JACKS TAKE ON KANSAS TO OPEN 2021

Friday, February 19

Minneapolis, Minn. [U.S. Bank Stadium]

6:25 p.m.

South Dakota State University

Kansas

Photo by: SDSU Sports Information

2/18/2021 2:31:00 PM | Baseball

Games 1-3: South Dakota State (0-0) vs. Kansas (0-0)

When	Friday, Feb. 19 (6:25 p.m.) \| Saturday, Feb. 20 (5:25 p.m.) \| Sunday, Feb. 21 (8:25 a.m.)
Where	U.S. Bank Stadium \| Minneapolis, Minn. Note: No spectators permitted
TV	None
Radio	None
Live Stats	GoJacksLive.com
Game Notes	South Dakota State \| Kansas \| The Summit League
Social Media	Twitter \| Instagram \| #RAB5

Eleven months after the final pitch of an abbreviated 2020 season was thrown, college baseball returns this weekend with South Dakota State and Kansas meeting in a three-game series.

Originally scheduled as a four-game set in Lawrence, Kansas, the series has been reduced to three games and relocated to U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Games times are slated for 6:25 p.m. Friday, 5:25 p.m. Saturday and 8:25 a.m. on Sunday.

Links to live stats for all three games will be available through GoJacksLive.com.

South Dakota State recorded a 5-12 overall record in the pandemic-shortened 2020 season. The season was canceled just prior to the start of Summit League play. In their last full season, the Jackrabbits ended the 2019 campaign with a 28-22 overall record, including a second-place mark of 19-10 in The Summit League.

Kansas is coming of a 7-10 shortened season in 2020. The 2019 version of the Jayhawks posted a 32-26 overall record with a 12-12 mark in the Big 12 Conference.

THE SERIES: Friday's series opener will mark the eighth meeting on the baseball diamond between South Dakota State and Kansas. The Jayhawks lead the all-time series, 6-1.

All seven previous matchups have been part of a season-opening series, starting when the Jayhawks swept a four-game series in their home ballpark to open the 2005 season.

A three-game series to kick off the 2007 campaign was moved to the Metrodome in Minneapolis, with SDSU recording its lone victory in the all-time series in the series opener, 6-5, in a game that started at 1:40 a.m. Kansas took the series by winning the final two games.

Following are the series scores between South Dakota State and Kansas
2005: Kansas 8, SDSU 5 (Feb. 16); Kansas 13, SDSU 5 (Feb. 17); Kansas 15, SDSU 2 (Feb. 18); Kansas 14, SDSU 1 (Feb. 18)
2007: SDSU 6, Kansas 5 (Feb. 10); Kansas 3, SDSU 2 (Feb. 10); Kansas 4, SDSU?1 (Feb. 11)

FOR OPENERS: The Jackrabbits are 5-11 in Opening Day games during the Division I era, which began with the start of the 2005 season. SDSU has won two out of four season openers under head coach Rob Bishop, with both wins in games 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.

KANSAS CONNECTION: South Dakota State will go up against one of its former head coaches in this weekend's series against Kansas. Ritchie Price, who led the Jackrabbits from 2009-11, returned to his alma mater following the 2011 season and remains an assistant coach at Kansas under his father, Ritch Price.

Ritchie Price compiled a 102-71 overall record and a 56-27 mark in Summit League regular season games. He led the Jackrabbits to the regular season league title in 2010, with SDSU advancing to the championship series of the Summit postseason tournament each of his three seasons. SDSU matched a program record with 39 wins in 2010.

At the time he coached at SDSU, Price was the youngest baseball head coach in Division I.

PRESEASON POLL: South Dakota State has been picked to finish fourth in the 2021 Summit League baseball race, according to a poll conducted among the league's five coaches that was announced earlier this week.

Defending champion Omaha grabbed the top spot in the poll with three first-place votes and 15 points, edging Oral Roberts with two first-place votes and 14 points. North Dakota State was third with 10 points, followed by the Jackrabbits with seven. Western Illinois rounded out the poll with four points.

The top four teams will advance to the Summit League Baseball Championship May 26-29 in Omaha, Nebraska. SDSU has qualified for the league tournament in 10 of 11 seasons it has been eligible for postseason play.

The Jackrabbits finished the COVID-shortened 2020 season with a 5-12 overall record. The season was canceled just before the start of Summit League play.

In addition, Drew Beazley was named as a Summit League Player to Watch and right-hander Adam Mazur was tabbed as a Summit League Pitcher to Watch.

A sophomore from Johnston, Iowa, Beazley hit .239, drove in nine runs and shared the team lead with two home runs during an abbreviated 2020 season. He earned Freshman All-America recognition from Collegiate Baseball in 2019 and was a second-team all-Summit League selection after batting .275 with four home runs and 21 runs batted in.

Besides playing first base, Beazley is expected to see an expanded role on the Jackrabbit pitching staff in 2021.

Mazur rose to the top of the SDSU starting rotation as a true freshman in 2020. The Woodbury, Minnesota, native made four starts, compiling a 1-2 record. He struck out 18 batters in 20 1/3 innings.

SEASON PREVIEW: The South Dakota State University baseball team will rely on a group of veterans to bring along a large group of younger players during the 2021 season.

Of the 36 players on the roster, 21 have yet to play a full college season. Throw in a couple junior college transfers, nearly two-thirds of the roster was not on campus when SDSU last played a full season in 2019.

Because of his team's relative youth, head coach Rob Bishop doesn't expect his squad to be a power-packed team. However, the Jackrabbit mentor sees the potential in several of his younger players to develop that aspect of their game as their careers progress, but for now he says it's more likely players will hit 15 doubles than 15 home runs.

"I don't think we're going to score a lot of runs via the long ball this year," Bishop said. "I think that we're going to be a team that scores by passing the baton to the next guy and just really putting together a lot of quality at-bats. I like our athleticism from top to bottom in our lineup."

The expansion of rosters allowed by the NCAA under COVID-19 protocols will prove to be even more valuable when Summit League play begins in March as mid-week games have been eliminated and the conference has adopted four-game weekend series.

"When you play a four-game series over three days it really brings out the depth in teams, especially in pitching staffs," Bishop said. "I think this year you'll see teams have to go to 10, 11, 12 guys pretty regularly."

Following is a look at the 2021 prospects by position group:

Infield
The Jackrabbits are faced with the task of replacing the left side of their starting infield following the graduation of third baseman Matt Krambeck and the departure of shortstop Gus Steiger, who signed as a free agent with the Cincinnati Reds following the 2020 Major League Baseball Draft.

Luke Ira, who started at third base in 2019 and at second base in 2020, is slated to move across the diamond to shortstop on a full-time basis after spelling Steiger on a few occasions last season. Ira has driven in 34 runs over two seasons and has shown extra-base potential at the plate, tallying 11 doubles in 2019 and four two-base hits in 17 games a season ago, when he hit .242.

Third base is shaping up to be a battle between returning freshman Wyatt Andersen and newcomer Jordan Sagedahl. Andersen started four games in 2020, collecting a double, home run and three RBIs in 16 at-bats, while Sagedahl was a multi-sport standout at BOLD High School in Olivia, Minnesota. Sagedahl also is a candidate to see time behind the plate at catcher.

Another true freshman, Avery Mellman, is penciled in as the Opening Day starter at second base, with fellow freshman, Pierre native Garrett Stout, also likely to see action at the middle infield positions.

The infield is anchored by two-year starter Drew Beazley at first base. A sophomore from Johnston, Iowa, Beazley is the top returning power threat in the Jackrabbit lineup with six career home runs over two seasons, including sharing the team lead with two homers in 2020. Beazley also ranked third on the squad with nine runs batted in last year.

In his first season with the Jackrabbits, Beazley was a second-team all-Summit League performer as a first baseman and also was honored on the 2019 Collegiate Baseball Freshman All-America Team after batting .275 with four home runs, 11 doubles and 21 runs batted in.

At catcher, two-year starter Derek Hackman returns to the Jackrabbit lineup. Another product of Johnston, Iowa, Hackman batted .214 with a homer and four RBIs in 12 starts last season.

Ryan McDonald, who started the 2020 season as the team's everyday right fielder, is shifting back to catcher this season and could also fill the role of designated hitter. McDonald tied for the team lead in RBIs with 10 during the shortened 2020 campaign.

Outfield
With baseball student-athletes being granted an additional year of eligibility by the NCAA due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Landon Badger returns for what amounts to his fifth year as the Jackrabbits' starting center fielder.

One of the top defensive players in The Summit League, Badger has put together some consistent years at the plate, batting .270 and ranking second on the team in 2019 with 12 doubles to go along with a pair of home runs and 22 runs driven in. He knocked in nine runs with three doubles and a home run in 2020.

Badger also will likely see some time at first base, especially when Beazley heads to the mound, presenting heir apparent Reece Anderson an opportunity for playing time in center after redshirting last season.

At the corner infield positions, sophomore Jamie Berg is the leading candidate to start in left field, while returning freshman Carson Max is the favorite to be the team's regular starter in right field. Berg is a speedster who has been primarily used as a pinch-runner and defensive replacement during his collegiate career, while Max could emerge as a power threat. The Mitchell native was seeing his playing time increase as the 2020 season abruptly ended, finishing with a .278 batting average along with a home run and three runs batted in.

Also back at the outfield spots are sophomore Colton Cox and returning freshman Drake Frazier. True freshman Jess Bellows also could see time in the outfield as he is suited for a utility role with the Jackrabbits to begin his collegiate career.

Starting Pitching
The starting rotation figures to be a work in progress in the first half of the season, with reinforcements possibly at the ready for a stretch run later in the year.

Right-hander Adam Mazur is the clear-cut No. 1 starter to begin the season. The right-hander from Woodbury, Minnesota, was thrust into the role as a true freshman in 2020, posting a 1-2 record with a 5.75 earned run average in four starts. His 18 strikeouts over 20 1/3 innings ranked second on the team.

Two of the Jackrabbits' top three starters in 2019 continue to work their way back from injuries that sidelined them for the 2020 season, but Bishop is holding out hope that both Tyler Olmstead and Nic McCay will be at full strength by the second half of the season to bolster the Jackrabbit pitching staff down the stretch.

Olmstead held the top spot in the rotation throughout Summit League play in 2019, earning second-team all-Summit League honors for the second year in a row after posting a 4-4 record with a 3.30 ERA. The senior from Sioux Falls was the staff workhorse in 2019 as he logged a team-high 95 1/3 batters and struck out a team-best 92 batters. Olmstead's 173 career strikeouts rank eighth in program history.

McCay, who has been sidelined with an arm injury, was a reliable No. 3 starter for the Jackrabbits in 2019 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 meantime, the Jackrabbits will likely rely on a number of different pitchers to fill out the starting rotation in preparation for the league schedule. For the opening weekend of the season, senior left-hander Cody Carlson and junior college transfer Ryan Bourassa are penciled in as the other two starters.

A Rapid City native, Carlson has previously pitched exclusively out of the bullpen for the Jackrabbits. He made 10 relief appearances in 2019 before making one two-inning appearance last season against Kansas State after rejoining the team a couple weeks into the year.

Bourassa is a power right-hander who earned all-region honors at Bismarck State College (N.D.) in 2019 after striking out 100 batters in only 56 innings.

Other candidates to round out the starting rotation include sophomore Riley McSherry and incoming freshmen Owen Bishop and Logan Smith. Bishop is the nephew of the Jackrabbit head coach.

Relief Pitching
The bullpen figures to be the strength of the Jackrabbit pitching staff. Bishop said the team will likely go to a closer-by-committee setup, with a number of hurlers having the opportunity to pitch multiple innings in an outing or adjust to a starting role if needed.

After some struggles last season, left-hander Bret Barnett will look to regain the form he displayed in 2019, when he was a first-team all-Summit League selection. He posted a 5-1 record with seven saves in a team-high 20 appearances that season 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.

Brett Mogen has been perhaps the team's most consistent pitcher the past two seasons. A senior from nearby Dell Rapids, Mogen has been the team's primary setup man in recent years. He 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.

Mogen was on track to match those numbers in 2020, going 1-0 with a 2.14 ERA while logging a team-best 21 innings in eight relief appearances.

Other back-end options include Beazley and returning freshman Eli Sundquist. Beazley has made 17 appearances in two seasons and has closing experience, notching three saves in 2019.

Sundquist finished as the team leader for wins in 2020, turning in a 3-1 record in eight appearances, including two starts. He also led the team with 19 strikeouts in only 13 2/3 innings.

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.

Through four seasons with the Jackrabbits, Bishop holds a 77-90 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.

The 2020 season was canceled just before the start of Summit League play, with SDSU posting a 5-12 record in the first month of the season. The Jackrabbits recorded wins at Minnesota, Air Force and Kansas State the final week of the pandemic-shortened campaign.

Overall, Bishop holds a 626-412-1 record (.603 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, Bishop has mentored a handful of Jackrabbit players who have pursued professional careers. 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. Shortstop Gus Steiger signed with the Cincinnati Reds following an abbreviated 2020 MLB Draft. 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.

CLARK JOINS STAFF: Kirk Clark joined the Jackrabbit baseball program in January 2021 and will fill the role of pitching coach.

Clark previously spent six years as an assistant coach at Wayne State College (Neb.), where he served as the Wildcats' pitching coach and recruiting coordinator. During his time at WSC, the Wildcats posted four winning seasons, including a breakthrough 32-18 campaign in 2019.

Clark's pitching staffs consistently ranked in the upper half of the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference for earned run average and saves, including posting a 4.17 ERA in 2019 to rank fourth. In his first season, 2015, WSC led the league in strikeouts per game (8.14) and ranked third in ERA (4.58).
Wayne State relievers combined to lead the NSIC with 14 saves in 2017 and ranked second with 12 saves in 2015.

Clark arrived at Wayne State after a professional playing career. He was signed as a free agent following the 2009 Major League Baseball Draft and went on to set a single-season record with 29 saves for Class A Lexington in his first full professional season in 2010, earning South Atlantic League All-Star recognition. During three-plus seasons in the Astros organization, which included two seasons with Lancaster of the Class A California League, he compiled a 14-11 record with 56 saves in 150 appearances.

He also played in various independent leagues, including pitching for the Sioux Falls Canaries (two seasons) and the Schaumburg Bombers in the American Association, as well as 2014 stint with the Quebec City Capitals.

A native of Moline, Illinois, Clark began his collegiate playing career at Iowa Western Community College in Council Bluffs before moving across the Missouri River to pitch for Creighton. He set the Iowa Western career record for wins with 17, helping lead the Reivers to the Junior College World Series in 2007. He was a first-team all-region selection after going 8-3 with a 3.66 ERA in 2007.

THE ROSTER: The 2021 SDSU baseball roster features 36 players from seven different states. Of the 36 players, 13 are from Iowa, 10 are from South Dakota and seven hail from Minnesota. Two players are from Nebraska and North Dakota, while Montana and Washington are represented by one player each.

By class, four are seniors, two are juniors, nine are sophomores and 21 are freshmen (11 returning, 10 incoming).

A LOOK AHEAD: The Jackrabbits are scheduled to play their only games outside the Central Time Zone of the 2021 regular season, traveling next weekend to Northern Colorado for a four-game series. The series opener is set for 3 p.m. Mountain Time (4 p.m. Central) on Friday, Feb. 26, followed by a doubleheader at noon MT (1 p.m. CT) on Saturday, Feb. 27. The series finale is set for a noon MT (1 p.m. CT) start on Sunday, Feb. 28.

All four games are slated to be played at Jackson Field on the UNC campus in Greeley, Colorado.

-GoJacks.com-