December 10, 2025

MADISON, S.D. – The Dakota State University announced their 2026 schedule Wednesday.  Their 2026 schedule included a return trip to the Cajun Collision in their season opening weekend in early February and entering their new conference era in the Frontier Conference.  The Trojans, under the guidance of seventh year head coach Derrion Hardie, also will face six different opponents that qualified for the NAIA Baseball National Tournament Opening Round and World Series last season.
 
Dakota State begins their baseball season as they return to Sterlington, La., for the second straight year.  The Trojans play in the challenging 4-game Cajun Collision slate – with three teams from the Red River Athletic Conference – on Feb. 6-7.  The Trojans begin their preseason tournament with the national tournament's qualifier Louisiana Christian in the season opener on Feb. 6, followed by a contest versus LSU-Alexandria. 
 
DSU plays Park (Mo.) of the Heart of America Athletic Association on the second day of the tournament on Feb. 7.  The Trojans close out the preseason tournament versus the host-team and NAIA's national defending champion, preseason NAIA's No. 1 ranked LSU-Shreveport (La.), who finished their 2025 with a historic 59-0 undefeated record.
 
Dakota State continues their preseason tournament on Feb. 13-14 in the Eagle Invitational held in Fayette, Mo.  The Trojans open the tournament on Feb. 13 against host-team and NAIA national tournament qualifier Central Methodist (Mo.), who is ranked No. 25 in the preseason poll.  DSU also plays Madonna (Mich.) in the tournament on Feb. 14.  The Trojans play a doubleheader each day.

The Trojans are scheduled to host Midland (Neb.) of the Great Plains Athletic Conference in a home four-game series on Feb. 20-21, playing a doubleheader each day.  DSU then travels to Sterling (Kan.) of the Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference for a three-game series to close out the month on Feb. 27-28.
 
Dakota State continues their action on the road on March 6-7 in a four-game series with 2025 NAIA national tournament's qualifier Mount Mercy (Iowa) of the Heart of America Athletic Conference.  DSU then travels to Bethel (Tenn.) of Mid-South conference on March 13-14 for another four-game series on the road.
 
The Trojans return to South Dakota to participate in the Frontier Conference Jamboree on March 21-22 at Sanford Sports Complex in Sioux Falls, S.D.  DSU is scheduled to face Bismarck State (N.D.) and Valley City State (N.D.) on the first day of the jamboree, followed by Dickinson State (N.D.) and Mayville State (N.D.) on the second day.
 
Dakota State begins their 21-game Frontier Conference schedule on March 27-28 in a four-game series at Bismarck State (N.D.).  The Trojans continue their conference action on April 3-4 at Valley City State (N.D.) before returning home for a 9-inning conference contest with nationally ranked preseason rank No. 22 Bellevue (Neb.), who qualified for the NAIA national tournament for the past 14 years, at Flynn Field on April 7.
 
DSU continues their season-high six-game home stand in the Frontier four-game series with Dickinson State (N.D.), 2025 NAIA Baseball National Tournament's qualifier, on April 10-11 and host Dakota Wesleyan (S.D.) in a nine-inning non-conference game on April 14.
 
The Trojans close out their road schedule in the Frontier's four-game series at Bellevue (Neb.) on April 17-18 and a non-conference game at Northwestern (Iowa).
 
DSU plays their final home four-game series versus Mayville State (N.D.) on April 24-25 during Senior Weekend.
 
The Frontier Conference baseball postseason tournament takes place in Dickinson, N.D., from April 30 through May 3 (with May 4 serving as a rain date).  The conference postseason tournament's champion will receive the Frontier Conference's automatic bid to the NAIA National Tournament Opening Round at campus sites on May 11-14.
 
The Avista-NAIA World Series are set for May 22-29 in Lewiston, Idaho.
 
The Trojan baseball developmental team is scheduled to play a total of 26 contests – with 14 games scheduled at Flynn Field – on their 2026 spring schedule, opening on Feb. 25 with a doubleheader at the University of Sioux Falls' junior varsity squad.  DSU plays a six-game home stand from March 25 versus Lake Region State (N.D.) through April 1 versus Anoka-Ramsey (Minn.) (will also play Northwestern, Iowa, on March 30).
 
DSU's developmental team closes their 2026 spring schedule with another six-game home stand from April 20 through April 27 versus Minnesota West CC, Augustana (S.D.), and Dakota Wesleyan (S.D.).
 
Below is the complete 2026 Dakota State baseball schedule:
 

2026 Dakota State Trojan Baseball Schedule
Day	Date	Opponent	Time (CST)	Location
Friday	Feb. 6	Louisiana Christian #	11 a.m.	Sterlington, La.
Friday	Feb. 6	LSU-Alexandria #	2:30 p.m.	Sterlington, La.
Saturday	Feb. 7	Park (Mo.) #	11 a.m.	Sterlington, La.
Saturday	Feb. 7	LSU-Shreveport	2:30 p.m.	Sterlington, La.
Friday	Feb. 13	Central Methodist (Mo.) $	12 p.m. (DH)	Fayette, Mo.
Saturday	Feb. 14	Madonna (Mich.) $	12 p.m. (DH)	Fayette, Mo.
Friday	Feb. 20	Midland (Neb.)	1 p.m. (DH)	Madison, S.D.
Saturday	Feb. 21	Midland (Neb.)	12 p.m. (DH)	Madison, S.D.
Friday	Feb. 27	Sterling (Kan.)	11 a.m. (DH)	Sterling, Kan.
Saturday	Feb. 28	Sterling (Kan.)	12 p.m.	Sterling, Kan.
Friday	March 6	Mount Mercy (Iowa)	1 p.m. (DH)	Cedar Rapids, Iowa
Saturday	March 7	Mount Mercy (Iowa)	12 p.m. (DH)	Cedar Rapids, Iowa
Friday	March 13	Bethel (Tenn.)	1 p.m. (DH)	McKenzie, Tenn.
Saturday	March 14	Bethel (Tenn.)	12 p.m. (DH)	McKenzie, Tenn.
Saturday	March 21	Bismarck State (N.D.) %	10 a.m.	Sioux Falls, S.D.
Saturday	March 21	Valley City State (N.D.) %	4:30 p.m.	Sioux Falls, S.D.
Sunday	March 22	Dickinson State (N.D.) %	10 a.m.	Sioux Falls, S.D.
Sunday	March 22	Mayville State (N.D.) %	4:30 p.m.	Sioux Falls, S.D.
Friday	March 27	Bismarck State (N.D.)*	1 p.m. (DH)	Bismarck, N.D.
Saturday	March 28	Bismarck State (N.D.)*	12 p.m. (DH)	Bismarck, N.D.
Tuesday	March 31	Dakota Wesleyan (S.D.)	3 p.m.	Mitchell, S.D.
Friday	April 3	Valley City State (N.D.)*	1 p.m. (DH)	Valley City, N.D.
Saturday	April 4	Valley City State (N.D.)*	12 p.m. (DH)	Valley City, N.D.
Tuesday	April 7	Bellevue (Neb.)*	2 p.m.	Madison, S.D.
Friday	April 10	Dickinson State (N.D.)*	1 p.m. (DH)	Madison, S.D.
Saturday	April 11	Dickinson State (N.D.)*	12 p.m. (DH)	Madison, S.D.
Tuesday	April 14	Dakota Wesleyan (S.D.)*	5 p.m.	Madison, S.D.
Friday	April 17	Bellevue (Neb.)*	1 p.m. (DH)	Bellevue, Neb.
Saturday	April 18	Bellevue (Neb.)*	12 p.m. (DH)	Bellevue, Neb.
Tuesday	April 21	Northwestern (Iowa)	4 p.m.	Orange City, Iowa
Friday	April 24	Mayville State (N.D.)*!	1 p.m. (DH)	Madison, S.D.
Saturday	April 25	Mayville State (N.D.)*!	12 p.m. (DH)	Madison, S.D.
Thurs.-Sun.	April 30-May 3	Frontier Conference Postseason Tournament	TBA	Dickinson, N.D.
Mon.-Thurs.	May 11-14	NAIA Baseball Opening Round	TBA	Campus Sites
Fri.-Fri.	May 22-29	Avista-NAIA World Series	TBA	Lewiston, Idaho
HOME GAME IN BOLD - @ FLYNN FIELD (DH) – Doubleheader *Frontier Conference contest # Cajun Challenge – Sterlington, La. $ Eagle Invitational – Fayette, Mo. % Frontier Jamboree – Sioux Falls, S.D. – Sanford Sports Complex ! – Senior Weekend