May 2, 2026
DICKINSON, N.D. – NAIA's No. 2 Bellevue (Neb.) powered its way to eight home runs and a 22-hit attack, ending Dakota State's season with a 24-6 victory in seven innings Saturday afternoon in the 2026 Frontier Conference Baseball Postseason Tournament loser's-out game at Dakota Community Bank and Trust Ballpark.
Dakota State, who was the No. 4 seed in the conference tournament, closes the year at 21-30-1 and falls one game shy of reaching the championship game. Bellevue, the top seed in the tournament and will need to win twice over No. 2 seed Valley City State (N.D.) for the league's automatic bid, improved to 46-4 overall record.
How it happened
Bellevue struck first in the opening inning on a solo homer by Oak Held, but the Trojans answered in the bottom half.
George Hogan doubled and later scored on
Cameron DeMaria's RBI single to center, tying the game 1-1.
The Bruins took control in the second inning, scoring five times on home runs by Xavier Lerma and Anthony Lind, along with two sacrifice flies. Bellevue then erupted for eight runs in the third inning, highlighted by three more home runs—Lerma launched two in the frame, Jaylan Ruffin added a two-run blast, and Held connected for his second homer of the day—to stretch the lead to 14-1.
Dakota State continued to battle offensively. DeMaria drilled a two-run double in the third, while
Aidan Marsh and
Connor Raney each hit solo home runs in the fourth inning to cut the deficit to 14-5. DeMaria later added a solo homer in the fifth for the Trojans' final run.
Bellevue added five runs in the fifth, three in the sixth and two in the seventh to secure the run-rule victory. Lerma led the Bruins by going 4-for-6 with three home runs and six RBIs, while Held finished 2-for-5 with two homers and four RBIs. Ruffin added a home run and four RBIs, and Ayden Makarus scored four times.
DeMaria paced Dakota State at the plate, going 3-for-4 with a double, home run and four RBIs. Hogan scored twice and doubled, while
Camaron Haller added two hits. Raney and Marsh each homered as the Trojans collected eight hits.
Kody Butt (W, 7-1) earned the win for Bellevue, allowing six runs on seven hits with 10 strikeouts over six innings.
Kellan Johns (L, 4-3) took the loss for Dakota State.
Statistics
Dakota State
- Cameron DeMaria: 3-for-4, double, HR, 4 RBIs
- George Hogan: 1-for-3, double, 2 runs, walk
- Camaron Haller: 2-for-3
- Connor Raney: 1-for-4, HR, RBI
- Aidan Marsh: 1-for-3, HR, RBI
- Team: 5 walks, 10 strikeouts
Bellevue
- Xavier Lerma: 4-for-6, 3 home runs, 6 RBIs, 5 runs
- Oak Held: 2-for-5, 2 home runs, 4 RBIs
- Jaylan Ruffin: 1-for-4, home run, 4 RBIs, 2 runs
- Ayden Makarus: 4-for-6, two doubles, 4 runs
- Dylan Holmes: 3-for-5, double, 2 RBIs
- Team: 7 walks, 8 home runs
DSU seniors
Saturday's setback was the final collegiate baseball game for nine Dakota State's seniors -
Cameron DeMaria,
Cole Drumheller,
Collin Grimmel,
Camaron Haller,
Tyler Hoffman,
George Hogan,
Aidan Marsh,
Dylen Milton, and
Connor Raney.
