JACKS TRAVEL TO PURDUE FOR FOUR-GAME SERIES - South Dakota State University Athletics

Friday, May 5

West Lafayette, Ind.

6 p.m. ET/5 p.m. CT

South Dakota State University

Purdue

Photo by: Dave Eggen/Inertia Sports Media

5/4/2023 4:20:00 PM | Baseball

GAMES 39-42: South Dakota State (18-20) at Purdue (21-22)

When	Friday-Monday, May 5-8 6 p.m. ET (5 p.m. CT) Friday \| 2 p.m. ET (1 p.m .CT) Saturday 1 p.m. ET (noon CT) Sunday \| 11:30 a.m. ET (10:30 a.m. CT) Monday
Where	Alexander Field \| West Lafayette, Indiana
TV	BigTenPlus.com
Radio	PurdueSports.com
Live Stats	GoJacksLive.com
Game Notes	South Dakota State \| Purdue \| The Summit League
Social Media	Twitter \| Instagram \| #RAB5

The South Dakota State baseball teams goes out of conference for a weekend series for the final time this season, traveling to Purdue for a four-game wrap-around series.

First pitch for Friday's series opener is slated for a 6 p.m. Eastern Time (5 p.m. Central) at Alexander Field in West Lafayette, Indiana.

The remainder of the schedule for the series follows:

Saturday, May 6 – 2 p.m. ET (1 p.m. CT)
Sunday, May 7 – 1 p.m. ET (noon CT)
Monday, May 8 – 11:30 a.m. ET?(10:30 a.m. CT).

SDSU enters the series with an 18-20 overall record. The Jackrabbits will be looking to end a three-game losing streak after being swept in a series at Summit League-leading Oral Roberts last weekend.

Purdue also is just below the .500 mark overall with a 21-22 record. The Boilermakers won two of three games in a home series last weekend against Rutgers.

Both teams are 10-8 in their respective conferences.

The Jackrabbits hold a 1-4 record against Big Ten opponents so far this season, with five games remaining on the 2023 schedule. SDSU's lone win thus far against a Big Ten opponent was recorded April 26 against Nebraska (W, 8-3), with three losses at Iowa and one at Minnesota. The Jackrabbits and Golden Gophers are slated to play a rescheduled game May 16 in Minneapolis.

Updates of Jackrabbit baseball also are available throughout the season via Twitter (@GoJacksBaseball) and through GoJacks.com.

THE SERIES: Friday's series opener will mark the fifth meeting on the baseball diamond between SDSU and Purdue. The Boilermakers swept a four-game series to open the 2022 season in Sugar Land, Texas.

After winning the opener, 5-4, on Feb. 18, 2022, Purdue tallied double figures for runs in each of the next three games, outscoring the Jackrabbits by a total of 35-11.

SHORT HOPS: Following are some quick notes about the Jackrabbit baseball team heading into this weekend's series at Purdue:

Due to inclement weather and unplayable field conditions, the Jackrabbits have played only one game at their home park — Erv Huether Field — this season.
SDSU put together an 11-game winning streak from April 9-26 that stands as the longest in program history during the Division I era (since 2005). The Jacks outscored the opposition, 119-48, and hit 31 home runs during their 11-game winning streak.
The Jackrabbits have hit five grand slams this season, with Nic Nelson hitting his second of the season in an April 18 victory against Northwestern (Iowa).
In last weekend's series at Oral Roberts, the Jacks' three starting pitchers combined for only 4 2/3 innings of work.
Reece Anderson had a career-best streak of 15 consecutive games reaching base safely come to an end in the April 30 series finale at Oral Roberts.
Ryan McDonald suffered what is likely a season-ending knee injury in the April 29 game at Oral Roberts. At the time of his injury, McDonald ranked second among NCAA Division I players with a .939 slugging percentage, while also ranking third in on-base percentage (.575) and 19th with 17 home runs, although he ranks eighth in home runs per game (.47).
McDonald became the first Jackrabbit player in the Division I era to record double figures for home runs (17) and stolen bases (11) in the same season. It had been 31 years since any Jackrabbit player reached those numbers, when Jon Crow (15 homers, 16 steals) and Greg Endres (10 homers, 12 steals) both accomplished the feat in 1992.
Luke Ira has hit safely in 16 of his last 18 games, including putting together a 13-game hitting streak from March 31-April 23. Over his last 18 games, Ira has batted .329 (26-for-79), including hitting for the cycle April 11 at Briar Cliff. He also has hit six home runs with 22 runs batted in during that span.
Freshman right-hander Will Kent has combined to allow only one run over 13 2/3 innings (0.66 ERA) in three mid-week starts. In his last start, Kent tossed 5 2/3 scoreless innings to earn the win April 26 at Nebraska. He is expected to start the series finale at Purdue.

PRESEASON POLL: South Dakota State has been picked to finish fourth in the 2023 Summit League baseball race, according to a poll among the league's seven head coaches that was released in mid-February.

The Jackrabbits, coached by Rob Bishop, are coming off a 2022 campaign in which they finished 22-23 overall and placed third in the Summit League standings at 13-9.

Reigning tournament champion Oral Roberts was tabbed as the favorite this season, earning six first-place votes for a total of 42 points. Defending regular season champion North Dakota State was picked second with 36 points and the remaining first-place vote, followed by Omaha with 30 points and SDSU with 24.

Rounding out the poll were St. Thomas (17), Northern Colorado (12) and Western Illinois (7).

League play for the Jackrabbits began March 24 at Northern Colorado, with the four-team Summit League Baseball Championship slated for May 24-27 in Fargo, North Dakota.

In addition, SDSU seniors Luke Ira and Ryan Bourassa were included on the list of Summit League Players and Pitchers to Watch. A shortstop from Iowa City, Iowa, Ira shared the team lead in home runs last season with 10, while batting .290 and driving in 32 runs. He also tallied a career-best .508 slugging percentage while starting all 45 of the team's games.

Bourassa was a first-team all-Summit League selection as a relief pitcher in 2022, when he posted a 2.13 earned run average and was credited with five saves. The native of West Fargo, North Dakota, logged 42 1/3 innings in 17 appearances last season, striking out 64 batters and limiting opposing hitters to a .145 batting average.

SUMMIT LEAGUE SUCCESS: South Dakota State has been a consistent winner in The Summit League since it became a league member more than a decade ago. Now in its 14th season as a member of The Summit League, the Jackrabbits have compiled a 211-171 (.552 winning percentage) record in regular season conference games. SDSU has posted a .500 or better record in league play nine times and has qualified for the four-team postseason tournament 12 out of the 13 years it has been eligible.

The Jackrabbits shared a Summit League regular season title in 2010 and won the Summit postseason tournament in 2013.

GOBLE NAMED PEAK PITCHER: For the second time this season, South Dakota State right-hander Jake Goble was honored April 24 as TicketSmarter Summit League Peak Pitcher of the Week.

A sophomore from Rapid City, Goble pitched seven shutout innings in an April 23 start against St. Thomas, allowing three hits while striking out five without a walk. He retired 14 consecutive batters in one stretch in improving to 4-1 on the season. His seven innings marked the longest outing by a Jackrabbit pitcher this season.

Goble previously was honored with the weekly award March 20.

POWER SURGE: The Jackrabbits have dramatically increased their power numbers over the last two seasons, topping the 60-home run mark in both 2022 and 2023.

South Dakota State finished the 2022 season with a league-leading 62 home runs. It marked the most hit by an SDSU squad since a school-record 84 round-trippers in 2010.

With the calendar just flipping over to May, the Jackrabbits have already exceeded their home run total from a year ago, hitting 66 home runs in their first 38 games. SDSU hit at least one home run in each of its first nine games this season and had an 11-game home run streak snapped in the April 23 series opener against St. Thomas. Overall, the Jacks have hit a home run in 28 of 38 contests this season, including a season-best seven homers April 11 at Briar Cliff.

Entering the weekend, SDSU ranks 28th among NCAA Division I teams with an average of 1.74 home runs per game and 33rd with a .512 team slugging percentage.

During the 2022 season, SDSU homered in 26 of its last 28 games. Included in that stretch was a school-record of 18 consecutive games with a home run from March 19-May 6, 2022.

All three of SDSU's players who shared the team lead with 10 home runs a year ago — Luke Ira, Ryan McDonald and Dawson Parry — return to the lineup in 2023. McDonald (17) and Ira (11) have again reached double figures in the home runs this season, with Parry tallying five so far in 2023.

Eleven different Jackrabbit players have homered so far this season.

McDONALD POSTS LONG STREAKS: South Dakota State's Ryan McDonald had his streak of reaching base safely end at 43 games in the March 12 series finale at Western Kentucky. — a streak that lasted more than a calendar year.

McDonald's streak of reaching base by either hit, walk or hit by pitch began when he drew a walk in the second game of a March 5, 2022, doubleheader at Central Arkansas.

Since his streak ended in a March 12 game in which the Jackrabbits were no-hit by Western Kentucky's Devyn Terbrak, McDonald started a new streak and reached base in the next 25 games until his injury, making it 68 of the last 69 games dating back to last year.

A senior from Prior Lake, Minnesota, McDonald closed the 2022 season with a 33-game streak, then extended that mark by reaching base safely in the first 10 games of 2023. His 43-game string represents the third-longest streak by a Jackrabbit player in the Division I era (since 2005), trailing a 45-game streak by Zach Coppola in 2015 and a 52-game stretch by Luke Ringhofer between the 2016 and 2017 seasons.

In earning second-team all-Summit League honors as a utility player last season, McDonald recorded team highs for batting average (.329), doubles (12), slugging percentage (.630) and on-base percentage (.446). He also shared the team lead with 10 home runs.

After splitting time at catcher, right field and designated hitter a year ago, McDonald made more of a full-time return behind the plate in 2023.

IRA THE IRON MAN: Senior shortstop Luke Ira has started 152 games in a row for the Jackrabbits, a streak that dates back to late in the 2019 season.

A native of Iowa City, Iowa, Ira has made 131 consecutive starts and a total of 133 starts at shortstop during his current streak. He also has made 17 starts at second base and two at third base.

Ira reached another career milestone when he became the 19th player in program history to record 200 career hits on April 23. His 200th hit was a two-run home run in the bottom of the first inning of the second game of a doubleheader against St. Thomas.

Entering the series at Purdue, Ira has tallied 205 career hits, which is good for 16th place on the Jackrabbit career charts.

In addition, Ira has vaulted from seventh to second in career assists at SDSU during the 2023 season, and has upped his career total to 439.

KEY PLAYERS RETURN: Three players who missed all or most of the 2022 season due to injury have returned to the Jackrabbit lineup this season and have filled key roles. All three were granted redshirts or injury hardships and did not lose a year of eligibility.

Sophomore outfielder Jess Bellows was limited to six games before being lost for the remainder of the 2022 campaign due to a shoulder injury. Bellows got off to a hot start at the plate with a .300 batting average (6-for-20) with three doubles in the season-opening three-game series at Little Rock, then added a .400 batting average (4-for-10) with two RBIs and two runs scored in a series March 17-19 against Iowa. He tied a career high with four RBIs in the Jackrabbits' April 26 win at Nebraska.

As a freshman in 2021, Bellows batted .250 with a home run and 16 runs batted in while making 44 starts as he saw action both in the outfield and at second base.

Junior infielder Cade Stuff appeared in five games with a pair of starts before being shut down for the remainder of the 2022 season. Stuff currently is second on the team with 11 doubles and ranks third with a .297 batting average. He posted his first career four-hit game March 14 at Lindenwood, in which he hit his first home run.

On the mound, junior right-hander Eli Sundquist is playing a prominent role out of the Jackrabbit bullpen this season as a primary setup man or secondary closer. A native of Chisholm, Minnesota, Sundquist missed the entire 2022 campaign after making a combined 22 appearances during the 2020 and 2021 seasons.

Sundquist has struck out 90 batters in 58 1/3 career innings and is limiting opponents to a .110 batting average in 2023. He pitched the final 2 1/3 innings in SDSU's April 26 win at Nebraska to record his first career save.

BOURASSA CONTINUES RECORD PACE: Senior right-hander Ryan Bourassa entered 2023 as the Jackrabbits' all-time leader in strikeouts per nine innings pitched and has exceeded that pace in the first months of the season.

Bourassa entered the Feb. 18 game at Little Rock with the bases loaded and one out as the Jackrabbits were clinging to a 2-1 lead in the bottom of the sixth inning. He proceeded to strike out the first two batters he faced and added five more strikeouts over the next three innings to complete the save.

In his next outing, in the second game of a March 4 doubleheader at Utah Tech, Bourassa successfully completed his second save opportunity of the season by striking out eight over three shutout innings in a 7-2 Jackrabbit victory.

In 116 career innings over three seasons, Bourassa has struck out 180 batters for an average of 13.97 K's per nine innings. That rate is more than two strikeouts per complete game better than the nearest Jackrabbit pitcher — former teammate Bret Barnett with a ratio of 11.88 K's per nine innings.

The right-hander moved into the SDSU top 10 for career strikeouts in his April 7 outing at Western Illinois. Bourassa now stands in a tie for fifth place in career strikeouts with Layne Somsen (2009-13) after passing both Ryan Froom (176 strikeouts from 2014-19) and Tyler Olmstead (178 K's from 2017-21) last week.

Bourassa also holds two of the top three single-season ratios in program history. He began his Jackrabbit career in the starting rotation in 2021 and fanned 65 batters in only 42 1/3 innings that year to set an SDSU single-season record with an average of 13.82 K's per nine innings pitched. His rate so far this season is 14.64 K's per nine frames, which would eclipse his previous record mark.

The native of West Fargo, North Dakota, made a full-time transition to the bullpen in 2022 and nearly equaled his previous totals with 64 strikeouts in another 42 1/3 innings for a ratio of 13.61 strikeouts per nine innings, which stands third in program history.

In addition, Bourassa, who earned a win and a save in his two appearances two weeks ago against St. Thomas, has moved into a tie for fifth place with Chris Halbur (2016-17) on the SDSU charts with 12 career saves.

Bourassa turned in the best performance of his SDSU career March 25, 2022, at Oral Roberts as he tossed six shutout innings of relief, notching a career-high 12 strikeouts. He fanned the side in order in both the eighth and 11th innings, and allowed only one hit and one walk for a Jackrabbit squad that eventually dropped a 5-4 decision in 14 innings.

KUNZ EARNS OPENING DAY START: Senior right-hander Blake Kunz was tabbed as the Jackrabbits' Opening Day starter, bringing further attention to a meteoric rise on the mound for the former SDSU football player.

A native of Germantown, Wisconsin, Kunz made only one appearance last season after being a late addition to the baseball roster. His lone outing, April 17, 2022, at Northern Colorado, lasted two-thirds of an inning and resulted in him allowing one run while giving up two walks and one hit with a strikeout.

In his first career start, Feb. 17 at Little Rock, Kunz pitched only an inning-plus and was saddled with the loss. All three of the outs he recorded were via the strikeout, but he was charged with seven runs — the first three via a three-run home run by Skyler Trevino — after giving up two hits, walking two batters and hitting four.

Kunz tossed four shutout, no-hit innings in his second start of the season March 5 in the series finale at Utah Tech, then added 4 2/3 innings of two-run baseball March 12 at Western Kentucky. He turned in his longest start of the season April 24 against St. Thomas, allowing one run over six innings in which he matched his season high of six strikeouts.

Kunz previously played tight end for three seasons (2018-2020) for the Jackrabbit football team, seeing action in 34 games. He tallied 32 receptions for 528 yards (16.5 ypr) with six touchdowns, the last of which was a 14-yarder against Delaware in the Football Championship Subdivision national semifinals against Delaware in the spring of 2021 as SDSU advanced to the FCS title game for the first time in program history.

SAGEDAHL FINDS NEW ROLE: After playing mostly in the field each of his first two seasons, Jordan Sagedahl has found a new role within the Jackrabbit pitching staff in recent weeks.

A native of Olivia, Minnesota, Sagedahl has made four relief appearances, earning a save and win in three-inning mid-week outings against Briar Cliff and Northwestern (Iowa), respectively. Over 8 1/3 innings so far this season, Sagedahl has struck out 11 and walked four.

Previously, Sagedahl had made one relief appearance during both the 2021 and 2022 seasons. He has played in 100 career games and started 68 while playing primarily at either second base or third base.

SOPHOMORES TAKE NEXT STEP: Four sophomore members of the Jackrabbit pitching staff are expected to be key contributors during the 2023 season.

Jake Goble, who was sidelined by illness in the middle of the 2002 campaign, made eight relief appearances as a true freshman. The Rapid City native turned in a 1-2 record while tossing 18 innings.

Goble made four relief appearances before making seven starts since moving into the rotation in mid-March and has gone on to post a 4-2 record. He has held opponents to a .273 batting average in 36 1/3 innings so far this season.

Brady Hawkins returned from injury midway through the 2022 season to make a pair of mid-week starts and appear in two more games in relief. The Mitchell native ended that year with a 2-0 record and 2.00 earned run average while striking out nine in as many innings of work.

Hawkins has made five starts so far among his 11 appearances this season, pitching a total of 23 1/3 innings. His last start came in the April 28 series opener at Oral Roberts.

Alex Clemons was a mainstay in the bullpen last season and has been in line for a more prominent role in 2023. The right-hander from Bettendorf, Iowa, shared the team lead with 17 appearances and fanned 24 batters in 22 2/3 innings while limiting opponents to a .222 batting average. He picked up his first career victory in the March 5 series finale at Utah Tech and later made his first career start in the March 17 series opener against Iowa.

Clemons has helped bridge the gap by throwing a combined 7 1/3 scoreless innings with only two hits allowed over his last three appearances against Summit League teams. He struck out three and walked one in a three-inning stint against Omaha on April 16, then came on to induce an inning-ending double play with the bases loaded in the April 23 opener against St. Thomas before posting three strikeouts in two more scoreless frames.

Left-hander Reece Arbogast also has expanded his role this season, highlighted by starts in each of the past five weekend series. Arbogast picked up his first win of the year in the April 14 series opener against Omaha in which he pitched six-plus strong innings.

Arbogast turned in an impressive season debut Feb. 17, allowing only one run over 4 1/3 innings of relief against Little Rock He set a career high with seven strikeouts, then added four more K's in 2 2/3 scoreless innings March 17 versus Iowa, followed by four more shutout innings in a relief appearance in the first game of a March 24 twinbill against Northern Colorado.

The Sioux Falls native posted a 1-1 record in 16 relief appearances during his freshman campaign and averaged a strikeout in each of his 21 innings pitched.

FAIX JOINS COACHING STAFF: Connor Faix (pronounced Fay) was hired as the Jackrabbits' pitching coach in August 2022.

Faix spent the previous two seasons as the pitching coach at Akron, which reinstated its baseball program in 2020. He began his collegiate coaching run at Oberlin College in the fall of 2017, followed by a stint at North Iowa Area Community College in the spring of 2018. The following summer he served as an associate scout with the Colorado Rockies organization.

In 2019, Faix moved on to Mercyhurst University in Erie, Pennsylvania, where he helped guide the Lakers to an Atlantic Super Regional title and a berth in the NCAA Division II College World Series. Mercyhurst went 2-2 in the national championship tournament, finishing the year with a 36-16 overall record. The Mercyhurst pitching staff struck out 536 batters over 409.1 innings, good for an 11.8 strikeouts per nine innings pitched average, which ranked second nationally.

Faix accepted his first Division I coaching position in the fall of 2019 at Campbell University, where his stint lasted only 16 games as the bulk of the 2020 season was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

COACH BISHOP: Rob Bishop, who has guided college baseball teams to more than 600 victories, was named head baseball coach at South Dakota State University on Aug. 1, 2016. Bishop is the ninth head coach in program history and the fourth in the Division I era of Jackrabbit baseball.

Through six-plus seasons with the Jackrabbits, Bishop holds a 131-165 record at SDSU, including an 80-71 mark in Summit League regular season games. He recorded his 100th win with the Jackrabbits on April 3, 2022, as SDSU posted a 2-1 victory at St. Thomas.

In his first season, Bishop's 2017 squad returned to the winning side of the ledger with a 26-24 overall mark, including an 18-12 record for a third-place finish in The Summit League standings. SDSU won its opening-round game in the Summit League Baseball Championship, 6-5, over second-seeded North Dakota State.

In 2018, SDSU overcame a slow start to post a winning record in Summit League play at 14-13 and went on to reach the title game of the Summit League Baseball Championship. The Jackrabbits finished with an 18-32 overall record during a campaign in which they played only six home games.

SDSU bounced back in 2019, posting a 28-22 overall record that included a second-place mark of 19-10 in Summit League play. The Jackrabbits won or split nine of the 10 league series in regular season play en route to making an appearance in the four-team Summit League Baseball Championship for the 10th time in 11 years.

The 2020 season was canceled just before the start of Summit League play, with SDSU posting a 5-12 record in the first month of the season. The Jackrabbits recorded wins at Minnesota, Air Force and Kansas State the final week of the pandemic-shortened campaign.

When play resumed in the spring of 2021, the Jackrabbits posted a 15-32 overall record and suffered their first losing season in league play since 2016, but managed to earn the fourth and final spot in the Summit League Baseball Championship.

SDSU used a powerful offense to return to the Summit League tournament in 2022 after posting a 13-9 record in league play. The Jackrabbits, who doubled up the opposition in home runs by a 62-30 count, played only 12 home games in posting a 22-23 overall mark.

Overall, Bishop holds a 681-487-1 record (.583 winning percentage) as a collegiate head coach. He earned his 600th career victory in the Jackrabbits' 8-6 victory at Little Rock on March 10, 2019.

Individually, Jackrabbit players have been honored as all-Summit League performers 25 times during Bishop's tenure, including eight all-league selections in 2019. Utility player Nick Smith was honored for the third consecutive season, while shortstop Gus Steiger and starting pitcher Tyler Olmstead were repeat selections in 2019.

In addition, Bishop has mentored a handful of Jackrabbit players who have pursued professional careers. Catcher Luke Ringhofer was selected in the 22nd round of the 2017 Major League Baseball Draft by the Baltimore Orioles and relief pitcher Chris Halbur was offered a free agent contract by the Los Angeles Dodgers after Bishop's first season in Brookings. Steiger signed with the Cincinnati Reds following an abbreviated 2020 MLB Draft. In 2019, left-handed pitcher Brady Stover was a 31st-round pick of the Washington Nationals, but opted to return to the Jackrabbits for his senior season.

Prior to becoming head coach at SDSU, Bishop spent six years at NCAA Division II member Montana State University-Billings, where he led the Yellowjackets to back-to-back Great Northwest Athletic Conference regular season titles in 2015 and 2016, attaining the program's first-ever 30-win season with a 30-20 record in 2016.

Previously, Bishop spent 10 years at Miles City Community College in Montana, where his teams won MonDak conference championships every year. His squads also claimed five consecutive junior college region titles and a Northwest District championship in 2007 to advance to the NJCAA Division II College World Series.

Bishop's teams won at least 30 games in all 10 seasons, including four with 40 wins. He ended his tenure at Miles City with a 377-151 overall record.

He also served as athletic director the last five years of his tenure at Miles City.

Bishop served as a graduate assistant at SDSU under head coach Mark Ekeland during the 1998 and 1999 seasons. In his first year as a head coach, Bishop led Huron University to the South Dakota Intercollegiate Conference title in 2000 with a 38-18 record.

A 1994 graduate of Jamestown College, Bishop earned NAIA All-America honors during the 1992 and 1994 seasons as an infielder.

THE ROSTER: The 2022 SDSU baseball roster features 37 players from nine different states and one Canadian province. Of the 37 players, 12 are from Minnesota, six are from both South Dakota and Iowa, and five hail from Nebraska. Two players are from Montana and North Dakota, while Colorado, Utah, Wisconsin and Ontario are represented by one player each.

By class, eight are seniors and even are juniors, while the sophomore and freshman classes are each made up of 11 players.

UP NEXT: The Jackrabbits are scheduled to close out the home season with a three-game Summit League series against Northern Colorado. The May 12 series opener is set for a 3 p.m. first pitch, followed by 1 p.m. games on May 13 and 14.

The SDSU senior class will be honored prior to the May 13 contest.

-GoJacks.com-