Upcoming Event: Baseball at Minnesota on April 8, 2026 at 6 p.m.
/
6 p.m.
Baseball
at Minnesota
South Dakota State University Athletics
SDSU BASEBALL PICKED FOURTH IN SUMMIT RACE
2/15/2023 1:36:00 PM | Baseball
SIOUX FALLS — South Dakota State has been picked to finish fourth in the upcoming Summit League baseball race, according to a poll among the league's seven head coaches that was released Wednesday.
Â
The Jackrabbits, coached by Rob Bishop, are coming off a 2022 campaign in which they finished 22-23 overall and placed third in the Summit League standings with a 13-9 mark.
Â
Reigning tournament champion Oral Roberts was tabbed as the favorite this season, earning six first-place votes for a total of 42 points. Defending regular season champion North Dakota State was picked second with 36 points and the remaining first-place vote, followed by Omaha with 30 points and SDSU with 24.
Â
Rounding out the poll were St. Thomas (17), Northern Colorado (12) and Western Illinois (7).
Â
SDSU opens the 2023 season Friday at Little Rock. League play for the Jackrabbits begins March 24 at Northern Colorado, with the four-team Summit League Baseball Championship slated for May 24-27 in Fargo, North Dakota.
Â
In addition, SDSU seniors Luke Ira and Ryan Bourassa were included on the list of Summit League Players and Pitchers to Watch. A shortstop from Iowa City, Iowa, Ira shared the team lead in home runs last season with 10, while batting .290 and driving in 32 runs. He also tallied a career-best .508 slugging percentage while starting all 45 of the team's games.
Â
Bourassa was a first-team all-Summit League selection as a relief pitcher in 2022, when he posted a 2.13 earned run average and was credited with five saves. The native of West Fargo, North Dakota, logged 42 1/3 innings in 17 appearances last season, striking out 64 batters and limiting opposing hitters to a .145 batting average.
2023 SUMMIT LEAGUE BASEBALL PRESEASON POLL
Â
Â
-GoJacks.com-
Â
Â
Â
The Jackrabbits, coached by Rob Bishop, are coming off a 2022 campaign in which they finished 22-23 overall and placed third in the Summit League standings with a 13-9 mark.
Â
Reigning tournament champion Oral Roberts was tabbed as the favorite this season, earning six first-place votes for a total of 42 points. Defending regular season champion North Dakota State was picked second with 36 points and the remaining first-place vote, followed by Omaha with 30 points and SDSU with 24.
Â
Rounding out the poll were St. Thomas (17), Northern Colorado (12) and Western Illinois (7).
Â
SDSU opens the 2023 season Friday at Little Rock. League play for the Jackrabbits begins March 24 at Northern Colorado, with the four-team Summit League Baseball Championship slated for May 24-27 in Fargo, North Dakota.
Â
In addition, SDSU seniors Luke Ira and Ryan Bourassa were included on the list of Summit League Players and Pitchers to Watch. A shortstop from Iowa City, Iowa, Ira shared the team lead in home runs last season with 10, while batting .290 and driving in 32 runs. He also tallied a career-best .508 slugging percentage while starting all 45 of the team's games.
Â
Bourassa was a first-team all-Summit League selection as a relief pitcher in 2022, when he posted a 2.13 earned run average and was credited with five saves. The native of West Fargo, North Dakota, logged 42 1/3 innings in 17 appearances last season, striking out 64 batters and limiting opposing hitters to a .145 batting average.
2023 SUMMIT LEAGUE BASEBALL PRESEASON POLL
Â
| Pl. | School | Pts. |
| 1. | Oral Roberts (6) | 42 |
| 2. | North Dakota State (1) | 36 |
| 3. | Omaha | 30 |
| 4. | South Dakota State | 24 |
| 5. | St. Thomas | 17 |
| 6. | Northern Colorado | 12 |
| 7. | Western Illinois | 7 |
-GoJacks.com-
Â
Players Mentioned
P
/ Baseball
Baseball Weekly Update (04.07.2026)
Tuesday, April 07
Baseball Weekly Update (03.31.2026)
Tuesday, March 31
Baseball Weekly Update (03.24.2026)
Tuesday, March 24
Baseball Highlights vs North Dakota State (03.21.2026)
Sunday, March 22