Baseball season begins in Texas

Friday, February 14

Dallas, Texas

6:30 p.m.

South Dakota State University

Dallas Baptist

Photo by: SDSU Sports Information

2/12/2020 5:50:00 PM | Baseball

Games 1-3: South Dakota State (0-0) at Dallas Baptist (0-0)

When	Friday, Feb. 14 • 6:30 p.m. \| Saturday, Feb. 15 • 2 p.m. \| Sunday, Feb. 16 • 1 p.m.
Where	Horner Ballpark \| Dallas, Texas
TV	Patriot Broadcasting Network -- Game 1 \| Game 2 \| Game 3
Radio	None
Live Stats	GoJacksLive.com
Game Notes	South Dakota State \| Dallas Baptist \| The Summit League
Social Media	Twitter \| Instagram \| #RAB5

BROOKINGS, S.D. — The South Dakota State University baseball team opens the 2020 season this weekend with a three-game series at returning NCAA Tournament qualifier Dallas Baptist.

The series opener is set for 6:30 p.m. Friday at Horner Ballpark on the DBU campus in Dallas, Texas. Games Saturday and Sunday are set for respective starts of 2 p.m. and 1 p.m. All three games are scheduled to be broadcast online at patriotbroadcastingnetwork.com.

SDSU completed the 2019 season with a 28-22 overall record that included a second-place mark of 19-10 in Summit League regular season play. The Jackrabbits posted a 1-2 record in the league postseason tournament in making their 10th appearance in the four-team field in 11 years.

Dallas Baptist shared the 2019 Missouri Valley Conference regular season title with Illinois State and advanced to the conference tournament championship en route to a 43-20 overall record. The Patriots earned an at-large berth to the NCAA Tournament and posted a 2-2 record at the Lubbock Regional, defeating Florida twice and dropping a pair of games to host Texas Tech.

DBU has made six consecutive trips to the NCAA Tournament and has reached a regional final each of the last five years.

THE SERIES: The Jackrabbits and Dallas Baptist will meet for the fifth time in Friday's series opener. DBU holds a 3-1 advantage in the series that dates back to the 2010 season, with all four previous games played in the state of Texas.

The lone SDSU victory in the series came in the middle game of a three-game series played April 2-3, 2010, on the Patriots' home field, with the Jackrabbits winning the first game of a doubleheader, 23-8, behind a Division I-era best nine home runs. Eric Cain, Zach Rhodes and Jesse Sawyer each homered twice for SDSU, with Joel Blake, John Lee and Zach Briggs also going deep for the Jackrabbits.

The two teams combined for 78 runs and 22 home runs (11 home runs by each team) in the three-game series as DBU won by scores of 12-9 in the opener and 21-5 in the finale.

The squads last met on Feb. 26, 2011, with Dallas Baptist winning a 5-2 decision in a game played in Arlington, Texas.

FOR OPENERS: The Jackrabbits are 5-10 in Opening Day games during the Division I era, which began with the start of the 2005 season. SDSU has won two out of three season openers under head coach Rob Bishop, both of which were played at neutral sites.

The Jackrabbits claimed the 2017 season opener against Northern Illinois, 7-2, in a game played in Glendale, Arizona, and scored a 15-3 victory over UT Martin in the 2019 opener played at Russellville, Arkansas.

PRESEASON POLL: South Dakota State has been picked to finish third in the upcoming Summit League baseball race, according to a poll conducted among conference coaches that was announced Feb. 6 by league officials.

The Jackrabbits received two of the six first-place votes, finishing with 18 points. Oral Roberts received three first-place votes and topped the poll with 23 points, followed by defending league champion Omaha with one first-place vote and 19 points.

Rounding out the poll were: North Dakota State, 16 points; Western Illinois, 9 points, and Purdue Fort Wayne, 5 points.

SDSU finished the 2019 season with a 28-22 overall record and a second-place mark of 19-10 in league play. The Jackrabbits return six position starters and a handful of key pitchers.

Among the Jackrabbit returners, juniors Gus Steiger and Bret Barnett were recognized among the Summit League's top players to watch.

A two-time all-Summit League honoree, Steiger paced the Jackrabbits offensively in 2019 with team highs in batting average (.324), hits (73) runs scored (45), runs batted in (43), doubles (13) and stolen bases (18). He also ranked second on the squad with five home runs in starting all 50 games.

Steiger, a native of Minnetonka, Minnesota, was a first-team all-Summit selection at shortstop in 2019, after earning second-team recognition as a second baseman his freshman year.

Barnett emerged as the top relief pitcher in the Summit League during the 2019 season, earning first-team honors after posting a 5-1 record with seven saves. The left-hander from Indianola, Iowa, registered a 1.31 earned run average, struck out 47 batters in 34 1/3 innings and limited opposing hitters to a .138 batting average.

Summit League play is slated to begin March 13, when SDSU opens a three-game set at Oral Roberts.

The top four teams during the regular season will advance to the 2020 Summit League Baseball Championship, which is scheduled for May 20-23 in Omaha, Nebraska.

SEASON PREVIEW: The Jackrabbits will rely on a group of veteran position players and a revamped pitching staff in order to maintain its standing among the top teams in The Summit League during the upcoming 2020 season.

"I like our makeup and I like our experience," said fourth-year head coach Rob Bishop. "I really do think it's just going to come down to us playing level — not getting too high when things are good and too low when things are bad — and giving our young guys on the mound a chance to develop."

While pitching and defense are often the areas stressed when talking about championship aspirations, Bishop expects the Jackrabbits to achieve balance throughout the program with a solid offensive lineup.

"Our offense should be one that is opportunistic," Bishop said. "We have two or three guys who are capable of being player-of-the year type of offensive threats, but I still think our strength is that we're going to put nine guys out there that there's no easy out, there's no break for the other team's pitchers."

Following is a look at the 2020 prospects by position group:

Infield
SDSU returns three starters on the infield, highlighted by shortstop Gus Steiger. The junior from Minnetonka, Minnesota, made a seamless transition across the diamond from second base a year ago, earning first-team all-Summit League recognition after leading the team in a number of offensive categories.

In starting all 50 games, Steiger batted a team-best .324, drove in 43 runs and added five home runs and 18 stolen bases. Steiger led the team in both hits and batting average each of his first two seasons.

"He can do a little bit of everything, but he brings a lot more to our team in just how he approaches the game," Bishop said. "He's the guy who always wants extra work and is always doing something on his own to get better. He has high aspirations in baseball; he's just a great competitor and to me is the guy, day in and day out, that we're counting on to be a stabilizing piece of our lineup."

Sophomores Drew Beazley and Luke Ira are expected to man the right side of the infield. Beazley was a second-team all-Summit League performer as a first baseman and also was honored on the Collegiate Baseball Freshman All-America Team after batting .275 with four home runs, 11 doubles and 21 runs batted in. He ended the season by reaching base safely in each of the Jackrabbits' final 21 games.

Ira held the starting spot at third base for most of his freshman campaign, but is moving over to second base in 2020. He ranked second on the team with 15 multi-hit games, ending the 2019 season with a .242 average, one home run and 25 RBIs.

At third base, senior Matt Krambeck will begin the season as the starter, although freshmen Wyatt Andersen and Garrett Ries will also likely split time at the hot corner early in the year. Krambeck hit .241 and drove in six runs in limited action during his first season at SDSU in 2019

At catcher, Derek Hackman returns after starting 31 games a year ago. The left-handed-hitting junior batted .237 with two home runs and 16 RBIs, while contributing solid defense behind the plate. Hackman ended the 2019 season on a high note, earning a spot on the all-tournament team at the Summit League Baseball Championship.

Senior Josh Falk, who also has seen extensive action at first base during his Jackrabbit career, returns as the team's primary designated hitter. A first-team all-league performer in 2019, Falk hit a team-high eight home runs last season and ranked second on the squad with 38 RBIs while hitting .257.

Outfield
Three-year starting center fielder Landon Badger leads a new-look Jackrabbit outfield. Already one of the top defensive players in The Summit League, Badger put together a consistent year at the plate in 2019, batting .270 and ranking second on the team with 12 doubles to go along with a pair of home runs and 22 runs driven in.

Flanking Badger at the corner outfield spots will be a pair of returning players who are changing positions.

Braeden Brown is expected to move to left field after serving as the team's second baseman for much of the 2019 season. A senior, Brown ranked third on the squad with a .282 batting average, en route to earning second-team all-Summit League recognition. He also contributed two home runs, 27 RBIs and seven stolen bases.

The right-field spot is expected to be filled by converted catcher Ryan McDonald. A sophomore, McDonald's hit three home runs and drove in nine runs in limited action last season.

Also vying for playing time at the corner infield positions are sophomores Jamie Berg and Colton Cox, as well as freshman Carson Max. Berg was primarily used in pinch-running situations a year ago, while Cox saw most of his action as a late-innings defensive replacement.

Adding additional depth at the outfield spots are incoming freshmen Reece Anderson, Drake Frazier and Nate Steenblock.

Starting Pitching
Heading into the 2020 season, the Jackrabbits figured to have two-thirds of their regular starting rotation return. However, SDSU will begin the 2020 season in a state of flux on the pitching side as injuries have sidelined right-handers Tyler Olmstead and Nic McCay to begin the campaign.

Olmstead, who served as the team's No. 1 starter throughout Summit League play in 2019, is likely to miss the entire season. The senior from Sioux Falls repeated on the all-Summit League Second Team in 2019 and was the staff workhorse as he logged a team-high 95 1/3 innings. The right-hander posted a 4-4 record with a 3.30 earned run average and struck out a team-best 92 batters.

McCay was a reliable No. 3 starter for the Jackrabbits last season and was named to the Freshman All-America Team by Collegiate Baseball. Also a second-team all-Summit League pick, McCay finished his inaugural collegiate season with a 6-1 record and 4.08 ERA. He fanned 83 batters in 79 1/3 innings as was twice honored as the league's pitcher of the week.

In the interim, true freshmen Adam Mazur and Rick Atkins are expected to fill the top two spots in the rotation. A right-hander, Mazur was a finalist for the Mr. Baseball award in Minnesota during his senior season, while the left-handed Atkins was a Super State all-state honoree in the state of Iowa in 2019.

Senior southpaw Brady Stover has been tabbed as the No. 3 starter to begin the season. Stover has shown glimpses of being a dominant pitcher during his Jackrabbit career as evidenced by his 63 strikeouts in only 43 1/3 innings during the 2018 season; however, the Huxley, Iowa, native has battled some injuries and has struggled to maintain consistency.

In 2019, Stover earned the first Summit League Pitcher of the Week award after a nine-strikeout performance in the season opener against UT Martin, but managed only three more starts and five relief appearances the remainder of the season in finishing with a 1-4 record. Nonetheless, Stover was selected in the 31st round of the 2019 Major League Baseball Draft, but opted to return to SDSU for his senior seasons.

"I thought going into the season that pitching would be our strength," Bishop said. "It still may be, but I think it's going to take four, five weekends to really determine who those guys are going to be, and in what roles they're going to be."

Relief Pitching
Preseason All-American Bret Barnett anchors a Jackrabbit bullpen for a squad that went 20-1 when leading after seven innings a season ago.

A junior left-hander, Barnett took over the closer's role early in the 2019 season and turned in one of the most dominant seasons ever by an SDSU hurler. He posted a 5-1 record with seven saves in a team-high 20 appearances and limited the opposition to a miniscule .138 batting average. He also struck out 47 batters in 34 1/3 innings and allowed only five runs for a 1.31 ERA.

Bishop said the coaching staff considered moving Barnett into the starting rotation this season given the team's injury situation, but determined he is best suited to remain a reliever.

"Between his saves and wins last year, Bret had an impact in 13 or 14 positive outcomes for us — more than he could have had as a starter," Bishop said. "In my opinion, he was the best bullpen guy in the league as far as consistency and just his dominance."

Brett Mogen, who served as the team's primary setup man a year ago, also returns. A senior from nearby Dell Rapids, Mogen put together his best season in a Jackrabbit uniform in 2019 with a 1-1 record and 1.67 ERA in 20 appearances. His ERA ranked as the sixth lowest in a season by an SDSU pitcher with more than 30 innings pitched.

Also returning to the pitching staff is sophomore Riley McSherry. The Rapid City native made 11 relief appearances a year ago.

In addition, Beazley could be called on to pitch out of the bullpen. He appeared in 12 games a year ago, turning in a 1-0 record with three saves.

Bishop also expects to get valuable contributions out of the pen from a trio of newcomers — junior college transfer Nate Holliday and freshmen Jon Baker and Eli Sundquist. Both Holliday and Baker are expected to be ready to contribute in March after finishing rehabbing from arm surgeries.

All three of those guys have electric stuff," Bishop said, adding "they still have to prove they can pitch."

Rounding out the pitching staff are incoming freshmen Brock Anderson, Nate Steenblock and Jack Sullivan. Steenblock is a two-way player who also could see time in the outfield.

Schedule
While injuries to the pitching staff may have altered the short-term outlook for the team, Bishop said the long view for the 2020 season remains the same.

"The expectation hasn't changed for us as far as what we're trying to do with our preseason schedule," Bishop said. " The preseason, to me, is really just about trying to prepare our team for Summit League play. We have a really challenging early season schedule."

The Jackrabbits open the 2020 season with a three-game series Feb. 14-16 at 2019 NCAA qualifier Dallas Baptist, followed by series at Pacific (Calif.) and Texas Rio Grande Valley to close out February.

The March slate includes series at Air Force and Kansas State before opening the 30-game Summit League slate March 13 at perennial league favorite Oral Roberts. SDSU's home opener is slated for March 27 versus defending Summit League champion Omaha.

"I feel like there's going to be a lot more parity in the league," Bishop said. "I expect the top and the bottom of the league to be a lot closer together instead of it being so
lopsided. At the end of the day, the teams that are consistent week in and week out are the ones that will end up in the tournament."

Mid-week games at regional Division I programs Minnesota, Creighton and Iowa, along with home contests against in-state programs Sioux Falls and Dakota Wesleyan, close out the nonconference portion of the schedule.

BARNETT EARNS PRESEASON HONORS: South Dakota State University relief pitcher Bret Barnett was named in December to the Preseason All-America Second Team by Collegiate Baseball.

A native of Indianola, Iowa, Barnett enters his junior season after turning in one of the best seasons ever by a Jackrabbit hurler during the 2019 campaign. The left-hander posted a 5-1 record with a team-high seven saves in 20 appearances. His 1.31 earned run average was the third-lowest single-season mark by a Jackrabbit with more than 30 innings pitched.

Barnett also struck out 47 batters in 34.1 innings and held the opposition to a .138 batting average en route to first-team all-Summit League honors. He did not allow a run over his last seven appearances, bringing a scoreless streak of 13.1 innings into the 2020 season.

Barnett was the lone Summit League player honored on the preseason All-America squad.

In addition, Barnett was recently named to the 2020 Stopper of the Year Preseason Watch List selected by the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association.

COACH BISHOP: Rob Bishop, who has guided college baseball teams to more than 600 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.

Entering his fourth season with the Jackrabbits, Bishop holds a 72-78 record at SDSU.

In his first season, Bishop's 2017 squad returned to the winning side of the ledger with a 26-24 overall mark, including an 18-12 record for a third-place finish in The Summit League standings. SDSU won its opening-round game in the Summit League Baseball Championship, 6-5, over second-seeded North Dakota State.

In 2018, SDSU overcame a slow start to post a winning record in Summit League play at 14-13 and went on to reach the title game of the Summit League Baseball Championship. The Jackrabbits finished with an 18-32 overall record during a campaign in which they played only six home games.

SDSU bounced back in 2019, posting a 28-22 overall record that included a second-place mark of 19-10 in Summit League play. The Jackrabbits won or split nine of the 10 league series in regular season play en route to making an appearance in the four-team Summit League Baseball Championship for the 10th time in 11 years.

Overall, Bishop holds a 621-400-1 record (.611 winning percentage) as a collegiate head coach. He earned his 600th career victory in the Jackrabbits' 8-6 victory at UA Little Rock on March 10, 2019.

Individually, Jackrabbit players have been honored as all-Summit League performers 18 times during his brief tenure, including eight all-league selections in 2019. Utility player Nick Smith was honored for the third consecutive season, while shortstop Gus Steiger and starting pitcher Tyler Olmstead were repeat selections in 2019.

In addition, catcher Luke Ringhofer was selected in the 22nd round of the 2017 Major League Baseball Draft by the Baltimore Orioles and relief pitcher Chris Halbur was offered a free agent contract by the Los Angeles Dodgers after Bishop's first season in Brookings. In 2019, left-handed pitcher Brady Stover was a 31st-round pick of the Washington Nationals, but opted to return to the Jackrabbits for his senior season.

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. His squads also were honored as the top academic team in the GNAC each of the past 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. Bishop's teams won at least 30 games each of his 10 seasons, including four 40-win seasons. 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 season 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 2020 SDSU baseball roster features 31 players from four different states. Of the 31 players, 14 are from Iowa, eight are from South Dakota, seven hail from Minnesota and two are Nebraska natives.

By class, seven are seniors, three are juniors, eight are sophomores and 13 are incoming freshmen.

A LOOK AHEAD: The Jackrabbits will make a trip to the West Coast for a three-game weekend series at Pacific (Calif.). The Feb. 21 series opener is slated for 6 p.m. Pacific Time (8 p.m. Central) at Klein Family Field in Stockton, California. Games Feb. 22 and 23 are set for 1 p.m. PT (3 p.m. Central) and noon PT (2 p.m. Central), respectively.

-GoJacks.com-