November 11, 2026

MADISON, S.D. – Dakota State University baseball is pleased to announce the signing of eight high school student-athletes who will join the Trojan baseball program as members of its 2027 recruiting class during the November 11 early national signing period.

The group represents a key step in the continued development and growth of the Dakota State baseball program. Featuring a combination of athleticism, competitiveness, and potential, the eight signees bring qualities that align with the program's vision and long-term direction.

Dakota State's recruiting approach emphasizes identifying talent early, building relationships, and developing players within the program. The coaching staff continue to prioritize high school recruiting and bringing in student-athletes who fit the culture and identity of Trojan Baseball.
 
"We are excited about this group and what each of these young men brings to our program," said head coach Derrion Hardie. "They are an athletic, competitive group with tremendous upside, and we believe they have the potential to make a significant impact at Dakota State. Our philosophy is to identify talent early, develop it in-house, and build a roster in the image of our program and culture. We want to bring in individuals who believe in what we're building, embrace the development process, and want to be part of something bigger than themselves. We are excited to invest in these young men."
 
Dakota State baseball also recognizes the families, high school coaches, and summer baseball organizations who have played a vital role in preparing these student-athletes for the next step in their baseball careers. The coaching staff's continued commitment to recruiting, building relationships, and identifying individuals who align with the program's vision has been instrumental in assembling the group.
 
The November 11 announcement represents Dakota State's early signing group for the 2027 recruiting class. The Trojans will continue their recruiting efforts in the coming months as they work toward completing the class.
 
In 2026, the Trojans established an average of 30 wins a season since 2021. Other highlights include four players re-signing professional contracts, a CSC All-American, the Conference Freshman-of-the-Year, breaking seven DSU records, recognition as a National Scholar Team, and 735 community service hours worked.
 
Additional information and individual highlights for each of Dakota State's eight signees can be found below.
 
Andrew Johanek – OF – Gross Catholic High School – Omaha, Neb. – 5'10", 170 lbs.
Dakota State University baseball is excited to welcome Andrew Johanek, an outfielder from Gross Catholic High School in Omaha to the fall 2027 recruiting class. Playing for head coach Jim Hempel and the Cougars, Johanek has established himself as an outstanding player, earning 2026 Academic All-Conference, All-Conference, and Honorable Mention All-State honors. He is also recognized as the No. 9-ranked outfielder in Nebraska by Prep Baseball Report for the 2027 class. A left-handed hitter, Johanek posted an impressive .341 batting average and .464 on-base percentage while recording 18 stolen bases and a .970 fielding percentage.
 
Coach Hardie on Andrew: "Andrew is an exceptional hitter with a polished approach at the plate, combining bat speed, discipline, and confidence. He consistently barrels the baseball and has demonstrated the ability to drive the ball with authority to all fields. In addition to his impact bat, Andrew is a plus athlete in the outfield. He possesses above-average speed that allows him to cover significant ground defensively, and he runs the bases aggressively. We are excited about the athleticism, offensive ability, and competitiveness Andrew will bring to our program." Johanek plans to major in Business at Dakota State University."

Luke Torgrude – OF – Mahtomedi High School – Mahtomedi, Minn. – 6'0", 190 lbs.
Luke Torgrude joins the Dakota State University baseball program from Mahtomedi, Minn., where he attends Mahtomedi High School and plays for head coach John Hardgrove. A two-time Class 3A State Champion (2025, 2026), Torgrude has established himself as an accomplished multi-sport athlete and a talented outfielder. He was named 2026 Preseason All-State, All-Conference, and his team's Most Improved Player, while also earning three-year varsity football starter recognition and membership in the National Honor Society. A highly regarded prospect, Torgrude is ranked the No. 19 outfielder in Minnesota's 2027 class by Prep Baseball Report. He has put together impressive career numbers, hitting .414 with a .558 on-base percentage and 1.029 OPS at the high school level, along with a .950 fielding percentage. He has continued that production with his summer team, Take the Field, posting a .400 batting average, .558 on-base percentage, 1.031 OPS, and .967 fielding percentage.
 
Coach Hardie on Luke: "Luke has a smooth left-handed swing, runs very well, and is a physical young man. He's a two-sport athlete who excels in football, and Prep RedZone Minnesota recognized him as one of the eight most dangerous and explosive athletes in the Minnesota Class of 2027. That athleticism certainly shows up on the baseball field. Some of his biggest strengths are his ability to be a tough out and rarely strike out, his running ability, his defensive reads in the outfield, and his ability to hit the ball to the opposite field. We identified Luke early in the recruiting process as a great fit for our program personally, academically, and athletically, and we've been recruiting him for two years. I'm super excited to officially welcome Luke to Dakota State and have him become a Trojan. Torgrude plans to major in Business at Dakota State University."

Seth Hassinger – RHP – Boise High School – Boise, Idaho – 6'2", 200 lbs.
Seth Hassinger is a right-handed pitcher from Boise, ID and attends Boise High School. After recovering from a shoulder injury that kept him out of most of his 2026 high school spring season, Hassinger returned to the mound for the 2026 summer season where he posted a 1.80 ERA with 51 strikeouts in 35 innings pitched. Maintaining a 3.1 GPA, Hassinger plans to pursue a degree in business during his tenure at Dakota State University.
 
Coach Rutan on Seth: "We are excited to welcome Seth and his family to our program here at Dakota State. The first time Seth and I connected over the phone; I had a great feeling about him and his character that continued throughout his recruiting process. He is mature and carries himself to a high standard. He repeatedly emphasized that he values a strong culture and a program that is going to help develop him as a person and player, which fits perfectly within the mission of our program here at DSU. He values being a part of a competitive program with hands-on coaching along with an intimate academic learning experience. That is why Dakota State University is a great fit for him. Between his size and metrics, Seth's best baseball is still ahead of him, and we look forward to him reaching that upside during his time as a Trojan."
 
Colton Sayles – RHP – Rapid City Central High School – Rapid City, S.D. – 6'0", 170 lbs.
Colton Sayles is a right-handed pitcher from Rapid City, SD and currently attends Rapid City Central High School. He will be coming to DSU after playing in the Rapid City Post 320 Legion organization, led by Mike Jansen. In the summer of 2026, Sayles helped lead Post 320 to an appearance in the 2026 Class A State Tournament. Carrying a GPA of 3.4, Sayles will be pursuing a degree in cyber and network security during his time at Dakota State.
 
Coach Rutan on Colton: "Colton attended our prospect camp this past summer and we quickly identified him as a player that checks our boxes in what we are looking for in a pitcher in our program. He highlighted good command and control of multiple pitches along with plus metrics on his breaking ball that is going to play well within our program. After learning more about Colton through conversations with Coach Jansen, we knew Colton was a great fit for our program and culture here at Dakota State. DSU is a great fit for Colton, not only athletically, but academically and personally as well. He will have a great student-athlete experience here. We are excited to welcome Colton and his family to Dakota State, and look forward to working with him during his time as a Trojan."
 
Trevor Shenk – RHP – Barstow High School – Barstow, Calif. – 5'11", 160 lbs.
Trevor Shenk is a right-handed pitcher from Barstow, Calif., and currently attends Barstow High School. During the 2026 spring season for the Barstow Aztecs, led by head coach, Matt Shipley, Shenk posted a 2.89 ERA and a 2.19 to 1 strikeout to walk ratio in 46 innings pitched while recording 46 strikeouts. He was also named the 2x Player of the Game by MaxPreps on February 26, 2026, and March 7, 2026, respectively. During his time at Dakota State, Shenk will be pursuing a degree in computer science with an interest in digital media design.
 
Coach Rutan on Trevor: "Dakota State University is a perfect fit for Trevor personally, academically, and athletically, so we are thrilled to welcome him and his family to our program. From a baseball standpoint, Trevor possesses the ability to command all three of his pitches for strikes paired with tight spin on his breaking ball pitches. He is a solid athlete with tools that will set him up for success on the mound at the college level. We also appreciate Trevor prioritizing finding his right academic fit throughout his recruiting process. He made it clear that finding an excellent computer science program is a top priority for him and he certainly has found that here in Dakota State. Trevor is destined to have a great student-athlete experience in his time here at DSU and we look forward to seeing the value he is going to bring to our program as a Trojan."
 
Joey Goodmann – RHP – Kirkwood, MO – St. Louis, Mo. – 6'3", 170 lbs.
Joey Goodmann is a right-handed pitcher from Kirkwood High School and resides in St. Louis. During the 2026 summer season for the St. Louis Gamers 17u Gray, Goodmann recorded a 3.04 ERA with 42 strikeouts across 9 appearances on the mound. A multi-sport athlete in high school, Goodmann also served on the leadership council for his high school football team. Carrying a GPA of 3.69, Goodmann intends on pursuing a degree in education at Dakota State University.
 
Coach Rutan on Joey: "We are happy to welcome Joey and his family to our program here at Dakota State. Joey comes from a family with college athletic playing experience, and we believe that background will help him transition and succeed well during his time in our program. Joey has a high upside and a solid frame to develop and grow into, which he will do under Coach Max Ouzts and our strength and conditioning program. Plus, throughout the recruiting process, Joey exhibited qualities such as selflessness and striving for excellence that align well with our core values. Combining those qualities along with proven success on the field makes Joey and Dakota State baseball a great fit for each other. He is a mature and well-rounded young man and is the type of person and player we value and want a part of our program and culture. We look forward to working with Joey and watching him develop as he impacts our program at a high level during his time as a Trojan."
 
Vinny Cortinas – C – Gross Catholic High School – Omaha, Neb. – 6'0", 185 lbs.
Vinny Cortinas is a catcher from Omaha and currently attends Gross Catholic High School. During the 2026 spring season for the Cougars, led by Jim Hempel, Cortinas posted a .304 batting average and a .448 on-base percentage with 62.1 innings caught and a 21.4 runner caught stealing percentage defensively. He followed that up in the summer by hitting .365 with a .510 on-base percentage and caught 192 innings as the primary catcher for the Peitzmeier Demolition Legion program. During his time at Dakota State, Cortinas plans to pursue a degree in general studies.
 
Coach Rutan on Vinny: "We are happy to welcome Vinny and his family to Dakota State. We had the opportunity to watch Vinny compete at a high-level tournament in Rapid City, SD over the summer and were impressed with the skills and tools he displayed both offensively and defensively. After our second time watching Vinny display his skills at our prospect camp later in the summer, we knew he was the guy that fits our style of play and what we look for in a catcher. Vinny has a solid gap to gap offensive skillset with more power waiting to be unlocked. Defensively, he moves well, gets the ball out clean and has proven to be able to control the running game. Plus, we think Vinny is a great kid and will be a great addition to our culture. We look forward to welcoming Vinny and seeing him continue to grow and develop in our program."
 
Griffin Donahue – SS – Random Lake HS – Random Lake, Wis. – 6'2", 185 lbs.
Griffin Donahue will be joining the Trojans from Random Lake, Wisconsin. During the 2026 spring season, Griffin helped lead Random Lake to a 21-4 record by hitting .481/.496/.764 and notching a 1.240 OPS. In addition, he broke the school's doubles record with 15, recorded 16 stolen bases, and 36 RBIs. In his career, he hit .374 with a .962 OPS. During that time, he's been a 3x All-Conference recipient and earned All-District honors. He is an exceptional student with a 3.98 GPA and plans to study computer information systems specializing in business analytics with a minor in Sports Analytics.

Coach Vitale on Griffin: "Griffin is a big framed, powerful, and toolsy middle infielder who is committed to the process of getting better. He rotates well and swings the bat with the intent to do damage without sacrificing bat to ball skills. Culture is a huge part of our program and throughout the recruiting process we identified Griffin as a young man who will thrive as a Trojan. He was our first 2027 commitment, and since that time, he has displayed dedication to his development seeing improvements in his swing design. Griffin's upside is high and we are excited to see the player and person he will become in our program."