Macalester earned its first berth in the NCAA Division III baseball tournament with a 13-5 victory over top-seeded Bethel on Saturday in the MIAC championship game in Collegeville, Minn.

The Scots (26-15) join the 1950 and 2011 teams, who won regular-season championships, as MIAC champions.

It was 1-1 before the Scots exploded for nine runs on eight hits — with four Bethel errors — in the top of the second for a commanding 10-1 lead. Collin Brantner struck the big blow with a three-run homer and Quentin Stuart added a two-run shot. The Scots racked up 19 hits.

NSIC baseball

Top-seeded Minnesota State Mankato defeated No. 3 seed St. Cloud State 4-2 to claim its fifth conference championship and an automatic berth in the NCAA tournament. National tournament pairings will be announced Sunday.

Gophers reach 30 wins

The Gophers baseball team beat 10th-ranked Long Beach State 12-6 at Siebert Field for its second 30-win season in as many years. It was 3-3 when the Gophers broke the game open with nine runs in the bottom of the sixth.

Gophers women take lead in Big Ten track

Madeline Strandemo's steeplechase victory in a school-record 9:51.83 boosted the Gophers into the second-day lead with 45.5 points at the Big Ten outdoor track and field championships at Penn State. Michigan is a half-point behind.

• Obsa Ali placed second in the steeplechase and decathlete Luca Weiland took third in the long jump, highlighting the Gophers men's second-day performances.

Ali's time was 8:45.55, seventh best in school history. Wieland leaped a season-best 25 feet, 6¼ inches.

Schmitz shoots 68 for Champions lead

Sammy Schmitz followed an opening round 3-under 69 with a second-round 68, giving him a four-shot lead heading into the final day of the Minnesota Golf Champions at Dellwood Country Club.

The 18-hole leader and defending champion, Ryan Helminen, fell off the pace when he carded two bogets and a double-bogey on the first seven holes.

MSU Mankato reaches softball super regional

Cori Kennedy's RBI single in the sixth was the difference as sixth-ranked Minnesota State Mankato defeated Augustana 4-3, winning the NCAA Region 2 softball championship. MSU (57-6) advances to the NCAA super regional, May-18-19.

• Winona State overcame a three-run deficit and beat Southern Arkansas 4-3 in a Division II softball regional in Searcy, Ark. The Warriors, with their school-record 51st victory, will play Harding for the championship Sunday; Winona State needs to win twice.

• St. Catherine won two elimination games in its Division III softball regional, 7-0 over St. Scholastica and 5-2 over the University of Chicago in Decorah, Iowa. It will face Luther in Sunday's championship … St. Thomas reached the championship of its regional unbeaten and will face Coe for the championship on Sunday.

Etc.

• The St. Thomas women won their 13th consecutive MIAC track and field championship with 146.75 points, 16.75 ahead of St. Benedict. The Tommies men captured the title for the sixth season in a row, scoring 218 points; runner-up St. Olaf had 91.