JACKRABBITS OPEN SUMMIT PLAY AT OMAHA

Friday, March 19

Omaha, Neb.

2 p.m.

South Dakota State University

Omaha

Photo by: SDSU Sports Information

3/17/2021 4:45:00 PM | Baseball

Games 13-16: South Dakota State (5-7, 0-0 Summit) at Omaha (5-8, 0-0)

When	Friday-Sunday, March 19-21 Doubleheader Friday \| 2 and 5 p.m. Saturday \| 3 p.m. Sunday \| 1 p.m.
Where	Tal Anderson Field \| Omaha, Neb.
TV	OMavs.com/watch
Radio	None
Live Stats	OMavs.com
Game Notes	South Dakota State \| Omaha \| The Summit League
Social Media	Twitter \| Instagram \| #RAB5

The South Dakota State University baseball team is scheduled to mark its return to the diamond this weekend by opening Summit League play with a four-game series at defending champion Omaha.

The series begins Friday with a doubleheader at Omaha's new Tal Anderson Field. Game times are set for 2 and 5 p.m., starting with a nine-inning game followed by a seven-inning contest. Game 3 of the series is set for 3 p.m. Saturday, with the finale slated for 1 p.m. Sunday.

SDSU enters Summit League play with a 5-7 overall record. The Jackrabbits dropped all five games they played on their recent Spring Break trip to Southern Illinois-Edwardsville and Kansas State, then had a scheduled three-game series last weekend at Creighton canceled due to COVID-19 protocols.

Omaha has compiled a 5-8 overall record so far this season. The Mavericks wrapped up the pre-conference portion of their schedule by dropping three of four games in a weekend home series against Kansas.

Neither team has played a Summit League game since the 2019 season. Omaha claimed the regular season title that season with a 20-10 record, while SDSU finished a half-game back in second place at 19-10. The Mavericks later claimed the Summit League tournament championship in Tulsa, Oklahoma, defeating Oral Roberts in the title series.

THE SERIES: South Dakota State and Omaha will play for the 169th time when the two squads meet in Friday's series opener. The Mavericks hold an 86-80-1 lead in the series that dates back to 1949.The two programs were longtime rivals in the North Central Conference before both moved to Division I and The Summit League.

When they last met, in 2019, Omaha claimed the season series, 4-2. The Mavericks swept the first series of the season, winning all three games played in a series moved to Sioux Falls.

SDSU held the upper hand in the return series later that April, winning the final two games of the three-game series at J.J. Isaacson Field in Omaha.

SUMMIT LEAGUE SUCCESS: South Dakota State has been a consistent winner in The Summit League since it became a league member more than a decade ago. In 12 seasons as a member of The Summit League, the Jackrabbits have compiled a 180-137 (.568 winning percentage) in regular season conference games. SDSU has posted a .500 or better record in league play nine times and has qualified for the four-team postseason tournament 10 out of the 11 years it has been eligible.

The Jackrabbits shared a Summit League regular season title in 2010 and won the Summit postseason tournament in 2013.

SHORT HOPS: Following are a few quick notes about the Jackrabbits heading into Summit League play:

Jess Bellows (.333) and Derek Hackman (.306) are the only Jackrabbits currently hitting above .300;
Hackman has reached base safely in 11 consecutive games;
Garrett Stout has shared playing time at second base and holds a .611 slugging percentage as three of his five hits have gone for extra bases (one double, one triple, one home run);
Ryan McDonald has drawn 10 walks this season and leads the team with a .451 on-base percentage;
South Dakota State allowed nine home runs in its two-game series at Kansas State March 9-10;
All four of SDSU's runs in the two-game series at Kansas State were scored in the second inning of the March 9 opener;
Jackrabbit pitchers have combined for double figures in strikeouts in nine of 12 games this season, including a season-high 14 K's on three occasions;
For the season, SDSU pitchers have tallied 122 strikeouts in exactly 100 innings;
Sophomore Ryan Bourassa has struck out 19 batters over 10 innings in his last two starts;
SDSU was charged with six errors in its first 10 games, but committed seven miscues in the two-game series at Kansas State;
Hackman has thrown out seven runners attempting to steal this season.

PRESEASON POLL: South Dakota State has been picked to finish fourth in the 2021 Summit League baseball race, according to a preseason poll conducted among the league's five head coaches.

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.

MAZUR HONORED: South Dakota State right-hander Adam Mazur was honored as Summit League Pitcher of the Week March 1 after helping lead the Jackrabbits to a four-game weekend sweep at Northern Colorado.

A returning freshman from Woodbury, Minnesota, Mazur struck out a career-high 12 UNC batters in six shutout innings as SDSU won the Feb. 26 series opener, 12-0. Mazur struck out the side in each of the second, third and fourth innings, fanning eight Bear hitters in a row in one stretch. He allowed three hits and walked two.

Mazur's 12 strikeouts are the most by an SDSU pitcher since Brady Stover set a Jackrabbit Division I-era standard with 13 K's in a 2018 game against Purdue Fort Wayne. In 14 innings over three starts so far this season, Mazur has notched a total of 23 strikeouts.

Mazur is expected to be back on the mound for Friday's series opener at Omaha.

TIEBREAKER TIMES TWO: South Dakota State excelled in late-inning situations, winning both games of a Feb. 27 doubleheader at Northern Colorado after the international tie-breaker was implemented.

With each extra inning starting with a man at second base, the Jackrabbits erupted for four runs in the top of the 10th of the opener, then posted a three-spot on the board in the ninth inning (scheduled seven-inning game) of Game 2 once play resumed Sunday after being suspended because of darkness the previous day.

In Game 1, Jess Bellows delivered a leadoff double to score Jordan Sagedahl with the go-ahead run. Luke Ira followed two batters later with a bunt single to plate Bellows and Derek Hackman capped the scoring in a 6-2 Jackrabbit victory with a two-run double to the right-center gap.

Game 2 followed much of the same script as Ira broke a 3-all tie in the top of the ninth with a leadoff double to drive in Landon Badger. Bellows closed out the scoring in a 6-3 Jackrabbit victory with a two-run double to the left-center gap that brought home Ira and Ryan McDonald.

The Jackrabbits turned an inning-ending 6-4-3 double play to escape the eighth inning of Game 2 and did not allow a run in any of the three innings played under the tiebreaker rules over the two games.

The international tiebreaker is being used in select nonconference games involving the Jackrabbits this season, but will not be used in Summit League play.

BELLOWS BREAKS IN: Freshman Jess Bellows started the final three games of the Northern Colorado series in left field for the Jackrabbits and put his stamp on the SDSU lineup.

A native of Miles City, Montana, Bellows led SDSU with a .556 batting average (5-for-9) with six runs batted in and six runs scored in the UNC?series. He doubled twice and hit his first career home run en route to a 1.111 slugging percentage. Both of his doubles came in extra innings with the international tiebreaker in effect and resulted in three of his RBIs.

Bellows, who also has seen action in right field, has hit safely in eight of the nine games in which he has played, including each of the last three. Overall, he leads the team with a .333 batting average (11-for-33) and is tied for second with seven RBIs.

BADGER BREAKS OUT: After going hitless in 13 at-bats in the season-opening series against Kansas, senior outfielder/first baseman Landon Badger broke out of his slump in a big way in the four-game set at Northern Colorado to close out the first month of the season.

A Pierre native, Badger posted a .400 batting average (8-for-20) with five runs batted in and eight runs scored. Six of his eight hits went for extra bases as he racked up two doubles and a triple in a four-RBI performance in the Feb. 26 series opener. He added two more two-baggers and another triple over the next three games to finish with an .800 slugging percentage for the series. He also stole two bases.

BARNETT MOVES UP SAVES CHART: Junior relief pitcher Bret Barnett recorded the 10th save of his career in the Jackrabbits' win over Kansas on Feb. 20. Barnett notched the final four outs, including the first two of the ninth inning on a double play, to close out SDSU's first win of the season.

With his save, Barnett moved into a tie with Chad Coley (10 saves from 1990-93) for sixth place in program history. The Indianola, Iowa, native earned seven saves en route to first-team all-Summit League honors in 2019, and tallied two saves during the pandemic-shortened 2020 season.

In four appearances this season, Barnett has struck out 13 over six innings.

MOGEN JOINS TOP 10: Senior right-hander Brett Mogen moved into the SDSU career top 10 for appearances when he pitched the final inning of the Jackrabbits' 12-0 series-
opening victory at Northern Colorado on Feb. 26.

Mogen made his 65th career appearance in the March 6 game at SIUE, putting him in a tie for seventh place on the SDSU charts with Isaac Johnson (2006-09), Austin Busse (2009-12) and Talon Jumper (2012-15). Next on the list are Shane Kraemer (2010-13) and Andrew Clemen (2013-16), who each made 66 pitching appearances during their Jackrabbit careers.

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.

SUNDQUIST RACKS UP THE K'S: Returning freshman right-hander Eli Sundquist has picked up where he left off from an abbreviated 2020 season in his first four outings of 2021.

The Chisholm, Minnesota, product struck out three batters among the five outs he recorded in his Feb. 20 season against Kansas, and has yet to allow an earned run in 7 2/3 innings over four appearances. then added four more punchouts in 2 1/3 innings in the first game of a Feb. 27 doubleheader at Northern Colorado. He struck out the side in his most recent outing, March 10 against Kansas State, upping his season total to 14 strikeouts in 7 2/3 innings.

In 2020, Sundquist fanned a team-high 19 batters in only 13 2/3 innings, giving him 33 career strikeouts in 21 1/3 innings over 12 appearances. That equates to a ratio of 13.92 strikeouts per nine innings pitched.

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 an 82-97 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 631-417-1 record (.602 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 continue Summit League play on the road with a four-game series March 26-28 at Western Illinois. The series is scheduled to begin with a noon doubleheader March 26 at Alfred D. Boyer Stadium in the WIU campus in Macomb, Illinois. The final two games of the series are slated for 1 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.

-GoJacks.com-