JACKS END FIRST HALF OF LEAGUE SEASON AT UST

Friday, April 10

St. Paul, Minn.

noon

South Dakota State University

St. Thomas

South Dakota State baseball players and head coach Rob Bishop discuss strategy at the pitcher's mound during action earlier in the 2026 season at the Cambria Classic played inside U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

Photo by: Ricky Bassman

4/9/2026 3:25:00 PM | Baseball

South Dakota State (9-20, 4-5 Summit) at St. Thomas (5-21, 2-6 Summit)

When	Friday-Saturday, April 10-11 (note schedule change) • Doubleheader at noon Friday • Single game at noon Saturday
Where	Koch Diamond \| St. Paul, Minnesota
TV	Summit League Network powered by Midco Sports Plus Friday's Broadcasts \| Saturday's Broadcast
Radio	None
Live Stats	TommieSports.com
Game Notes	South Dakota State \| St. Thomas \| The Summit League
Social Media	Twitter \| Instagram

The first half of the 2026 Summit League baseball schedule will be closed out when South Dakota State travels to St. Thomas for a three-game weekend series.

With rain in the forecast for later in the weekend, the series will now be played over two days, starting with a noon doubleheader on Friday at Koch Diamond on the UST campus in St. Paul, Minnesota. The series is slated to conclude with a noon first pitch on Saturday. All three games will be available for viewing through the Summit League Network streaming platform powered by Midco Sports Plus.

SDSU enters the series with a 9-20 overall record and a third-place mark of 4-5 in Summit League play. The Jackrabbits remained in the Twin Cities after dropping a 16-7 decision Wednesday night at Minnesota, which was their first action in 10 days after five scheduled home games were canceled or postponed due to inclement weather.

The Jackrabbits have won four of their last five Summit League games, claiming the final two games of three-game sets against North Dakota State and Northern Colorado to close out March.

St. Thomas has posted a 5-21 overall record so far this season and is in fifth place in the league standings with a 2-6 ledger. The Tommies also have had a long layoff recently after their scheduled three-game series at North Dakota State last weekend was wiped out due to adverse field and weather conditions.

Updates of Jackrabbit baseball will be available throughout the week via X/Twitter (@GoJacksBaseball) and through GoJacks.com.

THE SERIES: Friday's series opener will mark the 21st meeting between South Dakota State and St. Thomas on the baseball diamond, in a series that began when the Tommies joined The Summit League at the start of the 2022 season.

SDSU holds a 14-6 series advantage on the strength of winning each of the first 10 matchups. However, St. Thomas won the 2025 season series, 4-2, en route to winning a share of their first Summit League regular season title in program history. St. Thomas claimed two of three games in each of the two series, which were played March 21-22 in Brookings and April 17-19 in St. Paul.

Following are brief recaps from each of the games played between the Jackrabbits and Tommies in 2025:

Game 1: St. Thomas 13, SDSU 9 (March 20 at Erv Huether Field)
• W-Marcus Kruzan (3-0). L-Owen Bishop (0-1)

St. Thomas scored eight times in the fourth inning and held off an SDSU comeback in the late innings to take the opener. Matthew Maulik drove in three runs in the frame with an RBI on an error early in the inning and delivered a two-run single to cap the scoring.

Luke Luskey hit a two-run home run in the home half of the fourth for the Jackrabbits and added a two-run double as part of a four-run ninth.

Tommie starter Marcus Kruzan struck out six while allowing only the Luskey homer in six innings of work.

Game 2: St. Thomas 11, SDSU 4 (March 21 at Erv Huether Field)
• W-Walker Retz (2-0). L-Arlen Peters (0-3).

St. Thomas pitchers Walker Retz and Kody Dalen combined for 12 strikeouts as the Tommies clinched the series with a win in Game 1 of a doubleheader.
SDSU led 4-2 through three innings before the Tommies scored the final nine runs of the game. Nolan Grawe and Owen Siegert hit back-to-back run-scoring singles in the first inning and Adam Benes plated two more runs with a single in the third.

UST took advantage of three Jackrabbit errors to score twice in the second inning, then took a 6-4 lead with a four-run fifth. A balanced Tommie lineup added two runs in the sixth and three more in the seventh..

Game 3: Omaha 19, SDSU 5 (April 13 at Erv Huether Field)
• W-Caleb Duerr (1-2). L-Rianne Ritter (1-1).

Freshman Caleb Duerr held St. Thomas in check over six innings for his first collegiate victory and the Jackrabbit offense did all its damage in the first four innings. Adam Benes brought home two runs with a bunt single in the third inning and Luke Luskey hit his second homer of the series for all three Jackrabbit runs in the fourth inning.

Game 4: St. Thomas 14, SDSU 6 (April 17 at St. Paul, Minnesota)
• W-Zak Endres (3-1). L-Alex Clemons (1-3).

Joe Roder homered twice and Matthew Maulik added a home run of his own as the Tommies prevailed in the series opener. Roder opened the scoring with a two-run homer in the home half of the third, doubled in two runs in the fifth and connected on the first of back-to-back homers with Maulik as UST scored four times in the sixth.

Carter Sintek went 4-for-5 with two doubles and drove in three runs to lead the Jacks.

Game 5: SDSU 3, St. Thomas 0 (April 18 at St. Paul, Minnesota)
• W-Caleb Duerr (3-3). L-Walker Retz (4-1). SV-Dylan Driessen (3).

Caleb Duerr and Dylan Driessen combined on a seven-hit shutout as the Jackrabbits pulled even in the series. Duerr scattered six hits and struck out three over 6 2/3 innings while Driessen fanned three over the final 2 1/3 innings.

Luke Luskey hit a two-run homer in the top of the first inning and accounted for the final run of the game with a sacrifice fly in the third.

Game 6: St. Thomas 5, SDSU 1 (April 19 at St. Paul, Minnesota)
• W-Rianne Ritter (2-1). L-Owen Bishop (0-2). SV-Max Skilbeck (2).

Rianne Ritter limited the Jacks to two hits and one run over seven innings and Max Skilbeck finished the job on the mound with five strikeouts over the final two frames.

Max Moris hit a two-run single in the second inning to push UST's lead to 3-0 and the Tommies added single runs in the sixth and seventh innings to seal the win.

Luke Luskey continued to torment St. Thomas pitching, accounting for the lone SDSU run with his second home run of the series and fourth of the season in the top of the sixth.

SHORT HOPS: Following are some more quick notes regarding the South Dakota State baseball team heading into the series at St. Thomas:

Seven Jackrabbit games in March were 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.
SDSU scored 21 runs in each of the last two games of its most recent Summit League series at Northern Colorado, marking the first time since an April 28, 2010, home doubleheader against North Dakota (won 21-10 and 21-8) that the Jackrabbits scored 20-plus runs in consecutive games.
The Jackrabbits tallied double-digit runs in an inning for the second and third times this season, scoring 12 runs in the eighth inning of the March 28 game at Northern Colorado, followed by a 10-run seventh inning the next day.
SDSU previously set a program single-game record by scoring 17 runs in the fourth inning of its 19-11, series-opening win at Incarnate Word on Feb. 17 in San Antonio, Texas. 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.
Luke Wroblewski was SDSU's top hitter over the last couple weeks, batting .500 (10-for-20) with a home run, 11 RBIs and 10 runs scored in five games. He also has compiled a .750 slugging percentage, .542 on-base percentage and four stolen bases. The graduate transfer began his hot streak by going 3-for-3 with a pair of stolen bases March 25 at Creighton. He hit a three-run home run in the March 27 series opener at Northern Colorado, followed by a 2-for-4, four-RBI performance on March 28 and a 3-for-4 day at the plate in the March 29 series finale in which he doubled twice, scored three times and drove in four runs. He added a pair of RBIs Wednesday at Minnesota.
Nolan Grawe extended his overall hitting streak to 10 games with an RBI single as part of a six-run second inning Wednesday at Minnesota, but had his streak of six consecutive games with an extra-base hit come to an end. Over his 10-game hitting streak, Grawe is batting .340 (16-for-47) with 15 RBIs and 12 runs scored.
Grawe tied an SDSU single-season record with a 19-game hitting streak during his freshman season in 2025. The Cedar Rapids, Iowa, native set an SDSU freshman record with 69 hits last season and collected his 100th career hit March 25 at Creighton.
Grawe enters the week with 104 career hits, which includes 24 doubles. He currently leads the team with 35 hits, 12 doubles and 23 runs scored.
Sophomore center fielder Owen Siegert moved back into the leadoff spot in the batting order during the North Dakota State series (March 20-21) and has responded with four multi-hit performances in the six games he has played since. Over that span, Siegert is 10-for-24 (.417 batting average) at the plate with two triples, eight RBIs and eight runs scored. He currently leads the team with a .343 batting average, 35 hits, 20 bases on balls and a .455 on-base percentage.
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 21 games, including recording a career-best six-game hitting streak from Feb. 28-March 8. Six of his 21 hits have been doubles and he has four 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 14 starts at second base, five in left field, two at shortstop and one in right field since his return to the lineup.
Redshirt freshman catcher Nate Wachter leads the team by batting .522 (12-for-23) with runners in scoring position so far this season. Wachter is hitting .317 overall and ranks fifth on the squad with 17 RBIs. He has a pair of three-hit games during his current five-game hitting streak, including a 3-for-4 day at the plate March 29 in the series finale at Northern Colorado in which he was a home run away from the cycle while driving in three runs and scoring three times.
Left-hander Tristan Augedahl earned his first career save and the Jackrabbits' first save of the season by pitching 3 2/3 hitless and scoreless innings to close out SDSU's 13-5 victory in Game 1 of the March 21 doubleheader against North Dakota State. Augedahl followed that performance with three strikeouts over two shutout innings March 28 at Northern Colorado, giving him 26 strikeouts in only 19 innings of work so far this season.
The Jackrabbits used nine pitchers in Wednesday's game at Minnesota. Junior college transfer Dylan Richardson logged a career-best three scoreless innings to lead the pitching staff. In addition, freshman Logan Campbell made his team-leading 15th appearance of the season and Austin Henry toed the slab for the 14th time in 2026.
The Jacks turned three double plays in their March 11 game at Kansas State, marking the first time since a Feb. 24, 2024, game at New Mexico that SDSU accomplished the feat. In 2026, SDSU has 19 double plays to its credit and is fielding at a .977 clip.
Both Dayton Franke and Brady Brown were hit by pitches three times in a game in February. 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 55 times in 2026. Luke Luskey and Dayton Franke lead the team with 10. Carter Taylor was hit by pitches in consecutive innings of Wednesday's game at Minnesota, bringing his total to eight.
Luskey tallied his 100th career RBI with a run-scoring double in the first inning of Game 2 of the March 21 doubleheader against North Dakota State and enters the week with 109 RBIs after hitting a three-run home run Wednesday night at Minnesota.
Luskey also leads active Jackrabbit players with 28 career home runs, putting him three away from moving into the SDSU career top 10.

PLAYERS OF THE WEEK: South Dakota State has had three players selected as Kwik Star Summit League Baseball Peak Performers of the Week so far this season, with Luke Luskey becoming the latest Jackrabbit to be honored on March 24.

A junior from Green Isle, Minnesota, Luskey batted .429 (6-for-14) with seven RBIs and compiled a .579 on-base percentage in four games against Oklahoma State and North Dakota State. All six of his hits went for extra bases — three doubles and three home runs — as he finished the week with a 1.286 slugging percentage.

Luskey opened the week with a double and home run in a March 17 game at Oklahoma State. In the first game of a March 21 doubleheader against North Dakota State, he hit two home runs and added a run-scoring double as he tallied five RBIs in a Jackrabbit victory, then added an RBI double in Game 2 as the Jackrabbits swept the twinbill to win the series. Luskey also scored five times and reached base on two walks and three hit by pitches during the week.

The two-homer game against NDSU marked the fourth time in his career he has hit two home runs in a game.

Luskey is the second Jackrabbit to receive the weekly award this season, joining freshman outfielder Carter Taylor on Feb. 24.

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 and five RBIs.

In addition, 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.

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.

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 their 19th season as a member of The Summit League, the Jackrabbits have compiled a 243-215 (.531 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.

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 183-258 record at SDSU, including a 113-114 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 732-580-1 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.

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.

ON DECK: The Jackrabbits are scheduled for their longest homestand of the season, starting a string of 10 consecutive games at Erv Huether Field with an April 14 matchup against Midland (Neb.). First pitch is set for 3 p.m.

SDSU then begins the second half of the Summit League slate by hosting a three-game series against Oral Roberts April 17-19.

-GoJacks.com-