Upcoming Event: Baseball versus North Dakota State on March 20, 2026 at 3 p.m.
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3 p.m.
Baseball
vs North Dakota State
South Dakota State University Athletics
Friday, March 20
Brookings, S.D.
3 p.m.
South Dakota State University
vs
North Dakota State
Photo by: Ricky Bassman
JACKRABBITS HOST NDSU TO OPEN HOME SLATE
3/19/2026 4:00:00 PM | Baseball
 North Dakota State (3-17, 0-3 Summit) at South Dakota State (5-16, 0-3)
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After playing its first 21 games of the season on the road, the South Dakota State baseball team is scheduled to open the home portion of its 2026 schedule with a three-game weekend series against Summit League rival North Dakota State.
Friday's series opener is set for a 3 p.m. first pitch at Erv Huether Field on the SDSU campus. The middle game of the series is slated for 2 p.m. Saturday, with the series finale scheduled for 1 p.m. Sunday.
Video coverage of all three games will be available through the Summit League Network streaming platform powered by Midco Sports Plus. Radio broadcasts can be found at GoJacks.com/watch, with games Saturday and Sunday airing locally on KJJQ 910 AM.
Both squads are in search of their first Summit League wins of the season after suffering road sweeps during the opening weekend of conference play. SDSU dropped three games at Oral Roberts and enters the weekend with a 5-16 overall record. The Jackrabbits, who are in the midst of an eight-game losing streak, concluded their Spring Break trip with a pair of one-run losses at Oklahoma State earlier this week.
North Dakota State, meanwhile, fell three times last weekend at Omaha and holds a 3-17 overall record coming into the weekend. The Bison most recently posted a 7-4, 11-inning victory at Minnesota this past Tuesday.
Updates of Jackrabbit baseball will be available throughout the week via X/Twitter (@GoJacksBaseball) and through GoJacks.com.
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THE SERIES: Friday's series opener will mark the 223rd meeting on the baseball diamond between SDSU and North Dakota State. In the series that dates back to 1956, the Jackrabbits hold a 134-88 lead.
Since the two programs joined The Summit League at the start of the 2008 season, the Bison hold a narrow 44-42 edge in league regular season games. The two programs split the 2025 season series at three games apiece, with NDSU sweeping a March 28 doubleheader on its home field and the Jackrabbits taking three of four games played April 25-27 at Erv Huether Field.
• Game 1: North Dakota State 5, SDSU 2 (March 28 at Fargo, N.D.)
W-Nolan Johnson (2-3). L-Caleb Duerr (1-3). SV-Danny Lachenmayer (3).
NDSU scored three times in the bottom of the fourth and held off the Jackrabbits in Game 1 of a doubleheader. Colten Becker was 2-for-4 to lead NDSU at the plate, while Carter Sintek was 3-for-4 for the Jackrabbits. Luke Luskey and Jess Bellows each added two hits for SDSU.
Game 2: North Dakota State 3, SDSU 2 (March 28 at Fargo, N.D.)
W-Skyler Riedinger (3-0). L-Dylan Driessen (1-1).
The Bison scored an unearned run in the bottom of the ninth to complete a sweep of the doubleheader. Colten Becker's third hit of the game plated Jake Schaffner with the winning run after Schaffner singled with one out and advanced on an error.
Game 3: SDSU 6, North Dakota State 3 (April 25 at Erv Huether Field)
W-Dylan Driessen (2-1). L-Skyler Riedinger (3-1). HR: NDSU-Davis Hamilton (4).
The Jackrabbits broke a 2-all tie by scoring twice in the seventh inning and added two more runs in the eighth. Jess Bellows delivered the go-ahead two-run single in the seventh, while Nolan Grawe (single) and Luke Luskey (double) came up with run-scoring hits in the eighth. Dylan Driessen pitched the final 2 1/3 innings for the win.
Game 4: NDSU 8, South Dakota State 4 (April 26 at Erv Huether Field)
W-Logan Knight (2-5). L-Caleb Duerr (3-4). SV-Hayden Sylte (1). HR: SDSU-Carter Sintek (2), Owen Siegert (3).
NDSU scored in seven of the nine innings to take Game 1 of a doubleheader.
Game 5: SDSU 8, North Dakota State 6 (April 26 at Erv Huether Field)
W-Jake Goble (2-1). L-Landon Koenig (1-1). SV-Dylan Driessen (4).
Jake Goble struck out eight over 6 1/3 innings of relief and the Jackrabbits overcame a 5-2 deficit with two runs in each of the final three innings. Bryce Ronken led SDSU with a 4-for-5 effort at the plate with three RBIs.
Game 6: SDSU 9, North Dakota State 6 (April 27 at Erv Huether Field)
W-Ty Madison (2-2). L-Leland Wilson (0-3). SV-Dylan Driessen (5). HR: NDSU-Jake Schaffner (2), Sam Canton (3); SDSU-Adam Benes (3).
Adam Benes capped a four-run first inning with a three-run home run and SDSU held off North Dakota State, 9-6. Dylan Driessen earned his second save of the series after Ty Madison pitched three shutout innings of relief earlier in the game.
SHORT HOPS: Following are some more quick notes regarding the South Dakota State baseball team heading into this weekend's series against North Dakota State:
- Seven of the Jackrabbits' last 10Â games have been decided by one run, including both games of their mid-week series March 17-18 at Oklahoma State. Overall, SDSU is 1-7 in one-run games this season.
- The Jackrabbits were outscored by a combined 8-0 in the eighth inning of the three games this past weekend at Oral Roberts. ORU scored twice in the eighth inning of each of the first two games to break ties.
- SDSU set a program single-game record by scoring 17 runs in the fourth inning of its 19-11, series-opening win at Incarnate Word. Each of the first 12 batters of the inning reached base safely and a total of 21 men went to the plate in the frame.
- After allowing double figures in runs in each of their first five games, the Jacks have given up a total of 94 runs over the last 16 games (5.9 rpg). Starters Sam Schlecht and Sam Novotny have led the way; Schlecht is 2-0 with a 1.54 ERA (4 ER in 23.1 IP) with 22 strikeouts and eight walks over his last four starts, while Novotny has compiled a 3.38 ERA (9 ER in 24 IP) with 13 strikeouts and only four walks in that same span.
- Â Left-handed reliever Tristan Augedahl has registered 19 strikeouts in only 13 1/3 innings of work so far this season. Augedahl factored in the decision in each of the first two games of the Cambria Classic and has appeared in 10 games. He struck out four batters in three of those outings, including in the Feb. 28 win at Central Arkansas.
- Freshman Logan Campbell leads the Jackrabbit bullpen with 11appearances so far this season. Campbell worked twice in the Oral Roberts series, logging a total of 1 1/3 innings in games March 13 and 15. Campbell also made a brief appearance in the March 18 game at Oklahoma State.
- Ty Madison has made two appearances in each of the last two weekends. In each case, Madison served as the opener for the Jackrabbits' Friday game, then came back to pitch in relief on Sunday. In all, he pitched a total of eight innings, with his longest outing a four-inning start against Northwestern on March 6 at the Cambria Classic.
- SDSU turned three double plays in its March 11 game at Kansas State, marking the first time since a Feb. 24, 2024, game at New Mexico that the Jackrabbits accomplished the feat. The Jacks have 14 double plays to their credit so far this season and are fielding at a .975 clip.
- Sophomore center fielder Owen Siegert has hit safely in 11 of the last 12 games, but had a seven-game hitting streak and string of 16 consecutive games reaching base safely end in the March 13 series opener at Oral Roberts. Siegert recently moved into the cleanup spot in the batting order and is batting .298 (14-for-47) during that span.
- Nic Werk posted a .900 on-base percentage in the recent mid-week series against Oklahoma State, recording four hits and drawing five walks in his 10 plate appearances. After sitting out the season-opening eight-game road trip to Texas due to injury, Werk has provided a boost to the Jackrabbit offense over the last 13 games, including recording a career-best six-game hitting streak from Feb. 28-March 8. Five of his 14 hits have been doubles and he has three multi-hit games to his credit, including a career-best three-hit performance in the March 18 series finale at Oklahoma State.
- A utility player, Werk has made eight starts at second base, three in left field and two at shortstop since his return to the lineup.
- Sophomore third baseman Nolan Grawe had his streak of reaching base safely end at 26 games in the March 1 series finale at Central Arkansas. Grawe ended the 2025 season by reaching base in the final 18 games of the year and reached base in the first eight games he played in 2026, including hitting his first home run of the season Feb. 27 to open the UCA series.
- Long streaks are nothing new for Grawe, who has had separate hitting streaks of 19 games (2025) and 14 games (last 12 games or 2025 and first two games of 2026) en route to setting an SDSU freshman record with 69 hits in 2025. Grawe currently leads the team with seven doubles.
- Sophomore Dayton Franke hit the first Jackrabbit grand slam of the season Feb. 18 at Incarnate Word. It was Franke's second career grand slam.
- Franke hit his 11th career home run in his 128th collegiate at-bat at Oral Roberts on March 15, giving the Jackrabbits a momentary 2-1 lead in the series finale. As a freshman in 2025, Franke hit eight home runs in 65 at-bats, including three in one game against Oral Roberts, and has a team-high three home runs in 66 trips to the plate so far this season. Franke also currently leads the team with 14 runs batted in.
- Both Franke and Brady Brown were hit by pitches three times in a game last month. Franke was plunked three times in the Feb. 17 series opener at Incarnate Word, while Brown was hit three times in the Feb. 22 series finale at Tarleton State.
- In all, Jackrabbit players have been hit by pitches a total of 38 times so far this season. Luke Luskey and Franke lead the team with seven, followed by Carter Taylor with six.
- Luskey homered and doubled in the March 17 series opener at Oklahoma State, marking his first extra-base hits since hitting his first home run of the season Feb. 18 at Incarnate Word. Luskey leads active Jackrabbit players with 24 home runs, 94 runs batted in and 107 hits during his three-year career.
- Backup catcher Luke Jones notched two hits in each of the games at Oklahoma State, finishing the series 4-for-8 at the plate with three RBIs. Jones has driven in seven runs on only six hits so far this season.
Most recently, right-hander Sam Schlecht was named the Kwik Star Summit League Peak Pitcher of the Week for his performance in a Feb. 28 victory at Central Arkansas.
A senior from Maple Grove, Minnesota, Schlecht carried a shutout into the sixth inning, stretching his scoreless innings streak to 10 before giving up a two-run home run. He struck out a season-high seven batters, walked only one and scattered four hits in improving to 2-1 on the season as the Jackrabbits held on for an 8-5 victory.
The previous week, outfielder Carter Taylor was named the Kwik Star Summit League Baseball Peak Performer of the Week after helping lead the Jackrabbits to three wins.
A freshman from Missoula, Montana, Taylor batted .522 (12-for-22) over five games and notched multiple hits in four of those contests. In his first career start, Feb. 17 at Incarnate Word, he went 4-for-6, including hitting his first collegiate home, driving in two runs and scoring twice in a 19-11 Jackrabbit victory. The following day he closed the series with a 3-for-5 performance at the plate that included three RBIs. Taylor, who hit safely in all five games last week to extend his overall hitting streak to six games, tallied two hits in both the Feb. 20 series opener and Feb. 22 finale at Tarleton State.
For the week, his totals included four runs scored, five RBIs, a .696 slugging percentage and a .577 on-base percentage.
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PRESEASON POLL: 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 Feb. 11.
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.
The top four teams in league play will advance to the Summit League Baseball Championship May 20-23 in Minneapolis, 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.
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SUMMIT LEAGUE SUCCESS: South Dakota State has been a consistent winner in The Summit League since it became a league member in 2008. Now in its 19th season as a member of The Summit League, the Jackrabbits have compiled a 239-213 (.529 winning percentage) record in regular season conference games.
SDSU has posted a .500 or better record in league play 10 times and has qualified for the four-team postseason tournament 14 out of the 16 years it has been eligible (no tournament in 2020 due to COVID-19 pandemic).
The Jackrabbits shared a Summit League regular season title in 2010 and won the league's postseason tournament in 2013.
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COACH BISHOP: Rob Bishop, who has guided college baseball teams to more than 700 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 nine-plus seasons with the Jackrabbits, Bishop holds a 179-254 record at SDSU, including a 109-112 mark in Summit League regular season games. He also has led the Jackrabbits to the four-team Summit League Baseball Championship seven times, highlighted by finals appearances on two occasions — in 2018 and 2023.
The 2023 squad set a school record with 89 home runs in 52 games. SDSU played only one true home game but managed a 24-28 overall record and a winning season in Summit League play with a 13-11 mark. That momentum carried over to the four-team league postseason tournament, where the Jackrabbits made a run to the title game.
SDSU hit a Summit League-best 80 home runs in 2024 and also led the circuit with a .492 slugging percentage.
Overall, Bishop holds a 728-576-1 record (.558 winning percentage) as a collegiate head coach. He earned his 700th career victory in the Jackrabbits' 11-7 win at North Dakota State on April 6, 2024.
Individually, Jackrabbit players have been honored as all-Summit League performers 48 times during Bishop's tenure, including seven all-league selections in 2025.
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.
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THE ROSTER: The 2025 SDSU baseball roster features 34 players from 10 different states and one foreign country (Australia). Of the 34 players, 13 are from Minnesota, five are from Nebraska and South Dakota, three are Iowa natives and two hail from Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota and Washington. Arizona and Wyoming are represented by one player each.
By class, one is a graduate transfer, three are seniors and nine are juniors. The sophomore class consists of 10 players and there is one redshirt freshmen, while 10 are incoming freshmen.
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ON DECK: The Jackrabbits return to nonconference action with a March 25 matchup at Creighton. First pitch is set for 6 p.m. at Charles Schwab Field in downtown Omaha, Nebraska.
From there, SDSU will move on to Northern Colorado for a three-game Summit League series March 27-29.
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