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South Dakota State University Athletics
JACKS PICKED FOURTH IN SUMMIT BASEBALL POLL
2/11/2026 11:01:00 AM | Baseball
SIOUX FALLS — South Dakota State has been picked to finish fourth in the upcoming Summit League baseball race, according to a preseason poll conducted among the league's six head coaches and announced Wednesday.
The Jackrabbits totaled 12 points in the poll and are coming off a 2025 campaign in which they compiled a 16-36 overall record, including a 12-18 mark in The Summit League. SDSU returned to the four-team Summit League Baseball Championship, marking the 14th time in 16 years of Division I eligibility that the Jackrabbits qualified for the double-elimination tournament.
Oral Roberts earned the top spot in the preseason poll with 24 points and four first-place votes. Omaha received the other two first-place votes and tied with defending regular season champion St. Thomas for second place in the survey with 19 points.
North Dakota State (11 points) and Northern Colorado (6 points) rounded out the poll.
SDSU opens the 2026 season Friday at Texas-San Antonio, kicking off a three-game weekend series. The Jackrabbits begin Summit League play March 13-15 with a three-game series at Oral Roberts.
The top four teams in league play will advance to the Summit League Baseball Championship May 20-23 in St. Paul, Minnesota.
In addition to the preseason poll, Jackrabbit first baseman Luke Luskey was named a Summit League Player to Watch and Ty Madison was selected as a Summit League Pitcher to Watch.
Luskey, a junior from Green Isle, Minnesota, has earned second-team all-Summit League honors each of the last two seasons. In 2025, he led the league with 14 home runs despite missing the final 12 games of the season due to injury. Luskey also paced the Jackrabbits with 52 runs batted in and a .691 slugging percentage while batting .336.
A senior from Omaha, Madison began the 2025 season in the starting rotation before moving to the bullpen. He made a team-high 22 appearances, striking out 26 batters in 30 innings and posting a 2-2 record.
SUMMIT LEAGUE BASEBALL PRESEASON POLL
1. Oral Roberts (4) – 24
2. Omaha (2) – 19
2. St. Thomas – 19
4. South Dakota State – 12
5. North Dakota State – 11
6. Northern Colorado – 6
Note: First-place votes in parentheses
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The Jackrabbits totaled 12 points in the poll and are coming off a 2025 campaign in which they compiled a 16-36 overall record, including a 12-18 mark in The Summit League. SDSU returned to the four-team Summit League Baseball Championship, marking the 14th time in 16 years of Division I eligibility that the Jackrabbits qualified for the double-elimination tournament.
Oral Roberts earned the top spot in the preseason poll with 24 points and four first-place votes. Omaha received the other two first-place votes and tied with defending regular season champion St. Thomas for second place in the survey with 19 points.
North Dakota State (11 points) and Northern Colorado (6 points) rounded out the poll.
SDSU opens the 2026 season Friday at Texas-San Antonio, kicking off a three-game weekend series. The Jackrabbits begin Summit League play March 13-15 with a three-game series at Oral Roberts.
The top four teams in league play will advance to the Summit League Baseball Championship May 20-23 in St. Paul, Minnesota.
In addition to the preseason poll, Jackrabbit first baseman Luke Luskey was named a Summit League Player to Watch and Ty Madison was selected as a Summit League Pitcher to Watch.
Luskey, a junior from Green Isle, Minnesota, has earned second-team all-Summit League honors each of the last two seasons. In 2025, he led the league with 14 home runs despite missing the final 12 games of the season due to injury. Luskey also paced the Jackrabbits with 52 runs batted in and a .691 slugging percentage while batting .336.
A senior from Omaha, Madison began the 2025 season in the starting rotation before moving to the bullpen. He made a team-high 22 appearances, striking out 26 batters in 30 innings and posting a 2-2 record.
SUMMIT LEAGUE BASEBALL PRESEASON POLL
1. Oral Roberts (4) – 24
2. Omaha (2) – 19
2. St. Thomas – 19
4. South Dakota State – 12
5. North Dakota State – 11
6. Northern Colorado – 6
Note: First-place votes in parentheses
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