March 20, 2026

THIS WEEK'S PREVIEW
The Dakota State University Trojan baseball team (7-14 overall record, 0-0 Frontier Conference record) opens their 25 Frontier Conference baseball schedule with four games this weekend.  The Trojans face four North Dakota teams in the Frontier Conference Jamboree on Saturday and Sunday at Sanford Sports Complex (2405 Benson Road) in Sioux Falls, S.D.

The Trojans face Bismarck State (N.D.) (10-7 overall record, 0-0 Frontier) on Saturday at 10 a.m., followed by a contest with Valley City State (N.D.) (13-8 overall record, 0-0 Frontier) on the same day at 4:30 p.m.  DSU closes out the Frontier Conference Jamboree Sunday versus Dickinson State (N.D.) (13-10 overall record, 0-0 Frontier) at 10 a.m. and Mayville State (N.D.) (13-7, 0-0 Frontier) at 4:30 p.m..

QUICK HITS
*The Frontier Conference officially begins their inaugural baseball season this weekend.  All six conference members will meet at the Sanford Sports Complex in Sioux Falls, S.D., to play a round robin format.  Each team will play four games this weekend, with each of the game consisting of a nine-inning game.

*There will be three games on two different fields, on Field #1 and Field #2.  The game times are scheduled for 10 a.m., 1:15 p.m., and 4:30 p.m. on each day.

*The Frontier Conference's traveling partners will not play each other in the jamboree this weekend.  The traveling partners will be playing a nine-inning during the mid-week in the middle of the conference season.

*Each Frontier Conference member will play each other a total of five times during the season.  Each team will play a four-game series during the conference season, playing on five straight weekends (Friday-Saturday) before the conference tournament in Dickinson, N.D., on April 30-May 3. 

*Dakota State will be the home team on the first day of the Frontier Conference Jamboree against Bismarck State (N.D.) and Valley City State (N.D.).  The Trojans will be the visiting team on the second day of the jamboree versus Dickinson State (N.D.) and Mayville State (N.D.).  

SCOUTING THE MYSTICS
Jaden Scott enters his fifth season as the head coach at Bismarck State (N.D.).  During his tenure, the Mystics have compiled a 95-43 record. 

Bismarck State enters the Frontier Conference Jamboree on a three-game winning streak.  The Mystics earned a four-game series split at Briar Cliff (Iowa) on March 7-8 and earned a doubleheader sweep over Peru State (N.D.) on March 11.

Saturday's contest with Dakota State will be the first-ever all-time meeting with Bismarck State.  They will open their first Frontier Conference's four-game series next weekend in Bismarck, N.D.

SCOUTING THE VIKINGS
Alec DeMaria is in his third season as Valley City State (N.D.), guiding his squads to back-to-back 20-win seasons and a top-3 regular season finish in the conference standings.  

Prior to his first head coaching stint at VCSU, DeMaria was an assistant baseball coach at Dakota State for two seasons.

The Trojans had won the previous seven meetings with the Vikings, including in the North Star postseason tournament's loser out game last season.  DSU swept the season series with VCSU.

Valley City State will host Dakota State in their four-game series on Easter weekend (on April 3-4).  VCSU is 13-8 overall record and is coming on a six-game winning streak before this weekend.

SCOUTING THE BLUE HAWKS
Michael Dahl guides Dickinson State (N.D.) baseball head coach for his seventh season.  He led the Blue Hawks to their first NAIA National Tournament Opening Round appearance last season and finished with an overall record of 21-31.

Dickinson State is 13-10 overall record and is currently on four-game winning streak.  The Trojans host the Blue Hawks on April 10-11 at Flynn Field in Madison.  

SCOUTING THE COMETS
Billy Tomblin enters his third season as Mayville State (N.D.) baseball head coach.  The Comets are 13-7 overall record prior to this weekend's conference jamboree.

Dakota State will host MSU in the final regular-season contests at Flynn Field on April 24-25.  The Trojans had won the last four meetings with the Comets, with the most recent in Dickinson on May 3.

LAST TIME OUT
Dakota State made their final non-conference four-game series last weekend, journeying to Bethel (Tenn.) of the Mid-South Conference in McKenzie, Tenn.  Both teams ended up with a four-game series split, with the Trojans winning the first game and final game of the four-game series.

Dakota State dominated the first game 18-6 behind massive fourth- and fifth innings with a two home runs performance by Aidan Marsh.  After taking a 1-0 lead after three innings in the first game, the Trojans poured in seven runs in both the fourth and fifth innings to open a 15-1 lead.  The Trojans added three runs to produce their season-high 18 runs this season.

Marsh finished the game by going perfect 3-for-3 with three runs scored, two home runs, and drove in a game-high five runs.  Camaron Haller added 3-for-4 at the plate with a double and drove in three runs.  Aidan Perry and Connor Raney each added a hit.  Perry scored three times, while Raney added two runs.    

Austin Armstrong (W, 1-2) earned the win after tossing 6 2/3 innings on the pitching mound for Dakota State.  Cole Drumheller worked for the final out of the game.

DSU jumped to an early lead in the second game, but Bethel answered with a five-run third inning and never trailed for the rest of the game for an 8-6 victory.

Haller finished the game by going 2-for-3 at the plate with a home run and two RBIs.  Ranney, George Hogan, and Marsh each added a hit.  Hayden Leighty (L, 0-2) took the setback after working for five innings.  Kellan Johns tossed one inning inr relief.  

Dakota State and Bethel earned another baseball split on the second day.  The Trojans earned an early lead in the first game, but the Wildcats used a pair of late innings to rally for a one-run victory.

Perry and Chris Vinson each hit a home run for Dakota State.  Hogan added two hits and an RBI.  Cameron DeMaria had a hit and an RBI.  Max Woll started the game on the pitching mound for DSU, working for 2 1/3 innings.  Ryland Carroll (L, 2-3) took the defeat after tossing 3 1/3 innings in relief.  Brody Thompson pitched the final out of the bottom sixth frame.

The Trojans bounced back in the four-game series finale with a comeback victory highlighted by a big sixth inning.  Both teams scored four runs in the opening inning.  Bethel grabbed a 6-4 lead after four innings before DSU mounted a comeback in the sixth inning.  Raney delivered a two-run single to tie the game before Haller followed up with an RBI single for a 7-6 DSU lead.

Raney finished the game by going 3-for-4 at the plate with a home run, three RBIs, and scored twice for Dakota State.  Camaron Kittridge added a home run and three RBIs.  Haller had a hit and an RBI, while Aiden Barfuss added a double.  Braylon Bear started the game for one inning, while Treyten Kolar pitched three innings in relief.  Colin Grimmel (W, 1-0) earned the win and Thompson pitched the final two innings to earn his first save.  Thompson recorded four strikeouts.

DAKOTA STATE IN THE FRONTIER CONFERENCE RANKINGS
According to the NAIA-PrestoStats as of Friday, Cameron DeMaria ranks second in both batting average and runs batted in for Dakota State.  He posts a batting average of .412 prior to this weekend's games, as well as driving in 29 runs for the Trojans.

Connor Raney leads the Frontier Conference with 10 stolen bases for Dakota State.  He is 10-for-10 on stolen bases this season.  Austin Armstrong ties for second most saves in the league with three saves.  Aidan Perry ranks 14th in the league with .352 batting average, while his teammate Camaron Haller ranks 21st with .342 batting average.

The Trojans are fourth in the conference with .963 fielding percentage.  DSU is third in the league in both total chances (593 total changes) and put-outs (419 put-outs).

2026 DSU BASEBALL TEAM LEADERS

· Hits:  Cameron DeMaria—28 hits

· Batting Average:  Cameron DeMaria—.412 batting average (28-of-68 at-bats)

· Slugging Percentage:  Cameron DeMaria—.647 slugging percentage (20 singles, 4 doubles, 4 home runs)

· Runs Batted In (RBI):  Cameron DeMaria—29 RBIs

· Doubles:  Aidan Perry—5 doubles

· Triples:  Connor Raney—2 triples

· Home Runs:  Cameron DeMaria, Camaron Haller, Chris Vinson—4 home runs

· Total Bases:  Cameron DeMaria—44 total bases

· Runs Scored:  Aidan Perry, Connor Raney—22 runs

· Walks:  Connor Raney, Aidan Perry—12 walks

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

· Stolen Bases: Connor Raney—10 stolen bases

· On-base percentage:  Cameron DeMaria—.518 on-base percentage

· Innings Pitched:  Ryland Carroll—20 innings

· Earned Runs Average (ERA):  Austin Armstrong—5.59 earned run average (12 earned runs in 19 1/3 innings)

· Strikeouts (Pitching):   Ryland Carroll—26 strikeouts

· Complete Games (Pitching):   Ryland Carroll—1 complete game

· Wins:  Ryland Carroll—2 wins

· Saves:  Austin Armstrong—3 saves