field in Portland. Let’s keep our fingers crossed for good weather and great field conditions.
Comets Baseball saw success during their spring break trip to Florida where they participated in the RussMatt Invitational in Winter Haven. They finished 6-3 overall against a slate of competitive opponents. They opened the trip by winning their first five games, highlighted by a signature victory over No. 18 Concordia University of Seward, Neb.
The Comets opened Frontier Conference Tournament last weekend with a 3-1 win over Dickinson State. All three runs were scored in the second inning on a three-run homer by Tony Villarreal. The Comets lost to Bellevue and Bismarck State, but they came out on top over Dakota State in their final game of the weekend. The game was a 2-0 shutout, behind a dominant no-hit performance by Sebastian Mizener, who struck out five in a full seven innings. Mizner has claimed the Comets’ first solo no-hitter since 2013, when Todd Leavitt took the honors. Mayville State finished with five hits, including two from Juan Villarreal, while Dakota State was held hitless and the Comets reached only once on a seventh-inning error.
As of March 25, Comets Baseball had an overall record of 15/9. The team is scheduled to head out March 27 and 28 for a Frontier Conference series with Dickinson State at Dickinson.
Beyond athletics, spring brings opportunities to be out and about on Mayville State’s beautiful campus. Intramural games continue, and we look forward to games of pickleball and corn hole at Cometville Park. The music department has a pop and jazz concert scheduled for May 3 and their full ensemble spring concert on May 10. Our annual employee recognition dinner will be held on April 28. The annual Academic and Student Senate Awards Program will be held on May 6. Mark your calendar for Mayville State’s Annual Day of Giving on April 30. This is the day when we’ll be celebrating our love for Mayville State while raising funds to support scholarships for students. In the midst of this, our Collegiate DECA members and advisors are preparing for a trip to the International Career Development Conference in Louisville, Ky., April 18-21. Once again, our group has done Mayville State proud, and several members have qualified to attend and compete at the highest level.
All of these activities and more are leading up to a big day that is the culmination of what it’s all about … commencement, which is planned for Friday, May 15, and will bring months of preparation and years of dedication together in one very important day. We are eager to celebrate with the graduates and their families. Commencement is more than a ceremony. It represents the closing of one chapter and the beginning of another. It is a time to reflect on growth, perseverance, and community, and to celebrate not only degrees earned, but friendships formed, challenges overcome, and futures ready to unfold.