Completed Event: Baseball at Omaha on May 22, 2025 , Loss , 6, to, 7 , 10 inn.
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FINAL
Baseball
6
(10 inn.)
at Omaha
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South Dakota State University Athletics
Friday, May 12
Fort Wayne, Ind.
2 p.m.
South Dakota State University
at
Fort Wayne
Photo by: Inertia Sports Media/Dave Eggen
Jackrabbits move on to Fort Wayne
5/10/2017 2:38:00 PM | Baseball
BROOKINGS, S.D. — The South Dakota State University baseball team will attempt to move closer to – or possibly secure – a berth in the upcoming Summit League Baseball Championship as it travels to Fort Wayne for a three-game weekend series.
Friday's series opener is scheduled for a 3 p.m. Eastern Time (2 p.m. Central) first pitch at Mastodon Field on the Fort Wayne campus. Games Saturday and Sunday are set for 2 p.m. Eastern and 1 p.m. Eastern, respectively. Video and live stats will be available at GoMastodons.com.
The Jackrabbits enter the week 19-22 overall and 12-12 in The Summit League after winning two of three home games from Western Illinois this past weekend. SDSU holds a 3 1/2-game lead over Omaha for the fourth and final spot in the league tournament with six games remaining. The Jackrabbits could finish as high as second place as they trail North Dakota State by two games and Western Illinois by one game for third place.
Fort Wayne, meanwhile, has been eliminated from postseason contention. The Mastodons, who faced a rebuilding year after reaching the league championship series each of the past two seasons, have struggled to an 8-37 overall record and a 3-21 mark in league play in 2017.
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THE SERIES: South Dakota State and Fort Wayne will play for the 58th time, when the two squads meet in Friday's series opener. The Jackrabbits hold a 44-13 advantage in the series that dates back to 2006, when both schools competed as Division I independents.
SDSU swept the first three-game series between the two squads, which was play March 31-April 2 at Erv Huether Field. The Jackrabbits won the opener, 1-0 in 11 innings, before tallying wins of 12-2 and 10-6. SDSU held a 4-2 series advantage during the 2016 season, sweeping a three-game series in early April that was moved to Kokomo, Indiana.
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PRESEASON POLL: The South Dakota State University baseball team was picked to finish second in the 2017 Summit League race, according to a poll conducted among league coaches and announced by league officials on Feb. 9.
Oral Roberts received five first-place votes en route to earning the top spot in the poll with 25 points. SDSU received the other first-place vote and 18 points, and was followed by North Dakota State (17), Omaha (13), Western Illinois (9) and Fort Wayne (8).
 Oral Roberts will host the four-team Summit League Baseball Championship May 24-27 at J.L. Johnson Stadium in Tulsa, Oklahoma.
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LAST WEEK: The Jackrabbits recorded only their third Summit League series win of the season, winning the final two games of a three-game home series against Western Illinois.
A few notes from the most recent series:
• SDSU and Western Illinois split the regular season series, with each team winning twice on its home field;
• The Jackrabbits fell to 2-6 in Summit League series openers this season with a 7-5 loss to Western Illinois on May 5;
• SDSU pitchers recorded double figures in strikeouts in two games during the series — 12 in the May 5 opener and 13 to tie a team season high in the May 7 finale;
• The Jackrabbits set a season high for runs scored with 18 in an 18-8, eight-inning victory on May 6;
• SDSU won via the 10-run rule for the third time this season (15-0 in seven innings at Omaha on March 18 and 12-2 in seven innings against Fort Wayne on April 1);
• The Jackrabbits recorded 15 extra-base hits in the three-game series against Western Illinois (11 doubles, 1 triple, 3 home runs)
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JOHNSON AND JOHNSON: Starting corner infielders Matt Johnson and Newt Johnson have been two of the most consistent offensive players for the Jackrabbits in 2017.
A senior first baseman, Matt Johnson recorded a hit in each of the team's first 17 games of the season and has reached base safely in 37 of 41 games in 2017. The Ankeny, Iowa, native ranks in the top 10 in The Summit League in nearly every offensive category while leading the Jackrabbits with 10 home runs, 29 runs scored, 32 runs batted in, a .414 on-base percentage and a .585 slugging percentage. He also ranks second on the team with 12 doubles.
A second-team all-Summit League honoree in 2016, he matched the program best of 19 consecutive games with a hit last season. He also leads active Jackrabbit players with 24 career home runs and his 46 career doubles also are the most among active SDSU players and rank in a tie for eighth on the SDSU career charts.
Last weekend, Johnson moved into 10th place on the SDSU career charts for games played with 192. He enters the week with 196 career hits — four away from becoming the 18th player in program history to reach the 200-hit milestone.
A junior third baseman from Rapid City, Newt Johnson leads the team with 15 doubles and ranks second with a .323 batting average and 31 runs batted in — 23 of which have come in Summit League contests. He has driven in three runs in a game five times thus far in 2017, including the April 22 matchup against Oral Roberts.
Newt Johnson was named Summit League Player of the Week on March 20 after batting .500 (7-for-14) in the three-game series at Omaha, scoring eight runs and driving in four. He recorded three hits in each of the final two games of the series, extending his hitting streak to seven games. He also notched a double and two runs batted in in each of the first two contests.
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ONE STREAK ENDS, ANOTHER BEGINS: Jackrabbit catcher Luke Ringhofer had his school-record streak of reaching base safely in 52 consecutive games come to an end in the Jackrabbits' loss to Maine on Feb. 25, when he went 0-for-4 at the plate.
Ringhofer's streak began March 4, 2016, when he recorded a hit in the series opener at Sacramento State. A junior from Cottage Grove, Minnesota, Ringhofer had a hit in 43 games during the streak, and drew at least one base on balls in 30 contests.
Since that streak was broken, Ringhofer reached base safely in the next 31 consecutive games before having that streak ended in the April 28 series opener against North Dakota State. Ringhofer's most recent streak included a 16-game hitting streak. Ringhofer has put together a hitting streak of at least 13 games in each of his three seasons at SDSU.
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SMITH RACKING UP THE HITS: Leadoff hitter Nick Smith has gotten hits in bunches during the 2017 season. A?sophomore from Chanhassen, Minnesota, Smith has tallied a team-high 60 hits, while posting a team-best 20 multi-hit games. Smith has recorded at least two hits in nine of the Jackrabbits' last 15 games, dating back to April 9 at North Dakota State, compiling a .410 batting average (25-for-61) in that span.
Smith went a combined 8-for-11 in an April 15 doubleheader at Western Illinois. Smith notched three hits in the opener, then went 5-for-6 in Game 2, becoming the first Jackrabbit player with a five-hit game this season.
Injured late in the May 7 series finale against Western Illinois, Smith is not expected to play this weekend. He established a new career high with four runs batted in as he went 3-for-5 in a May 6 win over Western Illinois.
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KJOLSING HEATING UP: Since returning to the starting lineup after missing more than a month due to injury, junior shortstop Tony Kjolsing has been one of the Jackrabbits' most consistent hitters.
The Chaska, Minnesota, native has hit safely in each of the Jackrabbits' last five games and 12 of their last 13, going a combined 16-for-43 (.372 batting average) since a 1-for-2 effort at Creighton on April 11. In last weekend's three-game series against Western Illinois, Kjolsing moved into the second spot in the order and responded by going 5-for-12 (.417) with two doubles, a home run and seven runs batted in. He recorded at least two RBI in each game.
Kjolsing has a history of finishing seasons strong. In 2016, he batted .438 (14-for-32) over the final 10 games of the season, recording four doubles, two home runs, seven RBI and 12 runs scored.
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MR. CLUTCH: South Dakota State has recorded two walk-off wins this season, with junior infielder Skyler Wenninger providing the game-winning hit in both games.
Wenninger's first game-winner was a bunt single in the bottom of the 11th inning in a 1-0 victory over Fort Wayne on March 31. After missing a month due to injury, Wenninger marked his return to the lineup by lining a single to center field in the bottom of the ninth of the series finale against Western Illinois on May 7.
Both of Wenninger's game-winning hits drove in freshman Landon Badger with the winning run. Wenninger enters the weekend with a streak of reaching base safely in 11 consecutive games, dating back to a March 19 game at Omaha.
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PITCHERS OF THE WEEK: South Dakota State University right-hander Ethan Kenkel was honored as Summit League Pitcher of the Week, league officials announced on April 10.
A senior from Storm Lake, Iowa, Kenkel pitched six-plus shutout innings, allowing only two hits, as the Jackrabbits claimed the series finale from North Dakota State, 1-0, on April 9. Kenkel's six innings pitched and six strikeouts both set new career highs in recording his first win of the season.
Kenkel is the second Jackrabbit to be honored as Summit League Pitcher of the Week in 2017. Fellow senior right-hander Ryan Froom was honored both Feb. 20 and March 20.
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PIECING THINGS TOGETHER: Due to injuries and ineffectiveness, the Jackrabbit starting rotation has been in a constant state of flux in recent weeks. Brett Mogen became the eighth different Jackrabbit to start a Summit League game, pitching 7 1/3 strong innings against North Dakota State on April 28.
Two of SDSU's three starters from the opening weekend of Summit League play have been sidelined by injury for most of the Summit League schedule. Two-time Summit League Pitcher of the Week Ryan Froom is out indefinitely, while Tyler Olmstead made his first appearance since mid-March in the April 28 series opener against North Dakota State. Olmstead made another relief appearance against Western Illinois on May 5 and is slated to move back to the starting rotation this weekend.
Jackrabbit starters have combined to throw only 104 of the 210 2/3 innings pitched in 24 league games so far this season. Starting pitchers have a combined 5.25 earned run average, compared to 3.91 by the bullpen.
Freshman left-hander Brady Stover was the Friday starter for the first five weekends of league play, but was moved to the bullpen for some fine-tuning in recent weeks. He is expected to take the ball in the opening game of this weekend's series at Fort Wayne.
Senior right-hander Ethan Kenkel leads the staff with six starts in league play. Kenkel has pitched a combined 29 1/3 innings over his six starts, posting a 2-0 record and 4.50 ERA in league contests, with both of his victories coming against North Dakota State.
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LIGHTS OUT: Three relievers have solidified the Jackrabbit pitching staff in the first half of the 2017 season.
Leading the way is closer Chris Halbur. A senior right-hander from Manning, Iowa, Halbur did not a run in his first 13 appearances, covering 18 innings. Halbur's scoreless streak ended at 18 2/3 innings as he allowed the tying run to Creighton with two outs in the ninth inning on April 11, a game the Jackrabbits lost in 11 innings. For the season, he has given up only two runs and 14 hits (.171 opponent average), while striking out 29 batters against five walks in 24 2/3 innings. His seven saves currently are tied for second in The Summit League, while his nine career saves at SDSU rank in a tie for sixth in program history.
Halbur earned the win after pitching the final three innings in SDSU's 1-0, 11-inning victory over Fort Wayne on March 31. He also pitched in the April 2 series finale, striking out two batters in an inning of work.
Left-hander Bryce Hanson has pitched effectively as a long reliever and spot starter. A sophomore from Dakota Dunes, Hanson is 3-1 in 16 appearances with a 3.13 earned run average. He has struck out 37 batters in 21 2/3 innings, including fanning a career-best eight batters in 4 1/3 innings en route to the win in the second game of an April 15 doubleheader at Western Illinois.
Junior setup man Derek Feige also has pitched well out of the bullpen to lead the team in wins (4) and rank second in appearances (18). A junior from Sioux Falls, Feige has posted a 4-2 record with a 3.03 ERA, while striking out 28 in 32 2/3 innings. Feige earned the victory in his last outing, May 6 versus Western Illinois.
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HOME ON THE MOUND: The Jackrabbit pitching staff began the home portion of its 2017 schedule by holding the opposition scoreless for the first 24 innings in games played at Erv Huether Field.
With consecutive 1-0 wins against Dakota Wesleyan on March 29 and Fort Wayne in 11 innings March 31, South Dakota State hurled back-to-back shutouts for the first time in four years. SDSU's shutout streak ended in the fifth inning of the Jackrabbits' April 1 game against Fort Wayne.
The last time the Jackrabbits posted consecutive shutout wins was May 26, 2013, when SDSU blanked North Dakota State by scores of 2-0 and 1-0 in the championship series of the Summit League postseason tournament in Rochester, Michigan.
SDSU has posted four shutouts so far in 2017 — three of which have been 1-0 wins.
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TURNING TWO: South Dakota State played solid defense in their series sweep of Omaha to open Summit League play. The Jackrabbits turned eight double plays, including a Division I-era-best four in the opening game of the series on March 17.
Second baseman Nick Smith was part of all eight double plays, seven of which came on ground balls, with the other on a lineout.
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PRO BALL UPDATE: Four former Jackrabbit players, led by Washington Nationals relief pitcher Blake Treinen, are currently seeing extensive action in professional baseball.
Treinen, who pitched at SDSU from 2010-11, began the season as the closer for the Nationals, earning three saves. He has since moved into a setup role and leads the team with 16 appearances, while recording has 15 strikeouts in 4 2/3 innings.
Two other former Jackrabbit pitchers, Layne Somsen (2009-13) and Adam Bray (2012-15), are both of the Los Angeles Dodgers organization. Bray recently spent a week at Triple-A Oklahoma City before being sent back to the Class-A Rancho Cucamonga Quakes. In his lone appearance with Oklahoma City, April 28 at Omaha, Bray earned the save with 3 1/3 innings of scoreless relief.
In a combined six minor league appearances this season, including one start, Bray posted a 1.16 earned run average with 23 strikeouts and only two walks in 23 1/3 innings. He also has two saves and has limited the opposition to a .157 batting average.
Somsen has appeared in nine games — all in relief — and has posted a 2-0 record. He has yet to allow an earned run in 14 2/3 innings pitched, collecting 13 strikeouts and six walks, while holding the opposition to a .176 batting average.
Somsen pitched for three different organizations last season, making his Major League debut with the Cincinnati Reds before pitching in the farm systems of the New York Yankees and the Dodgers.
Also starting the 2017 season in Class A was outfielder Zach Coppola (2013-15), who is playing for the Clearwater Threshers in the Philadelphia Phillies farm system. In 25 games, Coppola is batting .287 (25-for-87) with three doubles, a home run and six runs batted in. He also is 7-for-11 in stolen-base attempts.
In addition, Caleb Thielbar (2006-09) was in Spring Training with the Miami Marlins, but was released in late March. Thielbar was the first Jackrabbit in the modern era to reach the Major Leagues, making his debut with the Minnesota Twins in 2013.
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COACH BISHOP: Rob Bishop, who has guided college baseball teams to more than 500 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.
Overall, Bishop holds a 568-444-1 record (.561 winning percentage) as a collegiate head coach, including a 19-22 mark at SDSU. He spent the previous 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.
His squads also were honored as the top academic team in the GNAC each of his last three seasons.
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. 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 season as a head coach, Bishop led Huron University to the South Dakota Intercollegiate Conference title in 2000.
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 2017 SDSU baseball roster features 36 players from five different states. Of the 36 players, 15 are from South Dakota, 10 are from Minnesota and nine hail from Iowa. California and Indiana are represented by one player each.
By class, eight are seniors, 11 are juniors, six are sophomores, two are redshirt freshmen and nine are true freshmen.
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A LOOK AHEAD: SDSU returns home to close out the regular season at home with a three-game series May 18-20 versus Omaha. Jackrabbit seniors will be honored prior to the May 20 game.
-GoJacks.com-
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Friday's series opener is scheduled for a 3 p.m. Eastern Time (2 p.m. Central) first pitch at Mastodon Field on the Fort Wayne campus. Games Saturday and Sunday are set for 2 p.m. Eastern and 1 p.m. Eastern, respectively. Video and live stats will be available at GoMastodons.com.
The Jackrabbits enter the week 19-22 overall and 12-12 in The Summit League after winning two of three home games from Western Illinois this past weekend. SDSU holds a 3 1/2-game lead over Omaha for the fourth and final spot in the league tournament with six games remaining. The Jackrabbits could finish as high as second place as they trail North Dakota State by two games and Western Illinois by one game for third place.
Fort Wayne, meanwhile, has been eliminated from postseason contention. The Mastodons, who faced a rebuilding year after reaching the league championship series each of the past two seasons, have struggled to an 8-37 overall record and a 3-21 mark in league play in 2017.
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THE SERIES: South Dakota State and Fort Wayne will play for the 58th time, when the two squads meet in Friday's series opener. The Jackrabbits hold a 44-13 advantage in the series that dates back to 2006, when both schools competed as Division I independents.
SDSU swept the first three-game series between the two squads, which was play March 31-April 2 at Erv Huether Field. The Jackrabbits won the opener, 1-0 in 11 innings, before tallying wins of 12-2 and 10-6. SDSU held a 4-2 series advantage during the 2016 season, sweeping a three-game series in early April that was moved to Kokomo, Indiana.
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PRESEASON POLL: The South Dakota State University baseball team was picked to finish second in the 2017 Summit League race, according to a poll conducted among league coaches and announced by league officials on Feb. 9.
Oral Roberts received five first-place votes en route to earning the top spot in the poll with 25 points. SDSU received the other first-place vote and 18 points, and was followed by North Dakota State (17), Omaha (13), Western Illinois (9) and Fort Wayne (8).
 Oral Roberts will host the four-team Summit League Baseball Championship May 24-27 at J.L. Johnson Stadium in Tulsa, Oklahoma.
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LAST WEEK: The Jackrabbits recorded only their third Summit League series win of the season, winning the final two games of a three-game home series against Western Illinois.
A few notes from the most recent series:
• SDSU and Western Illinois split the regular season series, with each team winning twice on its home field;
• The Jackrabbits fell to 2-6 in Summit League series openers this season with a 7-5 loss to Western Illinois on May 5;
• SDSU pitchers recorded double figures in strikeouts in two games during the series — 12 in the May 5 opener and 13 to tie a team season high in the May 7 finale;
• The Jackrabbits set a season high for runs scored with 18 in an 18-8, eight-inning victory on May 6;
• SDSU won via the 10-run rule for the third time this season (15-0 in seven innings at Omaha on March 18 and 12-2 in seven innings against Fort Wayne on April 1);
• The Jackrabbits recorded 15 extra-base hits in the three-game series against Western Illinois (11 doubles, 1 triple, 3 home runs)
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JOHNSON AND JOHNSON: Starting corner infielders Matt Johnson and Newt Johnson have been two of the most consistent offensive players for the Jackrabbits in 2017.
A senior first baseman, Matt Johnson recorded a hit in each of the team's first 17 games of the season and has reached base safely in 37 of 41 games in 2017. The Ankeny, Iowa, native ranks in the top 10 in The Summit League in nearly every offensive category while leading the Jackrabbits with 10 home runs, 29 runs scored, 32 runs batted in, a .414 on-base percentage and a .585 slugging percentage. He also ranks second on the team with 12 doubles.
A second-team all-Summit League honoree in 2016, he matched the program best of 19 consecutive games with a hit last season. He also leads active Jackrabbit players with 24 career home runs and his 46 career doubles also are the most among active SDSU players and rank in a tie for eighth on the SDSU career charts.
Last weekend, Johnson moved into 10th place on the SDSU career charts for games played with 192. He enters the week with 196 career hits — four away from becoming the 18th player in program history to reach the 200-hit milestone.
A junior third baseman from Rapid City, Newt Johnson leads the team with 15 doubles and ranks second with a .323 batting average and 31 runs batted in — 23 of which have come in Summit League contests. He has driven in three runs in a game five times thus far in 2017, including the April 22 matchup against Oral Roberts.
Newt Johnson was named Summit League Player of the Week on March 20 after batting .500 (7-for-14) in the three-game series at Omaha, scoring eight runs and driving in four. He recorded three hits in each of the final two games of the series, extending his hitting streak to seven games. He also notched a double and two runs batted in in each of the first two contests.
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ONE STREAK ENDS, ANOTHER BEGINS: Jackrabbit catcher Luke Ringhofer had his school-record streak of reaching base safely in 52 consecutive games come to an end in the Jackrabbits' loss to Maine on Feb. 25, when he went 0-for-4 at the plate.
Ringhofer's streak began March 4, 2016, when he recorded a hit in the series opener at Sacramento State. A junior from Cottage Grove, Minnesota, Ringhofer had a hit in 43 games during the streak, and drew at least one base on balls in 30 contests.
Since that streak was broken, Ringhofer reached base safely in the next 31 consecutive games before having that streak ended in the April 28 series opener against North Dakota State. Ringhofer's most recent streak included a 16-game hitting streak. Ringhofer has put together a hitting streak of at least 13 games in each of his three seasons at SDSU.
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SMITH RACKING UP THE HITS: Leadoff hitter Nick Smith has gotten hits in bunches during the 2017 season. A?sophomore from Chanhassen, Minnesota, Smith has tallied a team-high 60 hits, while posting a team-best 20 multi-hit games. Smith has recorded at least two hits in nine of the Jackrabbits' last 15 games, dating back to April 9 at North Dakota State, compiling a .410 batting average (25-for-61) in that span.
Smith went a combined 8-for-11 in an April 15 doubleheader at Western Illinois. Smith notched three hits in the opener, then went 5-for-6 in Game 2, becoming the first Jackrabbit player with a five-hit game this season.
Injured late in the May 7 series finale against Western Illinois, Smith is not expected to play this weekend. He established a new career high with four runs batted in as he went 3-for-5 in a May 6 win over Western Illinois.
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KJOLSING HEATING UP: Since returning to the starting lineup after missing more than a month due to injury, junior shortstop Tony Kjolsing has been one of the Jackrabbits' most consistent hitters.
The Chaska, Minnesota, native has hit safely in each of the Jackrabbits' last five games and 12 of their last 13, going a combined 16-for-43 (.372 batting average) since a 1-for-2 effort at Creighton on April 11. In last weekend's three-game series against Western Illinois, Kjolsing moved into the second spot in the order and responded by going 5-for-12 (.417) with two doubles, a home run and seven runs batted in. He recorded at least two RBI in each game.
Kjolsing has a history of finishing seasons strong. In 2016, he batted .438 (14-for-32) over the final 10 games of the season, recording four doubles, two home runs, seven RBI and 12 runs scored.
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MR. CLUTCH: South Dakota State has recorded two walk-off wins this season, with junior infielder Skyler Wenninger providing the game-winning hit in both games.
Wenninger's first game-winner was a bunt single in the bottom of the 11th inning in a 1-0 victory over Fort Wayne on March 31. After missing a month due to injury, Wenninger marked his return to the lineup by lining a single to center field in the bottom of the ninth of the series finale against Western Illinois on May 7.
Both of Wenninger's game-winning hits drove in freshman Landon Badger with the winning run. Wenninger enters the weekend with a streak of reaching base safely in 11 consecutive games, dating back to a March 19 game at Omaha.
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PITCHERS OF THE WEEK: South Dakota State University right-hander Ethan Kenkel was honored as Summit League Pitcher of the Week, league officials announced on April 10.
A senior from Storm Lake, Iowa, Kenkel pitched six-plus shutout innings, allowing only two hits, as the Jackrabbits claimed the series finale from North Dakota State, 1-0, on April 9. Kenkel's six innings pitched and six strikeouts both set new career highs in recording his first win of the season.
Kenkel is the second Jackrabbit to be honored as Summit League Pitcher of the Week in 2017. Fellow senior right-hander Ryan Froom was honored both Feb. 20 and March 20.
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PIECING THINGS TOGETHER: Due to injuries and ineffectiveness, the Jackrabbit starting rotation has been in a constant state of flux in recent weeks. Brett Mogen became the eighth different Jackrabbit to start a Summit League game, pitching 7 1/3 strong innings against North Dakota State on April 28.
Two of SDSU's three starters from the opening weekend of Summit League play have been sidelined by injury for most of the Summit League schedule. Two-time Summit League Pitcher of the Week Ryan Froom is out indefinitely, while Tyler Olmstead made his first appearance since mid-March in the April 28 series opener against North Dakota State. Olmstead made another relief appearance against Western Illinois on May 5 and is slated to move back to the starting rotation this weekend.
Jackrabbit starters have combined to throw only 104 of the 210 2/3 innings pitched in 24 league games so far this season. Starting pitchers have a combined 5.25 earned run average, compared to 3.91 by the bullpen.
Freshman left-hander Brady Stover was the Friday starter for the first five weekends of league play, but was moved to the bullpen for some fine-tuning in recent weeks. He is expected to take the ball in the opening game of this weekend's series at Fort Wayne.
Senior right-hander Ethan Kenkel leads the staff with six starts in league play. Kenkel has pitched a combined 29 1/3 innings over his six starts, posting a 2-0 record and 4.50 ERA in league contests, with both of his victories coming against North Dakota State.
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LIGHTS OUT: Three relievers have solidified the Jackrabbit pitching staff in the first half of the 2017 season.
Leading the way is closer Chris Halbur. A senior right-hander from Manning, Iowa, Halbur did not a run in his first 13 appearances, covering 18 innings. Halbur's scoreless streak ended at 18 2/3 innings as he allowed the tying run to Creighton with two outs in the ninth inning on April 11, a game the Jackrabbits lost in 11 innings. For the season, he has given up only two runs and 14 hits (.171 opponent average), while striking out 29 batters against five walks in 24 2/3 innings. His seven saves currently are tied for second in The Summit League, while his nine career saves at SDSU rank in a tie for sixth in program history.
Halbur earned the win after pitching the final three innings in SDSU's 1-0, 11-inning victory over Fort Wayne on March 31. He also pitched in the April 2 series finale, striking out two batters in an inning of work.
Left-hander Bryce Hanson has pitched effectively as a long reliever and spot starter. A sophomore from Dakota Dunes, Hanson is 3-1 in 16 appearances with a 3.13 earned run average. He has struck out 37 batters in 21 2/3 innings, including fanning a career-best eight batters in 4 1/3 innings en route to the win in the second game of an April 15 doubleheader at Western Illinois.
Junior setup man Derek Feige also has pitched well out of the bullpen to lead the team in wins (4) and rank second in appearances (18). A junior from Sioux Falls, Feige has posted a 4-2 record with a 3.03 ERA, while striking out 28 in 32 2/3 innings. Feige earned the victory in his last outing, May 6 versus Western Illinois.
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HOME ON THE MOUND: The Jackrabbit pitching staff began the home portion of its 2017 schedule by holding the opposition scoreless for the first 24 innings in games played at Erv Huether Field.
With consecutive 1-0 wins against Dakota Wesleyan on March 29 and Fort Wayne in 11 innings March 31, South Dakota State hurled back-to-back shutouts for the first time in four years. SDSU's shutout streak ended in the fifth inning of the Jackrabbits' April 1 game against Fort Wayne.
The last time the Jackrabbits posted consecutive shutout wins was May 26, 2013, when SDSU blanked North Dakota State by scores of 2-0 and 1-0 in the championship series of the Summit League postseason tournament in Rochester, Michigan.
SDSU has posted four shutouts so far in 2017 — three of which have been 1-0 wins.
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TURNING TWO: South Dakota State played solid defense in their series sweep of Omaha to open Summit League play. The Jackrabbits turned eight double plays, including a Division I-era-best four in the opening game of the series on March 17.
Second baseman Nick Smith was part of all eight double plays, seven of which came on ground balls, with the other on a lineout.
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PRO BALL UPDATE: Four former Jackrabbit players, led by Washington Nationals relief pitcher Blake Treinen, are currently seeing extensive action in professional baseball.
Treinen, who pitched at SDSU from 2010-11, began the season as the closer for the Nationals, earning three saves. He has since moved into a setup role and leads the team with 16 appearances, while recording has 15 strikeouts in 4 2/3 innings.
Two other former Jackrabbit pitchers, Layne Somsen (2009-13) and Adam Bray (2012-15), are both of the Los Angeles Dodgers organization. Bray recently spent a week at Triple-A Oklahoma City before being sent back to the Class-A Rancho Cucamonga Quakes. In his lone appearance with Oklahoma City, April 28 at Omaha, Bray earned the save with 3 1/3 innings of scoreless relief.
In a combined six minor league appearances this season, including one start, Bray posted a 1.16 earned run average with 23 strikeouts and only two walks in 23 1/3 innings. He also has two saves and has limited the opposition to a .157 batting average.
Somsen has appeared in nine games — all in relief — and has posted a 2-0 record. He has yet to allow an earned run in 14 2/3 innings pitched, collecting 13 strikeouts and six walks, while holding the opposition to a .176 batting average.
Somsen pitched for three different organizations last season, making his Major League debut with the Cincinnati Reds before pitching in the farm systems of the New York Yankees and the Dodgers.
Also starting the 2017 season in Class A was outfielder Zach Coppola (2013-15), who is playing for the Clearwater Threshers in the Philadelphia Phillies farm system. In 25 games, Coppola is batting .287 (25-for-87) with three doubles, a home run and six runs batted in. He also is 7-for-11 in stolen-base attempts.
In addition, Caleb Thielbar (2006-09) was in Spring Training with the Miami Marlins, but was released in late March. Thielbar was the first Jackrabbit in the modern era to reach the Major Leagues, making his debut with the Minnesota Twins in 2013.
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COACH BISHOP: Rob Bishop, who has guided college baseball teams to more than 500 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.
Overall, Bishop holds a 568-444-1 record (.561 winning percentage) as a collegiate head coach, including a 19-22 mark at SDSU. He spent the previous 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.
His squads also were honored as the top academic team in the GNAC each of his last three seasons.
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. 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 season as a head coach, Bishop led Huron University to the South Dakota Intercollegiate Conference title in 2000.
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 2017 SDSU baseball roster features 36 players from five different states. Of the 36 players, 15 are from South Dakota, 10 are from Minnesota and nine hail from Iowa. California and Indiana are represented by one player each.
By class, eight are seniors, 11 are juniors, six are sophomores, two are redshirt freshmen and nine are true freshmen.
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A LOOK AHEAD: SDSU returns home to close out the regular season at home with a three-game series May 18-20 versus Omaha. Jackrabbit seniors will be honored prior to the May 20 game.
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/ BaseballBaseball Highlights vs Omaha (05.22.2025)
Thursday, May 22
Baseball Highlights vs Oral Roberts (05.21.2025)
Wednesday, May 21
Baseball Weekly Update (05.19.2025)
Monday, May 19
Baseball Highlights vs Oral Roberts (05.17.2025)
Saturday, May 17