March 21, 2025

MADISON, S.D. – Dakota State (S.D.) played their first home baseball games of the season Friday afternoon at Flynn Field after playing their first 21 contests on the road/neutral sites.  The Trojans extended their home field winning streak to 15 games after shutting down Tabor (Kan.) 3-0 in the first game.  The Bluejays rallied back in the final inning and held off DSU by the score of 4-3 in the second game to earn a doubleheader split, despite an all-time school career strikeouts record set by Sam Tyrpa.

Dakota State is 13-9 overall record.  Tabor, a member of the Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference, is 16-10 overall record.  The Bluejays qualified for the NAIA Baseball National Tournament Opening Round's championship game last season before falling to Hope International (Calif.).

It was the first meeting since May 10, 2012, that both DSU and Tabor met.  They met in the NAIA Baseball National Tournament Opening Round in Hutchinson, Kan.

Both teams play another doubleheader Saturday afternoon to complete their four-game series.  The first game is set for 12 p.m. at Flynn Field.

Game 1 – Dakota State (S.D.) 3, Tabor (Kan.) 0 – FINAL

Cameron DeMaria sparked the Trojans' scoring run in the bottom second inning with a lead-off double.  Cassidy Watt followed up with a single and advanced DeMaria to third base.  Camaron Haller produced an RBI single to score DeMaria to give DSU a 1-0 lead (Daniel Lesher, catcher's courtesy runner for Watt, advanced to second base).

After Aidan Perry's fly out to right field to advance Leshner to third base, Dakota State extended their lead to 2-0 as Seth Altwine hit an RBI single to score Lesher.

The Trojans' lead grew to 3-0 in the bottom third as Connor Raney hit an RBI single to score Dawson Portner, who led off with a single and advanced to second base after Tabor's wild pitch.

The Bluejays recorded back-to-back singles from Jared Mack and Cole Schieffer with one out in the top seventh.  The Trojans' defense produced the second out.  Isaiah Cohens was hit-by-pitch to set up a bases loaded situation for Tabor.

Dakota State ended the game as Garryn Plummer hit a pop up foul out caught by Cameron DeMaria, securing the home opener victory.

Both teams registered eight hits in the game.  The Bluejays left eight runners on base compared to the Trojans four runners left on base.

DeMaria finished the game by going 2-of-3 with two doubles and a run scored for Dakota State.  Raney, Haller, and Portner each added a single and an RBI.  Portner had a single and a run scored.

Plummer collected a double and single for Tabor.  Schieffer added two singles.  Juan Rose Gonzalez recorded a double.  Cohens, Mack, and Mikey Acosta each had a hit.

Nicholai Arbach (W, 3-2) tossed a complete game shutout victory for DSU.  He scattered eight hits and registered nine strikeouts.  He only issued one walk in the game.

Xander Roberts (L, 3-1) took his first setback of the season for TC.  He worked for four innings and gave up three runs on seven hits.  He recorded six strikeouts.  Zachary Garner pitched two scoreless innings in relief.

Game 2 – Tabor (Kan.) 4, Dakota State (S.D.) 3 – FINAL

Dakota State grabbed the game's first lead in the second game of the doubleheader.  After the first two outs were recorded in the bottom half of the first inning, Raney hit a single followed by DeMaria's hit-by-pitch.  The Trojans led 1-0 as Cassidy Watt hit an RBI single to left field and scored Raney.

A career milestone came in the top sixth inning as Tyrpa surpassed the previous record holder by JD Kirchner of 222 career strikeouts.  Typra produced his third strikeout of the game with two outs in the top sixth, recording his 223^rd career strikeout at Dakota State.  DSU maintained their 1-0 after six innings.

The Bluejays mounted a furious comeback with two outs.  With bases loaded, Daniel Zepeda hit a 2-RBI single to take a 2-1 lead.  Acosta, pinch hitter for Christopher Sieg, followed up with a 2-RBI double to extend Tabor's lead to 4-1.

Dakota State kicked off the bottom seventh with a walk from Darcy Berry.  Hunter Vikemyr followed up with a single to advance Barry to third base.  Raney hit an RBI single to score Barry as the Trojans trailed 4-2 with no outs (Vikemyr advanced to second base).

DSU's Raney advanced to third base and Vikemyr advanced to second base after Tabor's wild pitch in the bottom seventh.  DeMaria recorded a walk to set up a bases loaded situation with no outs for the Trojans.

DSU recorded the next two outs in the bottom seventh.  The Bluejays committed a wild pitch, allowing Vikemyr to score as the Trojans trailed 4-3 (Raney advanced to third base and Tyler Hoffman, pinch runner for DeMaria, to second base).

Perry recorded a walk for Dakota State for a bases loaded situation with two outs in the bottom seventh.  The Bluejays secured the victory with a strikeout.

The Trojans outhit the Bluejays 10-5 in the game.  DSU left 11 runners on base compared to TC two runners left on base.

Raney was perfect at the plate, going 3-of-3 with three singles, an RBI, and a walk.  Watt added two singles and an RBI.  Perry had two hits and a walk.  Barry collected a double and walk.  Altwine and Vikemyr each registered a single.  Barry and Raney each recorded a stolen base.

Acosta led the Bluejays with double and two RBIs.  Zepeda added single and two RBIs.  Marcelo Aguirre, Gonzalez, and Aidan Martinez each recorded a single.

Tyrpa (L, 2-4) recorded the defeat despite tossing a complete game for Dakota State.  He allowed four runs on five hits and recorded four strikeouts.

Wyatt Bauer started the game on the pitching mound for Tabor.  He worked for 5 2/3 innings and allowed one run on seven hits.  He registered four strikeouts.  Brayden Berens (W, 1-1) earned the victory in relief after tossing one out, giving up a run on one hit.  Sergio Gutierrez (S, 1) earned the save after coming in the bottom seventh, giving up an unearned run on two hits.