February 21, 2025

This Week's Preview
MADISON, S.D. (Feb. 21, 2025)—The Dakota State University Trojan baseball team (0-4 overall record) returns to action Monday and Tuesday for the first time since Feb. 7-8.  Despite the cold weather that canceled the Joplin (Mo.) Invitational, the Trojans return to action in the Tiger Classic hosted by Baker (Kan.).

There were adjustments to the Tiger Classic, which was originally scheduled for Feb. 21-22.  Due to cold weather, the tournament was moved to Baker campus instead of PBR Homefield in Kansas City, Mo.  Dakota State will play three games in the tournament, starting on Monday versus MidAmerica Nazarene (Kan.) (3-2 overall record, No. 25 in the NAIA Baseball Coaches' Top 25 preseason poll) of Heart of American Athletic Conference at 3 p.m. 

DSU plays two games on Tuesday, facing Midland (Neb.) (1-7 overall record) of the Great Plains Athletic Conference at 11:30 a.m. and host-team Baker (Kan.) (0-4 overall record) at 2 p.m., another Heart conference foe.  All three games will be played at Sauder Field (725 N 2nd Street) in Baldwin City, Kan.

Dakota State kicked off their season in a challenging Cajun Collision tournament in Sterlington, La.  The Trojans fell to (RV) Science & Arts (Okla.) 6-2 and No. 13 Mid-America Christian (Okla.) 5-0) on Feb. 7.  DSU dropped a 10-8 extra inning affair to McPherson (Kan.) and 5-0 contest to No. 4 ranked LSU-Shreveport (La.) on Feb. 8.

MidAmerica Nazarene swept Spring Arbor (Mich.) in a doubleheader on Feb. 6-7.  Midland went 1-3 record in their four-game series at Louisiana Christian on Feb. 14-15, earning their first win of the season on Feb. 14.  Baker opened their season with a 0-4 record after being swept by (RV) Ottawa (Ariz.) on Feb. 6-8.

Next Up:  Dakota State continues their action on the road next weekend, playing their first four-game series of the season.  The Trojans visit Sterling (Kan.) of Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference on Feb. 28-March 1.

This Week's Quick Hits
+ Dakota State (S.D.) plays their second preseason tournament of the season.  The Joplin (Mo.) Invitational was canceled on Feb. 14-15 due to winter weather conditions that impacted the Midwest.
+ The Trojans are facing their third opponent that is ranked in the NAIA Baseball Coaches' Top 25 preseason poll on Monday.  DSU is seeking for their first win against NAIA's Top 25 team since April 28, 2023, when they defeated No. 5 ranked Bellevue (Neb.) 9-6 in 15 innings in Bellevue, Neb.
+ MidAmerica Nazarene swept Dakota State in the last meeting on March 5, 2012, held in Olathe, Kan.  They will be meeting for their third time in the series meeting on Monday in Baldwin City, Kan.
+ The Trojans fell to Midland (Neb.) in the last meeting on Feb. 26, 2022, held in Omaha, Neb.
+ DSU and Baker (Kan.) met on March 4-5, 2023, in a three-game series in Baldwin City, Kan..  The Trojans won the series opener 5-2 on March 4, 2023, while the Wildcats won the final two games of the series on March 5.
+ Dakota State is playing their first road contest of the season on Tuesday, visiting Baker.  The Trojans then play a four-game series at Sterling (Kan.) in Sterling, Kan., on Feb. 28-March 1.
+ DSU faces opponents from five different NAIA conferences in their first seven games of the season, from the Sooner Athletic Conference, Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference, and Red River Athletic Conference in the Cajun Collision, and opponents from the Heart of America Athletic Conference and Great Plains Athletic Conference on Monday and Tuesday.

Noteworthy...
TROJANS DURING SPRING BREAK:  After Dakota State's (S.D.) four-game series at Sterling (Kan.) next weekend, the Trojan splay a total of nine games during their spring break schedule.  DSU plays four-game series at Texas A&M-Texarkana of the Red River Athletic Conference on March 7-8.  The Trojans play another opponent from the RRAC on March 11 in a nine-inning game with Jarvis Christian (Texas).  Dakota State then heads to Springfield, Mo., on March 14-15 for a four-game series with Evangel (Mo.).
 
IN THE RECORD BOOK:  Sam Tyrpa had surpassed 200 career strikeouts on the pitching mound for Dakota State after opening the season with six strikeouts in the Cajun Collision on Feb. 7.  He is currently second all-time in the DSU Baseball school record book with 203 strikeouts, 19 strikeouts behind the school record holder JD Kirchner (222 strikeouts from 2021-24).  Tyrpa holds the top two single season strikeouts record in the Trojan baseball school record book, 99 strikeouts in 2024 and 98 strikeouts in 2023.
 
DSU BASEBALL HOME SCHEDULE OVERVIEW:   Dakota State is tentatively scheduled to open their home schedule on March 21-22 against Tabor (Kan.).  DSU continues their home stand as they open their North Star Athletic Association schedule with eight games at home, four games each versus Jamestown (N.D.) on March 28-29 and Valley City State (N.D.) on April 4-5.  The final home games are scheduled for April 18-19.

DSU BASEBALL DEVELOPMENTAL TEAM BEGINS ON MARCH 3:  The Dakota State developmental baseball team is tentatively scheduled for their 2025 season with a doubleheader at NCAA Division II Augustana (S.D.) on Monday, March 3.  The Trojans play their home opener on March 17 with a doubleheader with Iowa Lakes CC at Flynn Field in Madison, kicking off their 10-game home slate at Flynn Field.

Trojans drop season opener in Cajun Collision
Sterlington, La. (Jan. 21, 2025)—Dakota State (S.D.) dropped a pair of games against members of the Sooner Athletic Conference, both teams qualified for NAIA national tournament last season, in the season opener in the Cajun Collision at Sterlington Sports Complex.  
 
Despite taking a 2-0 lead against (RV) Science & Arts (Okla.) in the season opening game, the Drovers scored six unanswered runs—five runs in the top fifth inning — to earn a 6-2 victory over the Trojans. 

Cameron DeMaria collected a double and single for DSU.  Aidan Perry and Cory Brownson each added a hit.  Cassidy Watt and Camaron Haller each recorded an RBI.  Sam Tyrpa recorded the setback on the pitching mound after tossing 4 2/3 innings with six strikeouts.  Aiden Urbom also pitched in relief.

No. 13 Mid-America Christian (Okla.) poured in four runs in the second game, defeating Dakota State by the score of 5-0. 

DSU was held to one hit in the game, a single by George Hogan.  Michael Buchmann swiped one base. Hunter Vikemyr pitched six innings and registered six strikeouts for the Trojans.  Keaton Young pitched a shutout seventh inning in relief.

DSU falls short on second day of Cajun Collision
Sterlington, La. (Feb. 8, 2025)—Dakota State (S.D.) was unable to earn their first win on the second day of the Cajun Collision baseball tournament at Sterlington Sports Complex.

Dakota State fell to McPherson (Kan.) 10-8 in extra innings.  The Trojans led 6-3 before the Bulldogs scored three runs in the bottom sixth frame.  Both teams scored twice in the eighth inning, while McPherson ended the game with two runs in the bottom ninth for a 10-8 victory.

Cory Brownson and Connor Raney each had two hits and an RBI.  Cassidy Watt had a home run and an RBI.  Darcy Barry tallied a hit and two RBIs.  George Hogan and Hunter Vikemyr each had a hit and an RBI.  Braylon Bear started the game on the pitching mound for DSU, tossing four inning with five strikeouts.  Tryeten Kolar, Curtis Flint, and Hayden Leighty also worked in relief.

NAIA's No. 4 ranked LSU Shreveport (La.) defeated Dakota State 5-0 in the tournament's finale.  After three scoreless innings, LSU-S scored two runs in the fourth and sixth innings along with a run in the fifth to secure the victory.  Hogan, Cameron DeMaria, and Watt each had a hit.  Nicholai Arbach tossed a complete game on the pitching mound, despite the defeat.  He registered five strikeouts.

2024 Trojans in the school record book overview
Madison, S.D. (Feb. 21, 2024)— Numerous school records were listed in the school record book by the 2024 Dakota State Trojan baseball squad.

As a team, the Trojans set new team records with .328 batting average, 400 runs scored, 56 home runs, 833 total bases, 51 sacrifices hits, 367 runs batted in (RBIs), and 531 hits offensively. 

Aidan Perry scored 48 runs for the Trojans in 2024, tying for the fourth most single season runs scored.  Dawson Portner finished as the seventh most single season run scored with 47 runs.

Perry also tied for ninth most single season runs batted in (RBIs) with 43 RBIs with Ryan McDaniel (same season and Walker Hultgren in 2023. 

Sam Tyrpa and Hunter Vikemyr tied for the second most pitching starts in a single season with 13 starts in 2024.  Tyrpa also owns the single season school record of 99 strikeouts.

2025 DSU Baseball Team Leaders

· Hits:  Cory Brownson, Cameron DeMaria, Aidan Perry, George Hogan—3 hits

· Batting Average:  Cory Brownson, Cameron DeMaria, George Hogan—.231 batting average (3-of-11 at-bats)

· Slugging Percentage:  Cassidy Watt—.500 slugging percentage (1 double, 1 home run)

· Runs Batted In (RBIs):  Cassidy Watt, Darcy Barry—2 RBIs

· Doubles:  Cory Brownson, Cameron DeMaria, Cassidy Watt, Hunter Vikemyr—1 double

· Triples:  N/A—0 triples

· Home Runs:  Cassidy Watt—1 home run

· Total Bases:  Cassidy Watt—6 total bases

· Runs Scored:  Aidan Perry, Cory Brownson—2 runs

· Walks:  Camaron Haller—2 walks

· Hit-by-Pitch:  Cassidy Watt, Hunter Vikemyr, Darcy Barry—1 hit-by-pitch

· Stolen Bases: Hunter Vikemyr, Michael Buchmann—1 stolen base

· On-base percentage:  Cory Brownson, Cameron DeMaria, Aidan Perry—.286 on-base percentage

· Innings Pitched:  Nicholai Arbach—6 innings

· Earned Runs Average (ERA):  Sam Tyrpa—5.79 earned run average

· Strikeouts (Pitching):   Sam Tyrpa—6 strikeouts

· Complete Games (Pitching):   Nicholai Arbach—1 complete game

· Wins:  N/A—0 wins

· Saves:  N/A—0 saves

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