March 26, 2025

This Week's Preview
MADISON, S.D. (March 26, 2025)—The Dakota State University Trojan baseball team (13-12 overall record, 0-0 NSAA record) continues their season-long 12-game home stand at Flynn Field in downtown Madison (300 8th Street SW).  The Trojans kick off their 20-game North Star Athletic Association slate with their first eight conference contests at home.  It was originally scheduled for Friday-Saturday and was pushed back to Thursday-Friday, due to poor weather forecast on Saturday.

DSU welcome Jamestown (N.D.) (19-7 overall record, 0-0 NSAA conference record, receiving votes in the latest edition of the NAIA Baseball Coaches' Top 25 national poll) in the conference's four-game series.  The doubleheader, which consists of a seven-inning game followed by a nine-inning contest, starts at 1 p.m. on Thursday and Friday.

The Trojans returned to the state of South Dakota after playing 21 straight games out of states, which included Louisiana, Texas, Kansas, and Missouri.  Dakota State held on to defeat rival Dakota Wesleyan (S.D.) 10-6 after opening the game with a 9-0 lead on March 18 in Mitchell.  DSU opened their home schedule with a 3-0 shutout victory over Tabor (Kan.), followed by three straight losses by the scores of 4-3, 11-8, and 16-10 at Flynn Field on March 21-22.

Jamestown returned to action for the first time since March 8, playing four games in the NSAA Preseason Classic on March 21-22. UJ went 3-1 record, with victories over Mayville State (N.D.) twice and Valley City State (N.D.)

Next Up:  Dakota State wraps up their home stand next weekend as they continue their North Star Athletic Association, hosting Valley City State (N.D.) on April 4-5 at Flynn Field in Madison, S.D.

This Week's Quick Hits
+ Jamestown (N.D.) won the last meeting with Dakota State (S.D.) in the Wildcat Classic in Kansas City, Mo., on Feb. 25, 2024.  The Jimmies won by the score of 7-3.
+ Dakota State and Jamestown play in the North Star Athletic Association conference series for the first time since April 27-28, 2018, where they played in a NSAA triangular with Viterbo (Wis.) in Jamestown, N.D.
+ The Trojans are seeking for their first win over the Jimmies since April 12, 2015.  DSU won by the score of 9-4 held at Jack Brown Stadium in Jamestown, N.D.
+ Jamestown will play at Flynn Field on Thursday-Friday for the first time in 13 years.  The last time the Trojans hosted Jamestown in Madison was on March 24-25, 2012.  At that time, the Trojans and the Jimmies split their four-game series, with DSU winning the first two games and UJ winning the third and fourth games.
+ Dakota State and Jamestown will probably meet for their final meetings before making their athletic transition next season.  DSU will join to the Frontier Conference as a expanded conference with the remaining NSAA conference schools, while UJ moves to NCAA Division II with the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference (NSIC).
+ The Trojans extended their home field winning streak to 15 games after defeating Tabor (Kan.) in the four-game series opener on March 21.  The Bluejays snapped the Trojans' winning streak after taking the final three games of the series.
+ DSU and UJ were former original members of the Dakota Athletic Conference during the 2000's decade.

Noteworthy...
NSAA BASEBALL SEASON OPENING WEEKEND:  All six North Star Athletic Association members will be in action in their season opening conference season on Thursday and Friday.  Dakota State (S.D.) hosts Jamestown (N.D.) Thursday-Friday, while Bellevue (Neb.) welcomes Valley City State (N.D.).  Mayville State (N.D.) hosts Dickinson State (N.D.).  Each North Star will be playing a four-game series for five straight weekends before playing the conference tournament in early May, held in Dickinson, N.D.
 
TROJANS IN THE NSAA CONFERENCE RANKS:  According to the NAIA-PrestoStats as of Wednesday, Dakota State's (S.D.) Cameron DeMaria ties for most home runs this season with 10 home runs with Bellevue's (Neb.) Steve Elsner and Logan Grant.  DeMaria also ranks third in the NSAA conference with 32 runs batted in (RBIs).  Darcy Barry leads the North Star conference with 11 stolen bases.  Dakota State is second in the NSAA conference with .318 batting average and .418 slugging percentage this season.
 
DSU'S SEASON-HIGH HOME STAND AT FLYNN FIELD:   Dakota State is currently in the middle of their 12-game home stand at Flynn Field.  The Trojans opened their home schedule with a 1-3 record against last year's national tournament's qualifier Tabor (Kan.).  After hosting Jamestown (N.D.) this week, DSU hosts Valley City State (N.D.), Dakota Wesleyan (S.D.), and Bellevue (Neb.) on their remaining home contests.

DSU BASEBALL DEVELOPMENTAL TEAM UPDATES:  The Dakota State developmental baseball team is currently on a four-game winning streak after sweeping rival Dakota Wesleyan (S.D.) in the doubleheader on March 24 in Mitchell, S.D.  The Trojans defeated the Tigers 4-1 and 5-1.  DSU, currently at 4-2 overall record, return home Wednesday versus Northern State (S.D.) and head to Mount Marty (S.D.) Monday.

Trojans hold off rival Tigers 10-6 in Mitchell
Mitchell, S.D. (March 18, 2025)—Dakota State's (S.D.) pitches combined for 17 strikeouts, while the Trojans' hitters produced six extra-bases in earning a 10-6 non-conference victory over rival Dakota Wesleyan (S.D.) at Drake Field.  
 
After three scoreless innings, the Trojans took the first lead of the game with two runs scored in the top fourth inning thanks to Cassidy Watt's 2-run home run.  DSU added two more runs in the top fifth and sixth innings to balloon their lead to 6-0.

Dawson Portner highlighted DSU's three-run production with a 2-run home run for a 9-0 lead.  The Tigers answered with a run in the bottom seventh to cut DSU's lead to 9-1.  DSU extended their lead to 10-1 in the top eighth before DWU stormed back with five runs in the bottom half of the eighth inning (DSU led 10-6).  Both teams did not score in the final inning as the Trojans secured the victory.

Watt, Seth Altwine, and Portner each had two hits for Dakota State.  Watt drove in four runs, while Portner added three RBIs.  Connor Raney, DeMaria, Camaron Haller, and Aidan Perry each added a hit.

Aiden Urbom (W, 2-0) earned the victory after tossing six innings on the pitching mound.  He recorded a career-high 12 strikeouts and scattered six hits.  Alexander Ferrin tossed 1 2/3 innings in relief, while Curtis Flint worked for 1 1/3 scoreless innings.  Flint registered four strikeouts.

Tyrpa set career record in DSU's home opener split
Madison, S.D. (March 21, 2025)—Dakota State (S.D.) kicked off their home schedule at Flynn Field with a 3-0 shutout victory over Tabor (Kan.), who advanced to the NAIA Baseball National Tournament's Opening Round championship game last season.

DSU scored two runs in the bottom second and a run in the bottom third innings to round out the final score, extending their home field winning streak to 15 games.

Cameron DeMaria and Cassidy Watt each had two hits in the game.  Connor Raney, Camaron Haller, and Seth Altwine each had a hit and an RBI.  Nicholai Arbach tossed a complete game victory on the pitching mound, recording nine strikeouts.

The Trojans fell short in the second game, despite a career record setting by Sam Tyrpa.  The Trojans led 1-0 after the first inning and kept the Bluejays scoreless through the seventh inning.  Tyrpa set the school record in the sixth inning with his 223rd career strikeouts, surpassing JD Kirchner's record of 222 strikeouts.  Tabor scored four runs in the top sixth and held off DSU's comeback 4-3.

Raney had three hits in the game for the Trojans.  Watt and Perry each added two hits.  Altwine, Barry, and Hunter Vikemyr each added a hit.

DSU falls in final two games with Tabor (Kan.)
Madison, S.D. (March 22, 2025)—Dakota State (S.D.) smashed a total of nine home runs combined, despite falling short in the final two games of the four-game series with Tabor (Kan.) of the Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference at Flynn Field.

Tabor exploded for seven runs in the top third inning to break a 1-1 tie, earning a 9-3 lead after three innings.  The Trojans rallied back with five straight runs, cutting their deficit to 9-8 after five innings.  The Bluejays secured an 11-8 victory after adding two runs in the top sixth inning.

Darcy Barry had a grand slam for the Trojans.  Cameron DeMaria added a two home runs and three RBIs.  Hunter Vikemyr also had a home run.   

Both DSU and Tabor scored in every inning except the fourth inning, where the Bluejays prevailed by the score of 16-10.  Connor Raney, Aidan Perry, DeMaria, Camaron Haller, and Seth Altwine each hit a home run in the game for the Trojans.  Perry collected four RBIs. 

2025 DSU Baseball Team Leaders

· Hits:  Connor Raney—31 hits

· Batting Average:  Connor Raney—.373 batting average (31-of-83 at-bats)

· Slugging Percentage:  Cameron DeMaria—.827 slugging percentage (13 singles, 7 doubles, 10 home runs)

· Runs Batted In (RBIs):  Cameron DeMaria—32 RBIs

· Doubles:  Darcy Barry—8 doubles

· Triples:  Hunter Vikemyr, Seth Altwine—1 triple

· Home Runs:  Cameron DeMaria—10 home runs

· Total Bases:  Cameron DeMaria—67 total bases

· Runs Scored:  Darcy Barry—30 runs

· Walks:  Aidan Perry—20 walks

· Hit-by-Pitch:  Darcy Barry, Cameron DeMaria—5 hit-by-pitches

· Stolen Bases: Darcy Barry—11 stolen bases

· On-base percentage:  Cameron DeMaria—.480 on-base percentage

· Innings Pitched:  Nicholai Arbach—35 2/3 innings

· Earned Runs Average (ERA):  Nicholai Arbach—2.52 earned run average

· Strikeouts (Pitching):   Hunter Vikemyr—33 strikeouts

· Complete Games (Pitching):   Nicholai Arbach—4 complete games

· Wins:  Hunter Vikemyr—4 wins

· Saves:  Braylon Bear, Aiden Urbom, Alexander Ferrin—1 save

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