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South Dakota State University Athletics
Jackrabbits make trek to NDSU
5/7/2015 12:17:00 PM | Baseball
The South Dakota State University baseball team will play its final road series of the Summit League season this weekend, traveling to North Dakota State for a three-game set.
Friday's series opener is slated for a 6:30 p.m. first pitch at Newman Outdoor Field in Fargo, North Dakota. Games Saturday and Sunday are scheduled for 1 p.m. starts. All three games will be broadcast locally on KJJQ 910 AM and available free of charge through the Jackrabbit Extra media portal at GoJacks.com, with Tyler Merriam calling the play-by-play.
The Jackrabbits enter the weekend 28-18 overall and in second place in the Summit League standings with a 15-9 mark. SDSU dropped the opening game of a three-game home series to Western Illinois last weekend, but came back to win the final two games of the series via the 10-run rule.
North Dakota State, meanwhile, brings a seven-game winning streak into the weekend. The Bison, 17-26 overall and 8-16 in league play, swept a three-game home series from Fort Wayne last weekend, followed by a 5-4 home win over Minnesota on May 5.
THE SERIES: Friday's game will mark the 164th meeting between South Dakota State and North Dakota State on the baseball diamond — a series that dates back to a 17-8 Bison victory on May 25, 1956. Overall, SDSU holds a 105-58 series advantage.
The series has been more competitive during the Division I era, which began for both teams during the 2005 season. The Jackrabbits hold a 34-25 edge in the D-I era, including a 3-0 mark so far in 2015.
NDSU won last year's season series, 3-2. The Bison clinched the 2014 series win by defeating the Jackrabbits, 4-3, in the opening round of the league tournament in Sioux Falls.
TURNING TWO: The Jackrabbit defense came up big in several key situations during its three-game series April 24-26 at Oral Roberts, turning a total of seven double plays. SDSU recorded three double plays in each of the first two games of the series. In fact, Oral Roberts hit into six double plays in a seven-inning span starting with the sixth, seventh and ninth innings of the series opener and concluding with the first three innings of Game 2.
For the season, the Jackrabbits have turned 44 double plays, recording three in a game four times. SDSU has turned a double play in six of the last seven games for a total of 13 twin killings.
POWER OUTAGE, POWER SURGE: Sophomore Matt Johnson ended a long home run drought by the Jackrabbits when he connected on a three-run homer in the first inning of the second game of an April 1 doubleheader against Dakota Wesleyan.
SDSU had gone 14 full games between home runs, dating back to when freshman Luke Ringhofer hit a two-run shot in the second game of a March 7 twinbill at Southern (La.).
Since Johnson's first home run of the season, the Jackrabbits have hit 15 home runs over the next 20 games, including three more by Johnson. SDSU connected on four solo home runs in the April 12 victory over North Dakota State, marking the most homers in a game by the Jackrabbits since the 2010 season.
BACK-TO-BACK JACKS: As part of the Jackrabbits' four-home-run game against North Dakota State on April 12, Matt Johnson and Newt Johnson hit back-to-back solo home runs in the third inning. The last time SDSU had hit back-to-back home runs was on April 30, 2011, in the first game of a doubleheader at Erv Huether Field as Jesse Sawyer and Zach Briggs accomplished the feat.
IN THE BIG INNING(S): Two times during the month of April the Jackrabbit baseball team has scored double figures for runs in an inning.
The first occurrence came in the second inning of the second game of an April 1 doubleheader against Dakota Wesleyan, when the Jackrabbits scored 10 times.
SDSU exceeded that total with an 11-run fourth inning April 14 against North Dakota. The Jackrabbits sent 16 men to the plate in that frame.
OUTFIELD ASSISTS: The Jackrabbits entered play this week unofficially leading all Division I baseball teams with 20 outfield assists, adding to that total with three last week — one versus Creighton on April 29 and two in the series against Western Illinois.
Junior center fielder Zach Coppola ranks in a tie for the top spot after recording his 10th outfield assist against Western Illinois on May 1. Paul Jacobson ranks second on the team with five outfield assists, followed by four from Eric Danforth and one from Zach Holt. Danforth threw out two runners on the bases in a recent three-game home series with Omaha.
100 AND COUNTING: Five Jackrabbits have reached a career milestone this season by recording their 100th career hit.
Junior outfielder Paul Jacobson became the first Jackrabbit to achieve the feat this season, when he tallied his 100th career hit March 11 in a game against Mississippi Valley State. A three-year starter, Jacobson enters the weekend with 137 career hits after going 7-for-16 (.438 average) in last weekend's three-game series against Western Illinois
Junior center fielder Zach Coppola joined the 100-hit club March 14 at Omaha and enters the weekend with a team-best 147 career hits. Coppola had a 14-game hitting streak snapped in the series opener against Omaha on April 17, during which he batted .560 (28-for-50) and tallied five three-hit games. Coppola has reached base safely in 40 consecutive games and currently leads the Jackrabbits with a .395 batting average, .500 on-base percentage, 68 hits, 46 runs scored and a school-record 34 stolen bases.
Coppola is in the midst of another 10-game hitting streak, giving him a hit in 24 of the last 25 games in which he has played.
Senior infielder Al Robbins became the third member of the team to record his 100th career hit, reaching the milestone March 21 at Western Illinois. Robbins enters the week with 132 career hits. He also has been on a hot streak of late, batting .378 (31-for-82) with 20 RBI over his last 25 games. Robbins has collected at least two hits in each of the last four games, going 9-for-17 (.529) over that span.
Senior outfielder Eric Danforth became the fourth member of the 100-hit club this year, notching hit No. 100 April 4 against Oral Roberts. A Watertown native, Danforth has reached base safely in 34 straight games. Danforth has recorded a hit in 19 of 22 games — during which he is batting .381 (32-for-84), Danforth has tallied 124 career hits.
Catcher Reid Clary joined the 100-hit club with a home run May 2 against Western Illinois. Of Clary's 102 career hits, 32 have been for extra bases (26 doubles, two triples and four home runs.
Clary also has moved into the Jackrabbit career top 10 for putouts, and is currently ninth with 678 putouts. He also ranks in a tie for seventh on the SDSU career charts with 11 sacrifice flies.
CATCH HIM IF YOU CAN: South Dakota State center fielder Zach Coppola has broken one of the Jackrabbits' longest-standing single-season records in 2015. A junior from Windsor Heights, Iowa, Coppola is a perfect 34-for-34 on stolen-base attempts this season, surpassing the previous single-season record of 26 by Darrell Bren in 1988 with a three-steal performance April 18 against Omaha. Coppola has stolen 39 consecutive bases dating back to 2014.
With 57 career stolen bases, Coppola has moved into a tie for third place on the SDSU charts with Dave Wilner (1986-88). Dave Lane holds the Jackrabbit career record of 75 stolen bases from 1983-86.
BRAY RECORD WATCH: South Dakota State right-hander Adam Bray, who is the scheduled starter for Friday's series opener at North Dakota State recently became the Jackrabbit career leader for strikeouts and innings pitched, and is poised to set a new SDSU standard for games started by a pitcher this week.
A senior from Eden Prairie, Minnesota, Bray enters the week with 246 career strikeouts, passing Trevor Schulte (226 strikeouts from 1991-94) with a five-strikeout, complete-game performance against North Dakota State on April 10. Bray has struck out 62 batters in 75 1/3 innings so far this season, after fanning 95 batters in 103 innings in 2014.
Bray has logged 310 2/3 career innings, passing the mark of 299 1/3 innings set by Stephen Bougher from 2010-13 in his April 24 start against Oral Roberts. Bray enters the week with 48 career starts, tying him with Bougherfor the Jackrabbit career lead.
A two-time all-Summit League honoree and the Summit League Pitcher of the Week in back-to-back weeks (April 13, April 20) this season, Bray also has moved into a tie for third place in career victories at SDSU by recording his 21st career win April 24 at Oral Roberts. Bray's career record stands at 21-15, matching the win totals of two other pitchers: Chad Coley (1990-93) and Matt Magers (1995-97).
MOORE TIES SAVES MARK: Senior closer J.D. Moore tied a Summit League record as he recorded his 30th career save in the Jackrabbits' 2-1 victory at Oral Roberts on April 25.
A native of Mississauga, Ontario, Moore has served as the team's primary closer since midway through his freshman season, when he led the team with five saves. Moore set a Jackrabbit single-season record with 13 saves during his sophomore season in 2013 and added eight more saves as a junior, when he did not allow a run — earned or unearned — in Summit League play en route to setting the SDSU career saves mark.
Moore now shares the Summit League career saves record with Brett Davis, who tallied 30 saves for Illinois-Chicago from 1988-91.
Moore also has moved into sole possession of second place in career appearances at SDSU with 82 as he broke a tie with Gary Olechoski, (71 appearances from 2003-06) in a March 17 game at Creighton. All-American Trever Vermeulen holds the career appearances record with 89 from 2008-11.
HEEMSTRA ON THE HILL: After playing a key role on three Jackrabbit postseason-qualifying basketball teams, pitcher Marcus Heemstra is playing his first full season of baseball at South Dakota State.
A senior right-hander from Rock Valley, Iowa, Heemstra made a combined 21 pitching appearances between the 2011 and 2012 seasons before redshirting in 2013 as the Jackrabbit basketball team advanced to the NCAA Tournament for the second year in a row. Heemstra returned to the Jackrabbit baseball team in 2014, posting a 1.64 earned run average in seven appearances covering 11 innings.
Thus far in 2015, Heemstra is fourth on the team with 14 appearances — all in relief — and has posted an 0-3 record with a 5.04 ERA. He had not allowed a run in seven of his last eight appearances, covering 12 1//3 innings, before taking the loss in an April 26 game at Oral Roberts. For the season, Heemstra has struck out 18 and walked seven in 25 innings.
Heemstra played in 118 career basketball games — with eight starts. He posted career-high averages of 5.1 points and 3.3 rebounds per game as a senior.
CLARY ON BENCH LIST: Senior catcher Reid Clary was added this week to the official watch list for the Johnny Bench Award, which is presented annually to the top catcher in college baseball by BaseballSavings.com.
A native of Princeton, Illinois, Clary is batting .295 with three home runs and ranks second on the team with 31 runs batted in entering play this week. He also has thrown out 16 of 43 would-be base-stealers (37 percent).
A group of semifinalists will be announced May 14, with finalists named in early June. The award will be presented June 25 in Wichita, Kansas.
RINGHOFER NEARS FRESHMAN MARK: Freshman Luke Ringhofer has provided a potent bat in the middle of the Jackrabbit lineup during his first season with the Jackrabbits. A native of Cottage Grove, Minnesota, Ringhofer currently leads the team with 40 runs batted in — a total that ties the program's freshman record in the Division I era. Nick Adams (2005), Billy Stitz (2008) and Daniel Telford (2010) all drove in 40 runs during their freshman seasons.
Ringhofer tied the record after recording seven RBI in last weekend's three-game series against Western Illinois. He established a new career high — and most by a Jackrabbit this season — with six RBI in the May 2 victory over Western Illinois. He also brings a 13-game hitting streak into this weekend's series at North Dakota State.
NATIONAL LEADERBOARD: The Jackrabbits are well-represented in a variety of categories on the leaderboard of the msot recent Division I baseball statistics. As a team, the Jackrabbits rank 18th in scoring with an average of 7.2 runs per game, while Zach Coppola ranks third individually with 34 stolen bases and eighth with a .500 on-base percentage.
Reid Clary also holds a top-10 individual ranking as he is 10th with seven sacrifice flies.
SUMMIT TOURNAMENT INFO: Tickets for the 2015 Summit League Baseball Championship are now on sale through the Sioux Falls Sports Authority.
The four-team, double-elimination tournament is scheduled to be played May 20-23 at Sioux Falls Stadium. South Dakota State has secured a berth in the tournament and will open play at 7 p.m. May 20 against an opponent to be determined.
Both all-session and single-session tickets are available and can be purchased in person at the Sioux Falls Sports Authority office (200 N. Phillips Ave., Suite 304), by phone at (605) 373-2041 or online at http://sfsportsauth.wix.com/summit-baseball-2015#!tickets/c1n8o. Tickets for the May 19 pre-tournament banquet at the Sioux Falls Convention Center also are available.
Ticket prices are as follows:
• All-session – $45 • Adult single-game – $10
• Youth (12 and under) single-session – $5 • Banquet – $25
The schedule for the Summit League Baseball Championship, presented by First PREMIER Bank/First PREMIER Bankcard, is as follows:
Wednesday, May 20
Game 1: Pairings to be determined, 2 p.m.
Game 2: SDSU vs. opponent to be determined, 7 p.m.
Thursday, May 21
Game 3: Game 1 loser vs. Game 2 loser, 2 p.m.
Game 4: Game 1 winner vs. Game 2 winner, 7 p.m.
Friday, May 22
Game 5: Game 3 winner vs. Game 4 loser, 5 p.m.
Saturday, May 23
Game 6: Game 4 winner vs. Game 5 winner, 1 p.m.
Game 7: Second championship game (if necessary), 4:30 p.m.
Please note the stadium will be cleared between games on May 20 and 21. All seating is general admission.
COACH SCHRAGE: Veteran baseball coach Dave Schrage (pronounced Schrag) is in his 27th season as a collegiate head coach — and fourth at South Dakota State University — during the 2015 season. Schrage was hired to take over the reins of the Jackrabbit baseball program on Aug. 8, 2011.
After posting an 18-33-1 record in his first season at South Dakota State, including a 7-14 mark in The Summit League, Schrage directed a big turnaround in 2013, leading SDSU its first-ever appearance in the NCAA Tournament at the Division I level. The Jackrabbits, who ended the season with a 35-24 overall record, won four consecutive games to claim their inaugural Summit League postseason tournament title and advance to the Eugene Regional of the NCAA Tournament, where they were edged in a pair of one-run games.
SDSU again earned the top seed for the Summit League Baseball Championship during the 2014 season, finishing with an 11-11 mark in a tightly contested league race. Overall, the Jackrabbits finished with a 28-29 overall record. Six Jackrabbit players earned all-Summit League accolades.
Schrage enters the weekend with a 705-766-2 career mark, including a 109-104-1 record at SDSU. He recorded his 600th career victory on March 19, 2012, when the Jackrabbits posted an 11-8 victory at Southern Illinois-Edwardsville, and reached the 700-win mark with a 5-1 victory over Omaha on April 17, 2015. In 26-plus seasons as a collegiate head coach, he has averaged more than 25 victories per season, including six campaigns with 32 or more wins. He has coached players who have earned all-conference honors 69 times and 40 of his former student-athletes have gone on to play professionally, including Layne Somsen and Stephen Bougher from the Jackrabbits' 2013 squad.
Prior to South Dakota State, Schrage was head coach at Notre Dame for four seasons, leading the Fighting Irish to a 119-104-1 record from 2007-10.
THE ROSTER: The 2015 SDSU baseball roster features 37 players from eight different states plus two Canadian provinces. Of the 37 players, 10 are from South Dakota, eight are from Minnesota and Iowa, and five are from Illinois, while Colorado, Indiana, Missouri and Vermont are represented by one player each. In addition, two players are from Canada — one each from Alberta and Ontario.
By class, 12 are seniors, 11 are juniors, seven are sophomores and seven are true freshmen.
A LOOK AHEAD: The Jackrabbits are scheduled to play a non-conference doubleheader May 12 at North Dakota, before closing out Summit League regular season action with a three-game series May 14-16 against Fort Wayne at Erv Huether Field.
The first two games of the Fort Wayne series are scheduled for 3 p.m. starts, with the May 16 finale slated for a 1 p.m. first pitch.
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