April 24, 2024

This Week's Preview
MADISON, S.D. (April 24, 2024)—The Dakota State University Trojan baseball team (32-14 overall record, 14-6 NSAA record) wraps up their regular-season schedule as they continue their home stand this weekend.  The Trojans host Waldorf (Iowa) (19-23 overall record, 9-11 NSAA conference record) in the final regular-season contests in the North Star Athletic Association action.

The North Star four-game series is set for Friday's doubleheader at 1 p.m. and another doubleheader on Saturday at 12 p.m. at Flynn Field.  The Trojan baseball team will be honoring their 13 seniors after the completion of Saturday's games.

Dakota State fell in the key North Star Athletic Association's four-game series at No. 16 ranked Bellevue (Neb.).  The Trojans dropped in a pair of one-run games during the series (4-3 in the first game on April 19 and 10-9 in the four-game series finale on April 20).  DSU snapped their four-game losing skid with a 7-2 non-conference mid-week home victory over rival Dakota Wesleyan (S.D.) on April 23.

Waldorf went 2-2 record at home versus Viterbo (Wis.) in the NSAA's four-game series, winning the second game on each day on April 20-21.  The Warriors capped the series with an 18-15 11-inning thriller over the V-Hawks.  WU kicked off the road stretch with a 6-4 setback at Morningside (Iowa) on April 23.

This will be the first time since May 1, 2016, that the Trojans host the Warriors at Flynn Field since WU joined the North Star conference in 2015-16.

Next Up:  Dakota State prepares for the North Star Athletic Association Postseason Tournament, which return to Dickinson, N.D. for the second straight year on May 3-7.

This Week's Quick Hits
+ Dakota State (S.D.) had won the previous eight meetings with Waldorf (Iowa), including the four-game series sweep last season in Clarion, Iowa (neutral site).  The Trojans won the last meeting in the North Star Athletic Association postseason tournament winner's bracket in Dickinson, N.D., by the score of 13-7 on May 6, 2023.
+ DSU owns a 15-11 all-time record with WU, with 23 meetings being held in the state of Iowa.  Nineteen of those games were held in Forest City, Iowa, while last year's four-game series were held on a neutral site near Forest City.
+ The Trojans hosted its only home meetings with the Warriors on May 1, 2016, at Flynn Field.  Dakota State swept the doubleheader with Waldorf by the scores of 7-1 and 3-1.
+ Two games in last year's NSAA four-game series between DSU and WU went to extra innings, won by the Trojans in 10 innings both games.
+ Dakota State is 9-0 record at Flynn Field this season, ballooning their home field winning streak to 14 games dating back to last season.  Waldorf is 4-8 record on the road.
+ The Trojans are 9-1 record in the last ten meetings with the Warriors.  This weekend will be the last time that both Dakota State and Waldorf will be facing each other in the North Star conference.
+ Dakota State and WU met twice in the NSAA postseason tournament, including last season.  Their first time in the postseason tournament was on May 8, 2022, in Forest City, where DSU roared back for a 15-14 thriller in the loser's out game.

Noteworthy...
TROJANS SENIORS:  Dakota State (S.D.) will be honoring their 13 seniors after the completion of the final regular-season contests on Saturday.  The 13 DSU seniors are Ty Christensen, Connor Cook, Johan Freudenburg, Walker Hultgren, JD Kirchner, Roch Laferriere, Ryan McDaniel, Gage Nagy, Dalton Nelson, Aiden Rocha, Bubba Thompson, Isaac Toledo, and Helmi Yatim. 

DAKOTA STATE TEAM RECORDS SET:  Dakota State established a new team record after their series at No. 16 ranked Bellevue (Neb.).  Prior to this weekend's series, the Trojans hit 51 home runs this season which broke the previous record of 48 home runs in 2012 and 2022.  DSU also set a new team record in runs batted in with 338, breaking the previous record of 327 RBIs in 2022.  Dakota State currently holds the batting average of .330 this season (current team record is .313 batting average in 2023).
 
TROJANS IN THE NORTH STAR RANKS:   According to the PrestoStats-NAIA website, Dakota State is second overall in the North Star conference in batting average of .330, slugging percentage of .519, and .415 on-base percentage.  Ryan McDaniel is third in the NSAA with .415 batting average.  Jeremy Green ranks second overall with 53 runs batted in (RBIs).    He leads the league with 31 stolen bases.  Will Clair leads the North Star with eight pitching wins.  JD Kirchner ties the league with five saves.

DSU BASEBALL DEVELOPMENTAL TEAM SCHEDULE UPDATE:  The Dakota State developmental baseball team lifted their overall record 10-4 after storming back to defeat Dakota Wesleyan (S.D.) 5-4 on April 19 and swept NCAA Division II Northern State (S.D.) in a doubleheader on April 22 by the scores of 12-8 and 6-5.  DSU hosts Northwestern (Iowa) Wednesday and visits Iowa Lakes CC Monday to close the season.

DSU falls in first two games with (16) Bellevue (Neb.)
Bellevue, Neb. (April 19, 2024)—Dakota State (S.D.) fell short in the first two games in the key North Star Athletic Association four-game series with No. 16 ranked Bellevue (Neb.) at John Stella Field at Brown Park. 
 
The Trojans took a 2-1 lead after three innings, thanks to a pair of RBIs from Cory Brownson and Ryan McDaniel.  The Bruins regained their lead at 3-2 after five innings before DSU rallied back to tie the game at 3-3 in the top seventh.  BU secured the victory with the walk-off hit with two outs in the bottom seventh. 

Brownson had a single and two RBIs for Dakota State.  McDaniel added a single and an RBI.  Dawson Portner went 3-for-3 at the plate with two runs scored.  Ned Ceklic drilled a double.  Jeremy Green and Bubba Thompson each had a single.  Sam Tyrpa (L, 6-3) took the setback, despite tossing a complete game for the Trojans.

Bellevue used a fast start in the second game of the doubleheader, jumping to a 6-0 lead after four innings.  The Trojans scored twice in the top fifth inning by Green's 2-RBI single, while the Bruins added five more runs combined in the sixth and seventh innings to secure an 11-2 victory.

Aidan Perry had two hits for DSU.  Portner added a double.  Green had a single and two RBIs.  Brownson and Ceklic each had a hit.  Hunter Vikemyr (L, 7-4) took the defeat on the pitching mound for the Trojans.

(16) Bruins sweep Trojans in key NSAA four-game series
Bellevue, Neb. (April 20, 2024)—No. 16 ranked Bellevue (Neb.) earned another North Star Athletic Association doubleheader sweep over Dakota State (S.D.), earning the regular-season title at John Stella Field at Brown Stadium.

After a scoreless first inning, the Bruins scored at least a run from the second through fifth inning to fuel to a 10-1 victory over the Trojans.  Dawson Portner tallied a double and single.  Ryan McDaniel added two singles.  Aidan Perry and Bubba Thompson each had a hit.  Will Clair (L, 8-2) took the defeat on the pitching mound.  JD Kirchner and Aiden Rocha also pitched in relief. 

Dakota State fell short in the four-game series, despite an 8-8 tie after the top eighth inning.  Bellevue scored twice in the bottom eighth and held off the Trojans by the score of 10-9 in a nine-inning contest.

Cameron DeMaria had a home run and collected three RBIs for DSU.  Jeremy Green and Thompson each had two hits and an RBI.  Ned Ceklic added a hit and an RBI.  Cory Brownson and McDaniel each had a hit.    Nicholai Arbach started the game for DSU.  Curtis Flint and Aiden Urbom also pitched in relief.  JD Kirchner (L, 3-2) took the defeat after tossing three innings.  Johan Freudenburg worked the final two outs of the eighth inning.

DSU's six-run sixth inning propels to season sweep of DWU
Madison, S.D. (April 23, 2024)—Despite trailing 2-1 after five-and-half innings in a mid-week non-conference with rival Dakota Wesleyan (S.D.) at Flynn Field, Dakota State (S.D.) exploded for six runs in the bottom sixth frame for a 7-2 victory.  The Trojans completed their season series sweep of the Tigers (defeated DWU 12-6 in March).

Aidan Perry hit an RBI single to knot the game at 1-1 after the first inning for Dakota State.  DWU added a run in the top fourth inning to regain their lead at 2-1.

The Trojans scored six runs in the bottom sixth inning, capped by Cory Brownson's 2-run home run for a 7-2 lead.  Ned Ceklic had an RBI single, followed by Dawson Porter with 2-RBI double, and another RBI single from Bubba Thompson.

Thompson collected three hits and an RBI for DSU.  Portner had a double and two RBIs.  Ceklic and Perry each had an RBI single.  Jeremy Green had two singles and two stolen bases.  JD Kirchner (W, 4-2) earned the victory after tossing four shutout innings in relief with six strikeouts.

2024 DSU Baseball team leaders

· Hits:  Ryan McDaniel—71 hits

· Batting Average:  Ryan McDaniel—.415 batting average (71-of-171 at-bats)

· Slugging Percentage:  Cory Brownson—.620 slugging percentage (32 singles, 10 doubles, 7 home runs)

· Runs Batted In (RBIs):  Jeremy Green—53 RBIs

· Doubles:  Ryan McDaniel—16 doubles

· Triples:  Bubba Thompson—2 triples

· Home Runs:  Walker Hultgren—8 home runs

· Total Bases:  Ryan McDaniel—102 total bases

· Runs Scored:  Aidan Perry, Dawson Portner—45 runs

· Walks:  Ned Ceklic—27 walks

· Hit-by-Pitch:  Dawson Portner—20 hit-by-pitches

· Stolen Bases: Jeremy Green—31 stolen bases

· On-base percentage:  Cory Brownson—.477 on-base percentage

· Innings Pitched:  Sam Tyrpa—64 2/3 innings

· Earned Runs Average (ERA):  Hunter Vikemyr—2.82 earned run average (19 earned runs in 64 2/3 innings)

· Strikeouts (Pitching):   Sam Tyrpa—75 strikeouts

· Complete Games (Pitching):   Will Clair, Sam Tyrpa—3 complete games

· Wins:  Will Clair—8 wins

· Saves:  JD Kirchner—5 saves

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