Upcoming Event: Baseball versus Briar Cliff on April 22, 2026 at 3 p.m.
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3 p.m.
Baseball
vs Briar Cliff
South Dakota State University Athletics
Wednesday, April 22
Brookings, S.D.
3 p.m.
South Dakota State University
vs
Briar Cliff
Photo by: Riley Edds
EVENSON HOMERS PROPEL JACKS OVER BRIAR CLIFF
4/22/2026 8:18:00 PM | Baseball
South Dakota State catcher Luke Evenson hit a pair of home runs and Luke Luskey also drove in three runs to lead the Jackrabbit baseball team to a 15-6 nonconference victory over Briar Cliff Wednesday afternoon at a windy Erv Huether Field.
The Jackrabbits improved to 13-24 overall. Briar Cliff is 22-21 on the season.
After a scoreless first inning, SDSU scored in each of the next five innings. Freshman Grant Sorensen drove in the first run of the game with a single in the second inning and Luskey plated two with a double to the right-center gap. The final run of the three-run third came across on a sacrifice fly by Keagen Jirschele.
Briar Cliff cut the Jackrabbit lead in half on a two-run home run by Grant Devecsery off SDSU starter in the top of the fourth, but Evenson provided a quick response as he led off the home half of the inning by launching a 3-1 pitch over the fence in left-center field for his first collegiate home run. Carter Taylor doubled on the next pitch and scored two batters later on Luskey's second hit of the game.
Taylor hit his second consecutive double to plate the first run in a four-run bottom of the fifth. Pinch-hitter Brady Brown then dropped down a squeeze bunt on which Evenson scored easily and Taylor also came across after the throw to first base was off line. Brown later scored on a double play.
The Chargers scored an earned run in the top of the sixth, but Evenson again had an answer in the bottom of the inning with his second homer of the day, a solo shot to left field that pushed the SDSU lead to 12-4.
Greyson Kay's two-run double in the top of the eighth trimmed the deficit to 12-6.
SDSU continued to take advantage of free passes issued by the Briar Cliff pitching staff to score three times in the bottom of the eighth without a hit. The first four Jackrabbit batters of the frame all drew walks, the last of which was to Taylor and forced in a run. Back-to-back sacrifice flies by Brown and Dayton Franke knocked in the other runs.
The Jackrabbits tied single-game team records in the Division I era (since 2005) by being hit by a pitch eight times and recording three sacrifice flies. In addition, Travis Finney tied an individual single-game mark by being on the receiving end of three of the hit-by-pitches. SDSU batters also drew nine walks and held a 10-7 advantage in hits with Luskey leading the way with a 3-for-4 day at the plate.
McDowell faced the minimum number of batters the first time through the order and was credited with the win after pitching effectively over a pre-determined four innings. The right-hander struck out five and walked two while the only hit he allowed was the home run by Devescsery.
Trey Husar, Logan Campbell and Austin Henry each struck out two batters in their relief stints.
Briar Cliff sent nine different pitchers to the mound in the game.
Tylar Lutgen was the lone player with two hits for the Chargers.
ON DECK
The Jackrabbits continue their season-long 10-game homestand by welcoming Northern Colorado to Erv Huether Field for a three-game Summit League series. Friday's opener is slated for a 3 p.m. first pitch.
NOTES
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The Jackrabbits improved to 13-24 overall. Briar Cliff is 22-21 on the season.
After a scoreless first inning, SDSU scored in each of the next five innings. Freshman Grant Sorensen drove in the first run of the game with a single in the second inning and Luskey plated two with a double to the right-center gap. The final run of the three-run third came across on a sacrifice fly by Keagen Jirschele.
Briar Cliff cut the Jackrabbit lead in half on a two-run home run by Grant Devecsery off SDSU starter in the top of the fourth, but Evenson provided a quick response as he led off the home half of the inning by launching a 3-1 pitch over the fence in left-center field for his first collegiate home run. Carter Taylor doubled on the next pitch and scored two batters later on Luskey's second hit of the game.
Taylor hit his second consecutive double to plate the first run in a four-run bottom of the fifth. Pinch-hitter Brady Brown then dropped down a squeeze bunt on which Evenson scored easily and Taylor also came across after the throw to first base was off line. Brown later scored on a double play.
The Chargers scored an earned run in the top of the sixth, but Evenson again had an answer in the bottom of the inning with his second homer of the day, a solo shot to left field that pushed the SDSU lead to 12-4.
Greyson Kay's two-run double in the top of the eighth trimmed the deficit to 12-6.
SDSU continued to take advantage of free passes issued by the Briar Cliff pitching staff to score three times in the bottom of the eighth without a hit. The first four Jackrabbit batters of the frame all drew walks, the last of which was to Taylor and forced in a run. Back-to-back sacrifice flies by Brown and Dayton Franke knocked in the other runs.
The Jackrabbits tied single-game team records in the Division I era (since 2005) by being hit by a pitch eight times and recording three sacrifice flies. In addition, Travis Finney tied an individual single-game mark by being on the receiving end of three of the hit-by-pitches. SDSU batters also drew nine walks and held a 10-7 advantage in hits with Luskey leading the way with a 3-for-4 day at the plate.
McDowell faced the minimum number of batters the first time through the order and was credited with the win after pitching effectively over a pre-determined four innings. The right-hander struck out five and walked two while the only hit he allowed was the home run by Devescsery.
Trey Husar, Logan Campbell and Austin Henry each struck out two batters in their relief stints.
Briar Cliff sent nine different pitchers to the mound in the game.
Tylar Lutgen was the lone player with two hits for the Chargers.
ON DECK
The Jackrabbits continue their season-long 10-game homestand by welcoming Northern Colorado to Erv Huether Field for a three-game Summit League series. Friday's opener is slated for a 3 p.m. first pitch.
NOTES
- SDSU leads the all-time series, 47-17
- The Jackrabbits were also hit by eight pitches at Northwestern State (La.) on March 17, 2022
- SDSU recorded three sacrifice flies in a game for the 11th time and the first time since a March 10, 2025, game at Northern Colorado
- Evenson's two-homer game was the second by a Jackrabbit player this season, joining Luke Luskey (Game 1 of March 21 doubleheader versus North Dakota State)
- Luskey posted his third three-hit game of the season and regained the team lead in RBIs with 34
- Finney became the third SDSU player to be hit by a pitch three times in a game this season (Dayton Franke at Incarnate Word on Feb. 17 and Brady Brown at Tarleton State on Feb. 22)Â
- McDowell's five strikeouts tied a season and career high (March 20 vs. North Dakota State)
- SDSU improved to 4-4 at home this season
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Players Mentioned
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