March 13, 2024

This Week's Preview
MADISON, S.D. (March 13, 2024)—The Dakota State University Trojan baseball team (14-6 overall record, 0-0 North Star Athletic Association record) begins their 24-game conference schedule Friday and Saturday as they host Mayville State (N.D.) (5-16 overall record, 0-0 NSAA conference record).  The four-game series is set with a doubleheader on each day, starting at 1 p.m. Friday and 12 p.m. noon Saturday at Flynn Field (S. Egan Ave.).

The NSAA conference four-game series feature a doubleheader, with the first game being a seven-inning contest followed by a nine-inning game.  If the first game of the doubleheader goes to extra inning and through nine innings, that first game will become a nine-inning game with the second game to follow as a seven-inning game.

Dakota State plays a non-conference nine-inning game at rival Dakota Wesleyan (S.D.) (5-9 overall record) on Tuesday afternoon at 3 p.m.  The game will be held at Drake Field in Caldwell Park in Mitchell, S.D. (W. 13th Ave. and N. Minnesota Street).

DSU is coming off from their third straight four-game series victory after going 3-1 record at Hannibal-LaGrange (Mo.) in the battle of the Trojans.  The Trojans outscored H-L 34-8 on the first day, while dropping the third game by the score of 7-5.  Dakota State won the four-game series finale with an 11-0 shutout victory.

Mayville State is coming from their 1-5 record in their trip to Iowa, going 1-2 record against Graceland (Iowa) and lost to Saint Mary (Kan.) last weekend.  MSU dropped a pair of games at Morningside (Iowa) on March 12.

Next Up:  Dakota State steps aside their North Star Athletic Association conference play as they play a four-game series with Missouri Valley at Flynn Field on March 22-23.

This Week's Quick Hits
+ It is the first time since 2021 season that Dakota State (S.D.) opened their North Star Athletic Association baseball season at Flynn Field (versus Valley City State, N.D.). 
+ The Trojans had won five straight home games at Flynn Field (2023), defeating rival Dakota Wesleyan (S.D.) in a nine-inning contest followed by a four-game series sweep over Valley City State (N.D.).
+ DSU swept the NSAA's four-game series with Mayville State (N.D.) last season on a neutral site in St. George, Kan., last season.  DSU won the first two games by the identical scores of 3-0, followed by 4-3 and 12-2 wins on March 24-25.
+ Mayville State snapped their six-game losing skid in the series meeting, defeating the Trojans 10-7 in the final loser's out game in the NSAA postseason tournament in Dickinson, N.D., on May 8, 2023. 
+ Each North Star member will have a bye weekend during their conference baseball season.  The Trojans will be taking that bye weekend next weekend, where they will host Missouri Valley in a four-game series at Flynn Field.
+ Dakota State are slated to play a total of 12 North Star baseball conference contests at home this season, wrapping up on April 26-27 versus Waldorf (Iowa) in the final ever conference series meeting.
+ The Trojans rolled past rival Dakota Wesleyan (S.D.) 16-2 in seven innings in the last meeting at Flynn Field on April 18, 2023.  The last time DSU and DWU played in Mitchell, S.D. was on March 31, 2021.
+ DSU had won four times in the last five meetings with the Tigers since Feb. 20, 2022.

Noteworthy...
McDANIEL HIT SCHOOL RECORDS:  Ryan McDaniel surpassed the Dakota State's (S.D.) all-time hits record earlier this season versus William Woods (Mo.), breaking the previous record of 186 hits held by Josh Cuffe from 2002-05.  Prior to this weekend's contests, McDaniel had accumulated a total of 197 hits during his career at DSU.  He also is seven at-bats shy of tying the all-time record held by Chris Burke with 594 at-bats from 2019 and 2021-23 (McDaniel with 587 at-bats before this weekend's games).

TROJANS IN THE NORTH STAR RANKS:   According to the PrestoStats-NAIA website as of Wednesday, Dakota State leads the North Star conference in batting average of .340 and slugging percentage of .547.  The Trojans also tie the league leader in on-base percentage of .426.  In addition, DSU leads the conference in earned run average of 4.76 and second in total strikeouts with 167 strikeouts. 
 
DSU IN THE NSAA:  Jeremy Green leads the North Star Athletic Association in runs batted in with 30 and in stolen bases with 12 for Dakota State.  Ryan McDaniel ranks second in the conference with .433 batting average, followed by Walker Hultgren with .424 batting average.  Seth Altwine ranks fourth in the NSAA with seven stolen bases.  Hunter Vikemyr leads the conference with 2.55 earned run average, as well as most wins with Will Clair (4 wins each).  Sam Tyrpa is second in the NSAA with 42 strikeouts.

DSU BASEBALL DEVELOPMENTAL TEAM SCHEDULE UPDATE:  The Dakota State University Trojan baseball developmental team will be at home Monday afternoon for a doubleheader with Bismarck State (N.D.) at 2 p.m.  The Trojans' doubleheader at Peru State (Neb.) scheduled for March 20 has been canceled, but added a doubleheader with Sioux Falls (S.D.) on March 25 to be played at the Birdcage in Sioux Falls, S.D.

Trojans pour in 34 runs in sweep on first day at Hannibal-LaGrange
Hannibal, Mo. (March 8, 2024)—Dakota State (S.D.) outscored Hannibal-LaGrange 34-8 in a doubleheader sweep at Nichols Field, stretching their winning streak to five games.
 
The Trojans scored at least a run from second through sixth innings in the first game, rolling to a 16-1 victory.  DSU exploded for seven runs in the third frame and five runs in the fifth inning.

Eleven DSU players recorded a hit in the game, led by Ryan McDaniel, Cassidy Watt, Cory Brownson, Bubba Thompson, and Dawson Portner with two hits each.  Watt drove in four runs, while Walker Hultgren, Thompson, and Portner each added two RBIs.  Sam Tyrpa earned the victory after working for six innings with six strikeouts.  Kellan Johns tossed a shutout seventh inning in relief. 

Dakota State scored at least a run in every inning of the second game, outscoring Hannibal-LaGrange 18-7.  DSU exploded for nine runs in the top sixth inning to pull away past H-L.

Cameron DeMaria, Brownson, and Aidan Perry each tallied two hits and two RBIs for the Trojans.  Jeremy Green and Ned Ceklic each had a hit and two RBIs.  Daniel Lesher and Thompson each recorded a hit and an RBI.  McDaniel and Seth Altwine each added a hit.

Hunter Vikemyr collected his fourth pitching win of the season, tossing five innings with five strikeouts.  Keaton Young and Lucas Severson each worked in relief.

DSU splits doubleheader with H-L on second day
Hannibal, Mo.. (March 9, 2024)—Hannibal-LaGrange (Mo.) defeated Dakota State (S.D.) in the third game of the four-game series before DSU closed the series with a shutout victory for the third straight series win this season.

Despite falling behind 3-0 in the first game of the doubleheader, DSU grabbed a 4-3 lead after the top third frame.  H-L overtook the lead in the bottom third and held on to a 7-5 victory. 

Jeremy Green collected a hit and drove in three runs for DSU.  Cory Brownson added two hits and an RBI.  Ryan McDaniel had a double and an RBI.  Nicholai Arbach started the game for the Trojans.  JD Kirchner took the defeat after pitching four innings with seven strikeouts.  Curtis Flint tossed a scoreless 1 1/3 innings in relief.

Dakota State prevailed in the final game of the series by the score of 11-0, highlighted by a six-run explosion coupled with Will Clair's complete game victory.  Bubba Thompson nearly registered a hit cycle in the game, with a home run shy and drove in a game-high five runs.  Walker Hultgren and Aidan Perry each tallied two hits and an RBI.  Dawson Portner added three hits and two RBIs. 

Clair pitched a complete game victory for DSU, limiting H-L to three singles and recorded seven strikeouts.

Trojans sweep North Star weekly awards
Madison, S.D. (March 11, 2024)—Dakota State (S.D.) swept the weekly honors after the four-game series at Hannibal-LaGrange (Mo.).  Will Clair was selected as the Pitcher-of-the-Week, while Bubba Thompson was named as the Player-of-the-Week.

Clair moved to 4-0 record on the pitching mound for the Trojans.  He tossed the first complete game victory this season, shutting down H-L 11-0 in the four-game series finale.  He scattered just three singles and tied a season-high seven strikeouts.  He did not issue a walk in the game.

DSU's Thompson recorded at least a hit in all four games in the series at H-L.  He was a home run shy of producing the hit cycle in DSU's 11-0 victory in the four-game series finale, earning five RBIs in the game.

Thompson posted a batting average of .583 (7-of-12 at-bats), an on-base percentage of .667, and a slugging percentage of .997 (two doubles, a triple, and four singles).  He collected eight RBIs and did not commit a defensive error during the four-game series.

2024 DSU Baseball team leaders

· Hits:  Ryan McDaniel—29 hits

· Batting Average:  Ryan McDaniel—.433 batting average (29-of-67 at-bats)

· Slugging Percentage:  Cory Brownson—.703 slugging percentage (10 singles, 4 doubles, 2 home runs)

· Runs Batted In (RBIs):  Jeremy Green—30 RBIs

· Doubles:  Jeremy Green, Ryan McDaniel—8 doubles

· Triples:  Bubba Thompson—2 triples

· Home Runs:  Hunter Vikemyr, Ryan McDaniel, Walker Hultgren—3 home runs

· Total Bases:  Ryan McDaniel—46 total bases

· Runs Scored:  Seth Altwine—20 runs

· Walks:  Walker Hultgren, Ned Ceklic—12 walks

· Hit-by-Pitch:  Dawson Portner—7 hit-by-pitches

· Stolen Bases: Jeremy Green—12 stolen bases

· On-base percentage:  Cory Brownson—.532 on-base percentage

· Innings Pitched:  Sam Tyrpa—26 2/3 innings

· Earned Runs Average (ERA):  Hunter Vikemyr—2.55 earned run average (7 earned runs in 24 2/3 innings)

· Strikeouts (Pitching):   Sam Tyrpa—42 strikeouts

· Complete Games (Pitching):   Will Clair—1 complete game

· Wins:  Will Clair, Hunter Vikemyr—4 wins

· Saves:  JD Kirchner—3 saves

Follow DSU Trojan Baseball

· Twitter:  @DSU_Trojans

· Facebook:  DSUTrojans

· Instagram:  trojans.athletics

· DSU Baseball Twitter:  @DSU_Baseball_

· DSU Baseball Facebook:  @Dakota-State-Trojan-Baseball