April 9, 2025

This Week's Preview
MADISON, S.D. (April 9, 2025)—The Dakota State University Trojan baseball team (18-15 overall record, 5-3 NSAA record) plays their first North Star Athletic Association road contests Friday and Saturday in North Dakota.

DSU plays their third North Star's four-game series (doubleheader for two days with a seven-inning game followed by a nine-inning game on each day) of the season.  The Trojans visit Dickinson State (N.D.) (11-22 overall record, 3-5 NSAA) Friday afternoon at 2 p.m. (Central Time)/1 p.m. (Mountain Time).  Both teams play another doubleheader on Saturday at 1 p.m. (Central Time)/12 p.m. (Mountain Time).  The NSAA four-game series take place at Dakota Community Bank & Trust Ballpark (240 2nd Street SE) in Dickinson, N.D.

The Trojans return home Tuesday evening for a nine-inning non-conference contest with rival Dakota Wesleyan (S.D.) (11-22 overall record).  First pitch is set for 5 p.m. at Flynn Field in Madison, S.D., kicking off their final five-games of the season (5-game home stand).

Dakota State swept Valley City State (N.D.) at two different neutral sites last weekend in NSAA action.  The Trojans defeated the Vikings 5-0 and 11-7 on April 5 at Drake Field in Mitchell, S.D.  DSU added 6-2 and 7-2 victories over VCSU at Sanford Sports Complex in Sioux Falls, S.D. on April 6.

Dickinson State was swept by (RV) Bellevue (Neb.) in the North Star four-game series in Bellevue, losing 3-2 and 30-2 in seven innings on April 6.  DiSU fell 6-5 and 12-2 in seven innings on April 7.  Dakota Wesleyan lost a 16-4 contest to NCAA Division I South Dakota State on April 9.

Next Up:  Dakota State plays the final home contests of the season next Friday and Saturday at Flynn Field.  The Trojans host the NSAA's conference leader Bellevue (Neb.) as part of Senior Weekend.

This Week's Quick Hits
+ Dakota State (S.D.) had won the last five meetings in the all-time series with Dickinson State (N.D.), including the most recent meeting in the North Star postseason tournament loser's out game on May 4, 2024.
+ The Trojans swept the Blue Hawks in last year's NSAA four-game series held at Flynn Field.  Dakota State scored in double digits runs in the previous five meetings, including 21 runs on April 6, 2024.
+ DSU won nine times in the last ten meetings with Dickinson State since May 9, 2022 (NSAA postseason tournament loser's out game, clinching the spot for the championship game in Forest City, Iowa).
+ Dakota State is 11-4 record on the road this season.  Dickinson State is 4-3 record at home, including a 3-1 series victory over Mayville State (N.D.) during the NSAA conference season opening weekend last month.
+ The Dakota Community Bank & Trust Ballpark will be the site for the final year of the North Star Athletic Association postseason tournament on May 1-5.
+ The Trojans won the first meeting earlier this season with rival Dakota Wesleyan (S.D.) on March 18 at Drake Field.  Dakota State scored the game's first nine runs for 9-0 lead and held off the Tigers by the score of 10-6.
+ DSU earned their fifth straight win in the series meeting with DWU since March 29, 2022.  The Trojans defeated the Tigers in the last three home meetings at Flynn Field.
+ The Trojans play their final five home contests at Flynn Field next week, closing with home schedule versus Bellevue.

Noteworthy...
NORTH STAR UPDATES:  The North Star Athletic Association baseball season is on their third weekend of four-game series.  Bellevue (Neb.) leads the conference standings with 8-0 record, followed by Jamestown (N.D.) and Dakota State (S.D.) with 5-3 conference record each.  Dickinson State (N.D.) and Mayville State (N.D.) are tied for fourth with 3-5 record, while Valley City State (N.D.) is sixth after being winless in eight games.  Friday and Saturday schedule includes DaSU at DiSU, UJ at VCSU, and MSU at BU.
 
DSU IN THE NSAA CONFERENCE TEAM RANKS:  According to the NAIA-PrestoStats as of Wednesday, Dakota State ranks third overall in batting average of .308.  The Trojans are also third with .409 on-base percentage and .515 slugging percentage.  Dakota State ranks second in the NSAA conference with 49 home runs this season.  DSU is third with 5.59 earned run average (ERA) and 240 total strikeouts in the league.  The Trojans rank second in the conference with 9.13 strikeouts/per nine inning. 
 
TROJANS IN THE NSAA RANKS:   Nicholai Arbach leads the North Star Athletic Association with 2.36 earned runs average for Dakota State (49 2/3 innings).  Cameron DeMaria is third in the conference with 37 runs batted in and 12 home runs for the Trojans.  He is second with .789 slugging percentage.  Darcy Barry ties for most stolen bases in the NSAA conference with 14 stolen bases. 

DSU BASEBALL DEVELOPMENTAL TEAM UPDATES:  The Dakota State developmental baseball team is 7-6 overall record this season after falling short to Briar Cliff (Iowa) by identical scores of 4-3 on April 7, followed by a doubleheader split (13-2 victory and 7-1 setback) to Minnesota West CC on April 9.  DSU hosts Minnesota West Monday evening at 5 p.m. and visits NCAA Division II Northern State (S.D.) on April 16.

DSU picks up two wins over VCSU at Drake Field
Mitchell, S.D. (April 5, 2025)—Dakota State (S.D.) picked up two victories over Valley City State (N.D.) to open the North Star Athletic Association four-game series at Drake Field.  A total of 45 strikeouts combined by both teams and both games were registered for the day.
 
The Trojans shut down the Vikings 5-0 in the four-game series opener.  DSU took the first lead in the bottom third after Connor Raney's RBI single and ballooned their lead to 5-0 after six innings.  Cassidy Watt hit a solo home run, while Hunter Vikemyr added a 3-run home run.

Raney and Vikemyr each finished the game with two hits.  Vikemyr drove in three runs.  George Hogan and Dawson Portner each added a hit.  Nicholai Arbach tossed a complete game victory for DSU, striking out VCSU's batters nine times in the game and scattering three singles.

Trailing 7-6 in the second game, the Trojans erupted for five runs in the bottom eighth inning to rally back for an 11-7 victory.  Vikemyr capped the scoring run with a 2-RBI single in the bottom eighth frame.

Aidan Perry, Cameron DeMaria, Vikemyr, and Hogan each had two hits for the Trojans.  Vikemyr drove in three runs.  Watt, Hogan and Seth Altwine each tallied two RBIs.  Sam Tyrpa started the game and worked for 5 1/3 innings.  Bryalon Bear collected the win after tossing 3 2/3 scoreless innings in relief.

Trojans complete NSAA's four-game series sweep
Sioux Falls, S.D. (April 5, 2025)—Dakota State (S.D.) limited Valley City State (N.D.) to two runs in each game at Sanford Sports Complex, earning the North Star Athletic Association four-game series sweep at two different neutral sites.

George Hogan broke the scoreless tie with a 2-run home run in the bottom fourth for DSU in the first game.  Cassidy Watt added a 2-run home run in the bottom fifth and scored two times in the bottom sixth before VCSU scored two runs in the top seventh.  DSU earned a 6-2 victory over the Vikings.

Watt finished the game with three hits and two RBIs for the Trojans.  Aidan Perry and Connor Raney each added two hits.  Perry and Hogan each collected two RBIs.  Hunter Vikemyr earned the win after tossing five scoreless innings, while Aiden Urbom worked for two innings in relief.

Dakota State never trailed in the four-game series finale after opening with a 3-0 lead, enroute to a 7-2 win.

Perry, Cameron DeMaria, and Hogan each recorded two hits in the game.  Perry had three RBIs and three walks.  Alex Swack recorded the victory after tossing six innings with seven strikeouts.  Keaton Young collected his first save of the season after pitching three scoreless innings in relief.

Arbach named to NSAA baseball weekly honors
Madison, S.D. (April 7, 2025)—Nicholai Arbach of Dakota State (S.D.) was honored by the North Star Athletic Association as the Pitcher-of-the-Week, the sixth edition of the weekly honor was announced by the conference office. 

He tossed his third straight complete game victory for Dakota State, shutting down Valley City State (N.D.) 5-0 in the NSAA four-game series opener at Drake Field in Mitchell on April 5.  The Trojans paved the way to their four-game series sweep of the Vikings.

It was Arbach's fourth straight pitching win, raising his pitching record to 5-2 this season.  He scattered just three singles in the game, which was the lowest hits allowed this season by Arbach.

He accumulated 28 total strikeouts in the last three games, including a season-high 10 strikeouts versus Jamestown (N.D.) on March 27 at Flynn Field.  Arbach racked up a total of 215 career strikeouts at Dakota State, which is currently third all-time school record behind Sam Tyrpa (currently all-time leader with 235 strikeouts), followed by JD Kirchner with 222 strikeouts from 2021-24.

2025 DSU Baseball Team Leaders

· Hits:  Cameron DeMaria—41 hits

· Batting Average:  Cameron DeMaria—.376 batting average (41-of-109 at-bats)

· Slugging Percentage:  Cameron DeMaria—.789 slugging percentage (20 singles, 9 doubles, 12 home runs)

· Runs Batted In (RBIs):  Cameron DeMaria—37 RBIs

· Doubles:  Darcy Barry, Cameron DeMaria—9 doubles

· Triples:  Hunter Vikemyr, Seth Altwine—1 triple

· Home Runs:  Cameron DeMaria—12 home runs

· Total Bases:  Cameron DeMaria—86 total bases

· Runs Scored:  Darcy Barry—37 runs

· Walks:  Aidan Perry—27 walks

· Hit-by-Pitch:  Darcy Barry—8 hit-by-pitches

· Stolen Bases: Darcy Barry—14 stolen bases

· On-base percentage:  Aidan Perry—.511 on-base percentage

· Innings Pitched:  Nicholai Arbach—49 2/3 innings

· Earned Runs Average (ERA):  Nicholai Arbach—2.36 earned run average

· Strikeouts (Pitching):   Nicholai Arbach—46 strikeouts

· Complete Games (Pitching):   Nicholai Arbach—6 complete games

· Wins:  Hunter Vikemyr, Nicholai Arbach—5 wins

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

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