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South Dakota State University Athletics
Jackrabbits return to the road in Iowa
3/29/2010 6:00:00 PM | Baseball
After a weeklong layoff, the South Dakota State University baseball team resumes play with a two-game midweek series at the University of Iowa.
The series kicks off with a 6 p.m. matchup Tuesday at Duane Banks Field on the University of Iowa campus in Iowa City. The two-game set concludes Wednesday with a 4 p.m. first pitch.
The Jackrabbits are off to their best start in the Division I era with a 10-6 overall record, including wins over nationally ranked Arkansas and perennial Big Ten Conference contender Minnesota. In its last action, SDSU won two of three games against Northern Colorado on March 20-21 in Greeley, Colo.
Iowa, meanwhile, enters the week with an 8-12 overall record. The Hawkeyes completed a three-game weekend sweep over another Summit League opponent, Western Illinois, to run their winning streak to a season-best four games.
The series kicks off with a 6 p.m. matchup Tuesday at Duane Banks Field on the University of Iowa campus in Iowa City. The two-game set concludes Wednesday with a 4 p.m. first pitch.
The Jackrabbits are off to their best start in the Division I era with a 10-6 overall record, including wins over nationally ranked Arkansas and perennial Big Ten Conference contender Minnesota. In its last action, SDSU won two of three games against Northern Colorado on March 20-21 in Greeley, Colo.
Iowa, meanwhile, enters the week with an 8-12 overall record. The Hawkeyes completed a three-game weekend sweep over another Summit League opponent, Western Illinois, to run their winning streak to a season-best four games.
THE SERIES: This week's games against Iowa will mark the first meetings between SDSU and the Hawkeyes in baseball.
SDSU also will face another first-time opponent this weekend as it travels to Dallas Baptist (Texas) for a three-game series.
RECAPPING LAST WEEK: The Jackrabbits made their second trip of the season to the state of Colorado a successful one, winning two of three games in a weather-shortened series at Northern Colorado.
Game 1: SDSU 17, Northern Colorado 11
Colorado native Eric Cain went 3-for-5 with seven runs batted in, including a grand slam, to pace the South Dakota State baseball team to a 17-11 victory over Northern Colorado on March 21 in Greeley, Colo.
Northern Colorado opened the scoring with three runs in the bottom of the first inning, the last two scoring on a home run by Tyler Wallace.
The Jackrabbits grabbed the lead for good in the top of the second on Cain's grand slam. Zach Rhodes opened the inning with a base hit and John Lee followed with a double down the left-field line to put runners at second and third. After Zach Briggs walked to load the bases, Cain, a native of Littleton, drove a ball over the fence in left field for his first career grand slam and third home run of the season.
SDSU scored twice in the third inning on a Jesse Sawyer run-scoring double and RBI groundout by Lee, then broke the game open with a five-run fifth inning. Lee delivered the big blow in the fifth with a three-run home run to center field. Rhodes also plated two runs with a base hit.
Sawyer gave the Jackrabbits a 13-6 lead with a two-run home run in the top of the sixth inning, his sixth round-tripper of the season.
UNC drew to within 13-11 with two runs in the sixth inning and a three-run seventh inning against Jackrabbit reliever Blaine Alberta, but the Jackrabbits sealed the win in the eighth on a bases-clearing double by Cain that scored three runs. Cain would go on to drive in 11 runs during the three-game series.
The Bears held a 16-12 advantage in hits; however, the UNC pitching staff issued seven walks and hit five more batters.
Mike Robinson picked up the victory for SDSU, pitching the first 5 1/3 innings. He struck out three and walked three while giving up five earned runs.
Trever Vermeulen pitched the final 2 1/3 innings, striking out three, to earn his third save of the season.
Game 2: SDSU 6, Northern Colorado 4
In the the first game of a doubleheader on March 21, the Jackrabbits strung together five singles to take a 3-0 lead in the top of the second inning, including run-scoring hits by Eric Cain, Erik DeJong and Billy Stitz.
After UNC scored a run in the bottom of the third, SDSU built the lead again to three runs, 4-1, on an RBI base hit by Jesse Sawyer in the top of the fifth inning.
The Bears scored twice in the home half of the fifth to pull to within a run, but SDSU put the game out of reach in the ninth on a two-run, pinch-hit home run by Daniel Telford.
UNC scored a run in the bottom of the ninth against the Jackrabbit bullpen on a two-out run-scoring single by Adrian Schenk, but Trever Vermeulen retired the next hitter to record his second save of the series and fourth of the season.
Stitz and Zach Briggs each posted two of the Jackrabbits' 11 hits.
Jackrabbit starter Blake Treinen improved to 2-0 on the season, recording eight strikeouts in six innings. He walked four and allowed four hits in giving up three runs.
Game 3: Northern Colorado 10, SDSU 9
The second game of the twinbill got off to a rough start for SDSU, which allowed four unearned runs in the bottom of the first inning. Jackrabbit starter Jared Koch, who was making his first appearance since the 2008 season following an arm injury, lasted only 2/3 of an inning as he allowed a double, single and triple after an error earlier in the frame.
SDSU got right back in to the game with a three-run second inning. Sawyer led off the frame with a double and scored on a double by John Lee. Zach Briggs later scored on a groundout by Cain and Andrew Melton delivered a run-scoring single up the middle to plate Lee.
The Bears extended their lead to 8-3 with one run in the third and three more in the fourth. Mark Shannon tripled in the first two runs before scoring on a sacrifice fly.
Sawyer hit his team-leading sixth home run with one out in the fifth inning and Melton walked with the bases loaded for his second RBI of the game later in the inning.
SDSU tied the game at 9-all with two runs in the seventh and two more in the eighth. Cain accounted for the seventh-inning runs with a two-run homer, while Joel Blake added a solo shot to lead off the eighth. A sacrifice fly by Lee later in the eighth knocked in Sawyer with the tying run.
Another defensive lapse allowed the Bears to score the game-winning run. Tony Crudo opened the inning by reaching on an error. After an unsuccessful bunt attempt, Tyler Borzileri stole second and scored on Shannon's base hit to center field.
The Jackrabbits threatened in the top of the ninth. Joel Blake reached on an error with two outs and Sawyer walked on four pitches. UNC reliever Tyler Wallace then retired pinch-hitter Zach Rhodes on a ground ball to first base to end the game.
Hits were even at 14. Briggs and Cain were each 3-for-4, while Blake, Sawyer and Lee each tallied two hits for SDSU.
PLAYERS OF THE WEEK: For the second time in three weeks, the South Dakota State University baseball team swept the Summit League weekly awards.
Sophomore shortstop Eric Cain was honored as the Summit League Player of the Week on March 22, while Trever Vermeulen earned his second award this season as the Summit League Pitcher of the Week.
Cain, a native of Littleton, Colo., batted .471 (8-for-17) in four games during the week with two runs and 13 runs batted in. In extending his hitting streak to six games, Cain went 3-for-4 with a grand slam and three-run double in a March 20 game at Northern Colorado.
A Mitchell native, Vermeulen recorded saves in each of the Jackrabbits' victories at Northern Colorado. In 3 1/3 innings, he did not allow a run, surrendered two hits and struck out four.
Vermeulen also received the league weekly pitching award on March 8, along with Jesse Sawyer earning Player of the Week honors. Alex Oberle was named Summit League Pitcher of the Week on March 15.
SUMMIT LEAGUE RACE: South Dakota State has been picked to finish third in the eight-team Summit League race, according to a preseason poll conducted by the league's coaches.
Oral Roberts, the winner of the last 12 Summit League titles, received seven of eight first-place votes to earn the top spot in the poll with 49 points. Centenary (La.) was picked second with 39 points, followed by SDSU with 36 points, including one first-place vote.
Rounding out the poll were: Southern Utah (30), North Dakota State (27), Oakland (16), IPFW (14) and Western Illinois (13).
SUMMIT LEAGUE LEADERS: With league play scheduled to begin on April 9, the Jackrabbit baseball team has positioned itself atop the Summit League standings despite playing a challenging non-conference schedule and not having played a home game.
The only Summit League team with a winning overall record entering the week, the Jackrabbits lead the league in both team hitting (.328 batting average) and team pitching (5.81 earned run average).
SDSU leads the league in nearly every major offensive category, including: slugging percentage (.521), on-base percentage (.396), runs scored (137), runs batted in (132) and doubles (41). In addition, the Jackrabbits are tied for the league lead with five triples and rank second with 22 home runs.
On the pitching side of the ledger, the Jackrabbits lead The Summit League with five saves, while issuing the fewest walks with 55.
LIGHTS OUT: The SDSU bullpen set the tone for the season with a strong collective effort in the first series of the season, Feb. 26-28 at Murray State (Ky.).
The Jackrabbits allowed only one earned run in 12 1/3 innings during the three-game series, including seven innings of one-run baseball in the middle game of the series.
So far this season, the Jackrabbits are 8-1 when leading after six innings and a perfect 6-0 when leading after eight.
Junior Trever Vermeulen has been the anchor of the bullpen so far this season. Vermeulen currently leads the Summit League with four saves, while limiting opponents to a .197 batting average. The team leader with a 3-0 record, Vermeulen also has notched 26 strikeouts and only five walks in 11 appearances, covering 19.2 innings.
CANADIAN CONNECTION: The Jackrabbits have received strong performances from a group of Canadian imports so far this season.
Three products of the Prairie Baseball Academy rank among the top five hitters so far this season.
Joel Blake, who has split time between first base, left field and catcher this season, is batting .391 so far in 2010. Blake tallied a school-record 21 doubles in 2009 and already has notched 11 doubles this season. After tying for the school record with 80 hits in 2009, Blake has upped his career hits total to 107 in only 71 career games, recording a .391 batting average this season.
Returning all-conference third baseman Jesse Sawyer leads the team with six home runs, ranks second with 20 runs batted in and stands third among regular starters with a .390 batting average. Sawyer, who hit a single-season school-record 19 home runs in 2009, has 25 home runs in 72 career games.
Newcomer Zach Rhodes is hitting .350 (21-of-60) with two home runs, 12 runs batted in and 17 runs scored, while playing mostly as the team's designated hitter. He also leads the team with three stolen bases.
Redshirt freshman Daniel Telford has contributed as a top pinch-hitter and spot starter this season. He is hitting .250 and has added three home runs and 11 RBI in 36 at-bats.
Left-handed pitcher Shane Kraemer has solidified the Jackrabbit pitching staff, posting a 1-0 record and 6.61 earned run average in seven appearances, including two starts. He was the winning pitcher in relief in the Jackrabbits' first victory of the season, Feb. 27 against Murray State (Ky.), and made his first career start March 6 at Air Force.
Infielder Daniel Marra is sidelined by a hand injury that has prevented him from playing this season.
COACH PRICE: Ritchie Price returns for his second season as head coach of the South Dakota State University baseball team in 2010.
The youngest head baseball coach at the Division I level, Price has compiled a 36-36 coaching record. In 2009, he directed a dramatic mid-season turnaround during his inaugural season with the Jackrabbits. After starting the 2009 campaign with a 5-22 overall record and 1-6 mark in Summit League play, the Jackrabbits went 19-6 over the final five weeks of the regular season to earn the third seed in the Currington Mortgage Summit League Championship.
At the league tournament, the Jackrabbits dropped their opening game to Southern Utah but came back to defeat both Centenary (La.) and Southern Utah the next day to advance to the title series, where they lost to perennial Summit League champion Oral Roberts.
Overall, SDSU finished the 2009 season with a 26-30 record, including a 17-10 slate in Summit League regular season games.
Price began his association with the Jackrabbit baseball program by serving as infield and third base coach in 2008, and was elevated to interim head coach following the resignation of Reggie Christiansen in June 2008.
A native of San Luis Obispo, Calif., Price comes from a baseball family. His two brothers - Ryne and Robby - have played at the University of Kansas, where their father, Ritch, is currently the head baseball coach.
Ritchie Price also played at Kansas, setting Jayhawk career records for games played (255), at bats (1,022), hits (312), runs scored (204), sacrifices (35) and hit by pitches (53). Price's graduating class owns the most wins of any class in Kansas baseball history.
In 2006, Price helped lead the Jayhawks to a Big 12 Conterence championship, as Kansas went 4-0 to win the conference title. After earning an automatic berth into the NCAA Tournament, Price's squad went 1-2, earning a win over Hawaii in the opening game.
Price was one of the ironmen of college baseball, starting 252 consecutive games at shortstop. Although no official records are kept by the NCAA, this is most certainly among the best in college baseball history.
He was a four-time all-Big 12 selection, and was named the conference's best defensive shortstop in 2004 by Baseball America.
Following his highly successful career with the Jayhawks, Price was an 18th round draft pick of the New York Mets in Major League Baseball's first-year player draft. Not only did Price play rookie ball with the Kingsport Mets of the Appalachian League, but he also spent a week in Class A, playing for the Brooklyn Cyclones of the New York-Penn League.
Price graduated from Kansas in 2007 with a degree in communication studies. He received his master's degree in health, physical education and recreation with an emphasis in sports pedagogy from South Dakota State in the summer of 2009.
THE ROSTER: The 2010 SDSU baseball roster features 28 players from 11 different states plus Canada. Of the 30 players, six are from South Dakota, while three are from each of the states of Colorado, Iowa and Minnesota. Kansas, Nebraska, Oklahoma, Oregon and Washington are represented by one player each. In addition, six players are from Canada. By class, six are seniors, nine are juniors, eight are sophomores, one is a redshirt freshmen and six are incoming freshmen.
A LOOK AHEAD: Upon returning from their weekend trip to Dallas Baptist, the Jackrabbits are tentatively scheduled to open the home season April 7 against Mount Marty. The game has been scheduled as a makeup game to replace the March 19 game at Northern Colorado that was canceled due to weather.
First pitch for the April 7 game is slated for 3 p.m. at Erv Huether Field.
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