JACKRABBITS PREPARE FOR SUMMIT CHAMPIONSHIP

Thursday, May 26

Tulsa, Okla.

6 p.m.

South Dakota State University

Oral Roberts

Photo by: Erik Williams

5/24/2022 10:30:00 PM | Baseball

#3 South Dakota State (22-21, 13-9) at Summit League Baseball Championship

When	Wednesday-Saturday, May 25-28 • vs. #2 Oral Roberts (35-18, 17-7) \| 6 p.m. Wednesday Remainder of schedule to be determined
Where	J.L. Johhson Stadium \| Tulsa, Okla.
TV	Midco Sports \| Midco Sports Plus
Radio	KJJQ 910 AM \| GoJacks.com/Watch
Live Stats	ORUAthletics.com
Game Notes	South Dakota State \| The Summit League
Social Media	Twitter \| Instagram \| #RAB5

The South Dakota State University baseball team will face a familiar nemesis in the opening round of the Summit League Baseball Championship, which begins Wednesday in Tulsa, Oklahoma.

The third-seeded Jackrabbits, 22-21 overall and 13-9 in The Summit League, will meet host and second-seeded Oral Roberts, 35-18 overall and 17-7 in league play, at 6 p.m Thursday. The two programs have played at least one game against each other in all nine previous conference tournaments in which both teams have been participants.

SDSU and Oral Roberts played each other six times during the 2022 league season, with the Golden Eagles holding a 5-1 series advantage. ORU swept a three-game series March 25-27 on its home field, then claimed the first two games of a three-set this past weekend (May 19-21) before the Jackrabbits salvaged the final game of the regular season, 7-3.

Fourth-seeded Omaha (24-29, 12-12) and top-seeded North Dakota State (30-17, 17-5) kick off the tournament at J.L. Johnson Stadium on the ORU campus at noon Wednesday.

Following is a complete schedule for the four-team, double-elimination tournament:
Wednesday, May 25
Game 1 – No. 4 Omaha (24-29, 12-12) vs. No. 1 North Dakota State (30-17, 17-5), noon
Game 2 – No. 3 South Dakota State (22-21, 13-9) at No. 2 Oral Roberts (35-18, 17-7), 6 p.m.
Thursday, May 26
Game 3: Game 1 loser vs. Game 2 loser, noon (loser eliminated)
Game 4: Game 1 winner vs. Game 2 winner, 6 p.m.
Friday, May 27
Game 5: Game 3 winner vs. Game 4 loser, 4 p.m. (loser eliminated)
Saturday, May 28
Game 6: Game 4 winner vs. Game 5 winner, 1 p.m.
Game 7 (if necessary): 4:30 p.m.

Radio coverage of all Jackrabbit tournament games begins 15 minutes prior to scheduled pitch on Brookings-based KJJQ?910 AM and online at GoJacks.com/Watch. All tournament games will televised exclusively through Midcos Sports and the Midco Sports Plus app. Additional updates will be available via Twitter (@GoJacksBaseball).

The winner of the 2022 Summit League Baseball Championship will advance to the NCAA?Tournament, which begins June 3 at campus sites.

SHORT HOPS: Following are some quick Jackrabbit notes entering this week's Summit League Baseball Championship:
• The Jackrabbits have hit at least one home run in 24 of their last 26 games and their 59 home runs lead The Summit League. SDSU's 59 home runs so far this season are the most by a Jackrabbit team since the 2010 squad hit a school-record 84 round-trippers.
• SDSU had its school-record streak of 18 games with a home run come to an end in their May 7 game at Omaha. Starting with their May 8 win at Omaha, the Jackrabbits hit multiple home runs in their next five games for a total of 19 long balls, including three straight games with a season-high four homers.
• Dawson Parry hit a pair of three-run homers in the May 14 series opener against St. Thomas, while Derek Hackman matched that feat in the series finale a day later.
• Both Hackman and Henry George put together home run streaks of three games during the season-ending six-game homestand. George went yard in both games of a May 15 doubleheader against St. Thomas, followed by home run in the May 19 series opener versus Oral Roberts. Hackman's streak began in the second game of the St. Thomas doubleheader and continued through the first two games of the ORU series.
• Drew Beazley connected on SDSU's fifth grand slam of the season in the April 26 victory at Minnesota. Parry and Ryan McDonald have each hit two grand slams this season.
• Beazley had his hitting streak end at 13 games in the first game of the May 15 twinbill with St. Thomas. It was the longest hitting streak by a Jackrabbit player since Nick Smith recorded a hit in 14 straight games during the 2018 season.
• Luke Ira has extended his streak of consecutive games started to 112, which dates back to late in the 2019 season. Ira has made 91 straight starts and a total of 93 starts at shortstop during his current streak, while also starting 17 games at second base and two at third base.
• SDSU has recorded 49 more extra-base hits than the opposition this season, 145-96, and have a .441 team slugging percentage compared to .370 by its opponents. The Jackrabbits tallied 10 extra-base hits in thier May 19 series opener against Oral Roberts — season-high six doubles and four home runs.
• Cody Carlson has factored into the decision in each of his 12 starts this season, posting a team-best seven wins against five losses. Carlson has been impressive in his last two starts, tossing a two-hit complete-game shutout May 15 against St. Thomas, followed by five innings of one-run baseball in the May 21 regular season finale at Oral Roberts. He was named Summit League Pitcher of the Week for his performance against St. Thomas.
• The Jackrabbit pitching staff did not issue a base on balls over 18 innings of the May 15 doubleheader against St. Thomas. SDSU did issue two free passes on hit by pitches in the twinbill.

VERSUS THE FIELD: South Dakota State went a combined 3-7 against the three other teams competing in the Summit League Baseball Championship during the 2022 regular season. The Jackrabbits claimed the regular season series against Omaha, 2-1, while dropping five of six games to Oral Roberts. SDSU and North Dakota State were limited to one game in their regular season series in April due to inclement weather, with the Bison posting a 13-5 victory at Erv Huether Field.

Following are the Jackrabbits' all-time series and season series records against the other three teams in the 2021 tournament field:
• vs. North Dakota State: All-Time – SDSU leads 124-77 | 2022 Series – NDSU leads 1-0
• vs. Omaha: All-Time – Omaha leads 92-86-1 | 2022 Series – SDSU leads 2-1
• vs. Oral Roberts: All-Time – ORU leads 68-20 | 2022 Series – ORU leads 5-1

TOURNAMENT HISTORY: The Jackrabbits have found success at the Summit League Baseball Championship, advancing to the title series five of the previous 11 times they qualified for the four-team tournament, including winning the tournament title in 2013.

SDSU has won at least one game in all 11 of its previous Summit League Baseball Championship appearances. Overall, the Jackrabbits have compiled an 18-21 record in Summit League postseason tournament games.

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. Now in its 14th season as a member of The Summit League, the Jackrabbits have compiled a 202-165 (.550 winning percentage) record in regular season conference games. SDSU has posted a .500 or better record in league play nine times and has now qualified for the four-team postseason tournament 12 out of the 13 years it has been eligible.

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

ALL-SUMMIT HONORS: Led by first-team selections Derek Hackman and Ryan Bourassa, five South Dakota State baseball players were honored Tuesday on the 2022 All-Summit League Baseball Team. Selections were determined by a vote among the league's seven head coaches.

A senior from Johnston, Iowa, Hackman moved up to the first team after receiving second-team recognition in 2021. The left-handed-hitting Hackman finished the regular season tied for the team lead with 37 runs batted in, while hitting .293 with nine home runs.

Bourassa, a junior from West Fargo, North Dakota, has compiled a 2-3 record with five saves in 16 appearances this season, but has been dominant at times, striking out 61 batters in 39 1/3 innings. He is limiting the opposition to a .141 batting average en route to a 2.29 earned run average.

Representing the Jackrabbits on the second team were utility player Ryan McDonald, designated hitter Dawson Parry and starting pitcher Nic McCay.

McDonald posted team bests with a .324 batting average and 11 doubles, while tying for the team lead with 10 home runs and ranking third with 34 RBIs. The junior from Prior Lake, Minnesota, has seen action in right field, at catcher and at designated hitter during the 2022 season.

Parry shares the team lead with 37 runs batted in and has added nine home runs in his first season in the Jackrabbit line. The junior college transfer from Highland, Utah, carries a .250 batting average into the Summit League tournament.

McCay returned to the Jackrabbits' starting rotation after missing the two previous seasons due to injury. The right-hander from Carlisle, Iowa, has turned in a 4-3 record over 13 starts while leading the staff with 66 strikeouts in 67 innings pitched.

TOP CATCHING TANDEM: South Dakota State's Derek Hackman and Ryan McDonald have provided plenty of offensive pop and solid defense from the catching position during the 2022 campaign.

The team's regular starting catcher, the left-handed hitting Hackman has been a consistent offensive performer for the Jackrabbits each of the past two seasons.

A senior from Johnston, Iowa, Hackman recorded the second two-home run game of his career in the May 15 series finale against St. Thomas, hitting two three-run shots en route to a career-high six runs batted in. That performance marked the beginning of a three-game span in which he hit four home runs and drove in 11 runs.

For the season, Hackman ranks second on team in runs scored (37) and slugging percentage (.540), is tied for second in doubles and ranks third in on-base percentage (.399).

In 2021, Hackman was a second-team all-Summit League selection after posting team highs with a .319 batting average, eight home runs and 31 runs scored.

Hackman has moved into the Jackrabbit career top 10 in a pair of categories during his senior season. His 108 career walks rank fifth and his 966 career putouts rank sixth.

When not catching, McDonald has been the Jackrabbits' primary right fielder in 2022. He was honored as Summit League Baseball Player of the Week March 14 after hitting .600 (6-for-10) during a weekend series at Wichita State.

McDonald has continued his hitting prowess since the Wichita State series by reaching base safely in 31 consecutive games, including a March 17 game at Northwestern State (La.) in which he went 3-for-5 with a triple, grand slam and career-high seven RBIs.

A junior from Prior Lake, Minnesota, McDonald currently leads the team with a .324 batting average, 11 doubles, .633 slugging percentage and a .444 on-base percentage. He also is tied for second on the squad with 10 home runs his 34 RBIs rank third.

BOURASSA CONTINUES RECORD PACE: Junior right-hander Ryan Bourassa has picked up right where he left off in the strikeout department during the first half of the 2022 season. Thus far during the 2022 season, Bourassa has tallied 61 strikeouts in only 39 1/3 innings over 16 appearances, which translates to 13.96 strikeouts per nine innings pitched.

A junior from West Fargo, North Dakota, Bourassa was honored as Summit League Pitcher of the Week May 9. He struck out 11 batters in only four innings of work in closing out both Jackrabbit victories in a series May 6-8 at Omaha.

In the May 6 series opener, he earned the save by pitching three shutout innings with eight strikeouts. Bourassa again struck out the side in the ninth inning of the May 8 series finale to preserve an 8-3 Jackrabbit victory. Over his two appearances, Bourassa allowed one hit and one walk.

Bourassa turned in the best performance of his Jackrabbit career March 25 at Oral Roberts as he tossed six shutout innings of relief in a no-decision, notching a career-high 12 strikeouts. He fanned the side in order in both the eighth and 11th innings, and allowed only one hit and one walk for a Jackrabbit squad that eventually dropped a 5-4 decision in 14 innings.

A native of West Fargo, North Dakota, Bourassa began the 2021 campaign in the starting rotation, but made a seamless transition to the bullpen midway through the year and responded by striking out 65 batters in only 42 1/3 innings to set an SDSU single-season record with an average of 13.82 K's per nine innings pitched.

Bourassa also now holds the SDSU career mark for strikeouts per nine innings after passing the 60-inning threshold in his March 25 appearance. His 126 strikeouts in 81 2/3 innings equate to 13.89 K's per full game, which also would stand as an SDSU record.

BARNETT, TOO: Senior left-hander Bret Barnett also has displayed big-time strikeout ability during his Jackrabbit career, recording an average of well over a K per inning while not allowing an extra-base hit so far this season.

After striking out 43 batters and walking only 12 in a combined 28 innings of relief over 13 appearances so far this season, the native of Indianola, Iowa, has notched 144 strikeouts in 109 1/3 career innings for a ratio of 11.85 strikeouts per nine innings that currently ranks as the second-highest in program history.

He struck out six batters over three innings in the first game of a March 19 doubleheader at Northwestern State, notching his first three K's of the outing in succession after entering the game in the bottom of the fifth inning with the bases loaded and nobody out. Barnett matched that total in another three-inning save April 16 at Northern Colorado.

With saves in four consecutive appearances, including in the April 26 victory at Minnesota, Barnett has solidified his hold on third place on the Jackrabbits career charts with 18. He also has moved into sole possession of third place in career appearances at SDSU with 73, breaking a tie with Brett Mogen (72 appearances from 2017-21) in his most recent appearance, May 21 versus Oral Roberts.

Barnett is currently replicating the dominance he displayed during an all-league 2019 season in which he posted a 5-1 record and seven saves, while turning in a 1.31 ERA over 20 relief appearances. Last season, Barnett tallied a pair of saves and struck out 36 batters in 24 1/3 innings en route to a 1-2 mark.

BIG INNINGS: South Dakota State has hung some large crooked numbers on the scoreboard in recent weeks.

The Jackrabbits struck for seven runs in both the second and third innings of their April 19 home game against Dakota Wesleyan, then put up five runs in the second inning the next day against Briar Cliff.

SDSU matched its biggest inning of the season, scoring eight times in the third inning of their April 26 matchup at Minnesota. The Jackrabbits sent 13 batters to the plate in the frame as they tied an eight-run outburst in the second inning of a March 17 game at Northwestern State (La.).

Big innings are nothing new for the Jackrabbits this season, who also scored five runs in the first innings of road wins at Minnesota (March 2) and Central Arkansas (March 5).

TAKING ONE (OR EIGHT) FOR THE TEAM: South Dakota State set a new program record in the Division I era when Jackrabbit hitters were hit by pitches a total of eight times in the March 17 series opener at Northwestern State.

Nic Nelson and Derek Hackman were each plunked twice in the 16-2 Jackrabbit victory, while Reece Anderson, Henry George, Adam Benes and Ryan McDonald were each awarded one free pass. SDSU batters have been hit by a pitch a total of 58 times so far this season.

The previous single-game record of six hit batters was set on three occasions, the most recent being Feb. 28, 2021, at Northern Colorado.

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 five-plus seasons with the Jackrabbits, Bishop holds a 114-143 record at SDSU, including a 73-63 mark in Summit League regular season games. He recorded his 100th win with the Jackrabbits on April 3, 2022, as SDSU posted a 2-1 victory at St. Thomas.

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.

When play resumed in the spring of 2021, the Jackrabbits posted a 15-32 overall record and suffered their first losing season in league play since 2016, but managed to earn the fourth and final spot in the Summit League Baseball Championship.

In the conference tournament, the Jacks staved off elimination with a shutout victory over host Omaha before falling in 11 innings to regular season champion Oral Roberts.

Overall, Bishop holds a 663-465-1 record (.588 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 25 times during Bishop's 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.

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 in all 10 seasons, including four with 40 wins. 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 year 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 2021 SDSU baseball roster features 36 players from 10 different states. Of the 36 players, 10 are from Iowa, nine are from South Dakota and seven hail from Minnesota. Two players are from Montana, Nebraska and North Dakota, while Colorado, Utah, Washington and Wisconsin are represented by one player each.

By class, two are graduate students, three are seniors, 10 are juniors, 10 are sophomores and 11 are freshmen (three returning, eight incoming).

-GoJacks.com-