JACKS BEGIN SUMMIT TOURNEY WEDNESDAY

Wednesday, May 24

Fargo, N.D.

6 p.m.

South Dakota State University

North Dakota State

Photo by: Dave Eggen/Inertia

5/23/2023 9:15:00 PM | Baseball

South Dakota State (22-26) at Summit League Baseball Championship

When	Wednesday-Saturday, May 24-27 • vs. North Dakota State (22-28), 6 p.m. Wednesday • Opponent to be Determined, noon/6 p.m. Thursday • Remainder of schedule to be determined (if qualified)
Where	Newman Outdoor Field \| Fargo, North Dakota
TV	TheSummitLeague.org/watch \| WDAY Xtra
Radio	KJJQ 910 AM \| GoJacks.com/watch
Live Stats	GoJacksLive.com
Game Notes	South Dakota State \| North Dakota State \| Oral Roberts \| Omaha \| The Summit League
Social Media	Twitter \| Instagram \| #RAB5

Postseason play for the South Dakota State baseball team begins Wednesday, when the Jackrabbits take on host North Dakota State in the opening round of the 2023 Summit League Baseball Championship.

First pitch is set for 6 p.m. at Newman Outdoor Field in Fargo, North Dakota. Video coverage of all tournament games will be available through TheSummitLeague.org, with radio broadcasts of all South Dakota State games at GoJacks.com/watch and locally through KJJQ 910 AM.

The Jackrabbits enter the four-team double-elimination tournament with a 22-26 overall record and are the No. 3 seed after posting a 13-11 mark during the Summit League regular season.

North Dakota State, meanwhile, secured the No. 2 seed after winning two of the three games on their home field against the Jackrabbits last weekend. The Bison are 22-28 overall, including a 16-7 mark in league play.

Regular season champion Oral Roberts and No. 4 seed Omaha will open the tournament at noon Wednesday. The tournament winner will receive the Summit League's automatic bid to the NCAA Championships, which begin June 2 at campus sites.

A complete tournament schedule follows:
Wednesday, May 24
Game 1 – No. 4 Omaha (22-26, 9-14) vs. No. 1 Oral Roberts (43-11, 23-1), noon
Game 2 – No. 3 South Dakota State (22-21, 13-9) at No. 2 North Dakota State (22-28, 16-7), 6 p.m.
Thursday, May 25
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 26
Game 5: Game 3 winner vs. Game 4 loser, 4 p.m. (loser eliminated)
Saturday, May 27
Game 6: Game 4 winner vs. Game 5 winner, 1 p.m.
Game 7 (if necessary): 4:30 p.m.

Updates of Jackrabbit baseball also are available throughout the season via Twitter (@GoJacksBaseball) and through GoJacks.com.

VERSUS THE FIELD: South Dakota State went a combined 5-7 against the three other teams competing in the Summit League Baseball Championship during the 2023 regular season. The Jackrabbits swept the regular season series against Omaha, 3-0, while being swept in a three-game series at Oral Roberts. SDSU and North Dakota State played six times during the regular season, with the Bison holding a 4-2 series advantage.

Following are the Jackrabbits' all-time series and season series records against the other three teams in the 2023 tournament field:

Opponent	All-Time Series	2023 Series
vs. North Dakota State	SDSU leads 126-82	NDSU leads 4-2
vs. Omaha	Omaha leads 92-89-1	SDSU leads 3-0
vs. Oral Roberts	ORU leads 72-20	ORU leads 3-0

SHORT HOPS: Following are some quick notes about the Jackrabbit baseball team heading into this week's Summit League Baseball Championship:

Due to inclement weather and unplayable field conditions, the Jackrabbits played only one game at their home ballpark — Erv Huether Field — this season. SDSU played seven games across town at Bob Shelden Field and went 6-1 in those contests, including sweeping Summit League series from Omaha (April 14-16) and St. Thomas (April 23-24). The Jackrabbits also went 3-0 in games played in Sioux Falls, including sweeping a May 14 doubleheader from Northern Colorado.
SDSU put together an 11-game winning streak from April 9-26 that stands as the longest in program history during the Division I era (since 2005). The Jacks outscored the opposition, 119-48, and hit 31 home runs during their 11-game winning streak.
Catcher Ryan McDonald suffered a season-ending knee injury in the April 29 game at Oral Roberts. At the time of his injury, McDonald ranked second among NCAA Division I players with a .929 slugging percentage, while also ranking third in on-base percentage (.575) and 19th with 17 home runs, although he ranked eighth in home runs per game (.47).
McDonald became the first Jackrabbit player in the Division I era to record double figures for home runs?(17) and stolen bases (11) in the same season. It had been 31 years since any Jackrabbit player reached those numbers, when Jon Crow (15 homers, 16 steals) and Greg Endres (10 homers, 12 steals) both accomplished the feat in 1992.
The Jackrabbits have hit six grand slams this season, with Luke Ira hitting his second of the season in Game 2 of the May 14 doubleheader versus Northern Colorado. McDonald and Nic Nelson also have hit two grand slams this season.
Nelson connected on four long balls in the May 14 doubleheader versus Northern Colorado, hitting one in the opener and three in Game 2. Nelson became the third Jackrabbit in the Summit League era (since 2008) to hit three home runs in a game, joining Joel Blake (April 24, 2009, at Western Illinois) and Landon Badger (April 24, 2009, versus North Dakota State).
Nelson also doubled in Game 2 to give him 14 total bases, which stands as the most by a Jackrabbit player in a Division I game.
Reece Anderson has moved into the leadoff spot since McDonald's injury and over the last seven games has responded by batting .357 (15-for-42) with three doubles, a home run, seven RBIs and 10 runs scored. Anderson, who tallied three hits in a May 6 win at Purdue, added a career-high four hits in the series finale against Northern Colorado. He has reached base safely in 23 of the last 26 games.
South Dakota State hit back-to-back home runs in consecutive innings in Game 2 of their May 14 doubleheader with Northern Colorado en route to tying their season high with seven home runs in a game. Dawson Parry and Nic Nelson went back-to-back to open the third inning, while Thatcher Kozal and Reece Anderson followed suit to start the fourth inning.

SUMMIT AWARDS: Led by first-team catcher Ryan McDonald, nine South Dakota State players were honored Tuesday as members of the all-Summit League Baseball Team.
Selections were determined by a vote among the league's seven head coaches.

A senior from Prior Lake, Minnesota, McDonald batted .466 (27-for-58) in 17 league games with eight home runs and 21 runs batted in before suffering a season-ending injury in late April. He also posted a 1.000 slugging percentage in conference play and continues to lead all NCAA Division I players with a .929 overall slugging percentage entering postseason play.

McDonald moved up to the first team after earning second-team honors as a utility player in 2022.

Receiving second-team recognition were outfielder Drew Beazley and second baseman Cade Stuff. A senior from Johnston, Iowa, Beazley earned all-league honors for the third time after previously being selected as a first baseman (2019) and a pitcher (2021). During the 2023 league slate, Beazley batted .264 with six home runs, six doubles and 20 RBIs.

Stuff, a junior from Great Falls, Montana, led the Jackrabbits in doubles during league play with nine, while contributing a .301 batting average with three home runs and 12 RBIs.

The remainder of the Jackrabbits' starting infield — first baseman Dawson Parry, shortstop Luke Ira and third baseman Nic Nelson — were among SDSU's six honorable mention selections.

Parry posted a .268 batting average in starting all 24 league games. The Highland, Utah, native hit three home runs and drove in 14 runs after earning second-team honors as a first baseman last season.

Ira, a senior from Iowa City, Iowa, shared the team lead in both home runs (8) and RBIs (23) during Summit League action, while batting .252. Two of his home runs were grand slams.

Nelson tied for the team lead in hits (27) and RBIs (23) during league play, while ranking third with seven home runs. A senior from Apple Valley, Minnesota, Nelson tied an SDSU single-game record with three home runs in the second game of a May 14 doubleheader against Northern Colorado.

Junior outfielder Reece Anderson also was an honorable mention selection after batting .274 in league play with 16 runs batted in. All five of Anderson's home runs this season have been against league foes as the Johnston, Iowa, native moved into the leadoff spot late in the season.

Rounding out the Jackrabbits' honorable mention picks were pitchers Jake Goble and Eli Sundquist. Goble led the pitching staff with eight league starts, compiling a 3-3 record, including a combined shutout April 23 against St. Thomas.
The sophomore right-hander from Rapid City struck out 27 and walked only 10 in 32 2/3 innings.

Sundquist, a junior from Chisholm, Minnesota, posted a 1-0 record against Summit League competition while pitching in nine games in relief. He held the opposition to a .080 batting average and struck out 26 batters in only 16 innings while serving as SDSU's primary setup man.

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 16th season as a member of The Summit League, the Jackrabbits have compiled a 216-177 (.550 winning percentage) record in regular season conference games. SDSU has posted a .500 or better record in league play 10 times and has qualified for the four-team postseason tournament 13 out of the 14 years it has been eligible.

The Jackrabbits shared a Summit League regular season title in 2010 and won the Summit postseason tournament in 2013. SDSU has advanced to the tournament final four other times, the most recent in 2018.

No league games were played in 2020.

POWER SURGE: The Jackrabbits have dramatically increased their power numbers over the last two seasons, topping the 60-home run mark in both 2022 and 2023.

South Dakota State finished the 2022 season with a league-leading 62 home runs. It marked the most hit by an SDSU squad since a school-record 84 round-trippers in 2010.

Heading into postseason play, the Jackrabbits have exceeded their home run total from a year ago, hitting 83 home runs in 48 games, moving to within one of matching the program's single-season record. SDSU hit at least one home run in each of its first nine games this season and had an 11-game home run streak snapped in the April 23 series opener against St. Thomas. Overall, the Jacks have hit a home run in 35 of 48 contests this season, including a season-best seven homers two times.

Entering Wednesday's tournament opener, SDSU ranks 31st among NCAA?Division I teams with an average of 1.73 home runs per game and 35th with a .511 slugging percentage.

During the 2022 season, SDSU homered in 26 of its last 28 games, which included a school-record streak of 18 consecutive games with a homer from March 19-May 6, 2022.

All three of SDSU's players who shared the team lead with 10 home runs a year ago — Luke Ira, Ryan McDonald and Dawson Parry — returned to the lineup in 2023. McDonald (17) and Ira (14) have again reached double figures in the home runs this season, with Parry tallying nine so far in 2023.

Twelve different Jackrabbit players have homered so far this season, with freshman Matthew Werk joining the group with a two-run home run May 7 at Purdue.

McDONALD POSTS LONG STREAKS: South Dakota State's Ryan McDonald had his streak of reaching base safely end at 43 games in the March 12 series finale at Western Kentucky. — a streak that lasted more than a calendar year.

McDonald's streak of reaching base by either hit, walk or hit by pitch began when he drew a walk in the second game of a March 5, 2022, doubleheader at Central Arkansas.

Since his streak ended in a March 12 game in which the Jackrabbits were no-hit by Western Kentucky's Devyn Terbrak, McDonald started a new streak and reached base in the next 25 games until his injury, making it 68 of the last 69 games dating back to last year.

A senior from Prior Lake, Minnesota, McDonald closed the 2022 season with a 33-game streak, then extended that mark by reaching base safely in the first 10 games of 2023. His 43-game string represents the third-longest streak by a Jackrabbit player in the Division I era (since 2005), trailing a 45-game streak by Zach Coppola in 2015 and a 52-game stretch by Luke Ringhofer between the 2016 and 2017 seasons.

In earning second-team all-Summit League honors as a utility player last season, McDonald recorded team highs for batting average (.329), doubles (12), slugging percentage (.630) and on-base percentage (.446). He also shared the team lead with 10 home runs.

After splitting time at catcher, right field and designated hitter a year ago, McDonald made more of a full-time return behind the plate in 2023.

IRA THE IRON MAN: Senior shortstop Luke Ira has started 162 games in a row for the Jackrabbits, a streak that dates back to late in the 2019 season.

A native of Iowa City, Iowa, Ira has made 141 consecutive starts and a total of 143 starts at shortstop during his current streak. He also has made 17 starts at second base and two at third base.

Ira reached another career milestone when he became the 19th player in program history to record 200 career hits on April 23. His 200th hit was a two-run home run in the bottom of the first inning of the second game of a doubleheader against St. Thomas.

Entering the series at North Dakota State, Ira has tallied 215 career hits, which is good for 11th place on the Jackrabbit career charts and one behind Jackrabbit Sports Hall of Famer Doug Sehr (216 hits from 1990-93) for 10th place.

Ira played his 200th career game May 13 against Northern Colorado and made his 200th career start May 16 at Minnesota. He ranks fifth in program history with 206 games played, third with 817 at-bats, ninth with 361 total bases and is tied for 10th in home runs with 29. He stands just outside the SDSU career top 10 for doubles with 45.

In addition, Ira has vaulted from seventh to second in career assists at SDSU during the 2023 season, and has upped his career total to 463.

SOPHOMORES TAKE NEXT STEP: Four sophomore members of the Jackrabbit pitching staff have been key contributors during the 2023 season.

Jake Goble, who was sidelined by illness in the middle of the 2002 campaign, made eight relief appearances as a true freshman. The Rapid City native turned in a 1-2 record while tossing 18 innings.

Goble made four relief appearances before making seven starts since moving into the rotation in mid-March and has gone on to post a 4-3 record en route to an honorable mention all-league selection. A two-time Summit League Peak Pitcher of the Week this season, Goble shares the team lead in wins while ranking second with 51 1/3 innings pitched. He has held opponents to a .251 batting average.

Brady Hawkins returned from injury midway through the 2022 season to make a pair of mid-week starts and appear in two more games in relief. The Mitchell native ended that year with a 2-0 record and 2.00 earned run average while striking out nine in as many innings of work.

Hawkins has made five starts so far among his 15 appearances this season, pitching a total of 31 2/3 innings. He made two relief appearances in a home series with Northern Colorado and was credited with his first victory of the season in Game 1 of the May 14 doubleheader. He earned another victory in relief in his next outing, ptiching 2 2/3 frames of one-run baseball in last week's series opener at North Dakota State on May 18.

Alex Clemons was a mainstay in the bullpen last season and has been another key component in the Jackrabbit bullpen in 2023. The right-hander from Bettendorf, Iowa, shared the team lead with 17 appearances in 2022 and fanned 24 batters in 22 2/3 innings while limiting opponents to a .222 batting average.

So far this season, Clemons picked up his first career victory in the March 5 series finale at Utah Tech and later made his first career start in the March 17 series opener against Iowa. He made his second start of the year May 19 against North Dakota State.

Left-hander Reece Arbogast also has expanded his role this season, highlighted by seven starts in Summit League play. Arbogast picked up his first win of the year in the April 14 series opener against Omaha in which he pitched six-plus innings. He is the scheduled starter for the Jackrabbits in Wednesday's tournament opener.

Arbogast turned in an impressive season debut Feb. 17, allowing only one run over 4 1/3 innings of relief against Little Rock He set a career high with seven strikeouts, then added four more K's in 2 2/3 scoreless innings March 17 versus Iowa, followed by four more shutout innings in a relief appearance in the first game of a March 24 twinbill against Northern Colorado.

The Sioux Falls native posted a 1-1 record in 16 relief appearances during his freshman campaign and averaged a strikeout in each of his 21 innings pitched.

KEY PLAYERS RETURN: Three players who missed all or most of the 2022 season due to injury have returned to the Jackrabbit lineup this season and have filled key roles. All three were granted redshirts or injury hardships and did not lose a year of eligibility.

Sophomore outfielder Jess Bellows was limited to six games before being lost for the remainder of the 2022 campaign due to a shoulder injury. Bellows got off to a hot start at the plate with a .300 batting average (6-for-20) with three doubles in the season-opening series at Little Rock, then added a .400 batting average (4-for-10) with two RBIs in a series March 17-19 against Iowa. He tied a career high with four RBIs in the Jackrabbits' April 26 win at Nebraska, then notched a career-high four hits May 14 versus Northern Colorado (Game 2).

Bellows enters the Summit League Baseball Championship with a streak of reaching base safely in a career-best 15 consecutive games.

As a freshman in 2021, Bellows batted .250 with a home run and 16 runs batted in while making 44 starts as he saw action both in the outfield and at second base.

Junior infielder Cade Stuff appeared in five games with a pair of starts before being shut down for the remainder of the 2022 season. Stuff currently leads the team with 16 doubles and ranks third with a .304 batting average. He posted his first career four-hit game March 14 at Lindenwood, in which he also hit his first home run.

On the mound, junior right-hander Eli Sundquist is playing a prominent role out of the Jackrabbit bullpen this season as the team's top setup man and secondary closer. A native of Chisholm, Minnesota, Sundquist missed the entire 2022 campaign after making a combined 22 appearances during the 2020 and 2021 seasons.

Sundquist has struck out 95 batters in 61 1/3 career innings to put him neck and neck with teammate Ryan Bourassa for the highest ratio of strikeouts per nine innings pitched in program history at 13.94. Sundquist, who is limiting opponents to a .129 batting average in 2023, pitched the final 2 1/3 innings in SDSU's April 26 win at Nebraska to record his first career save.

BOURASSA CONTINUES RECORD PACE: Senior right-hander Ryan Bourassa entered 2023 as the Jackrabbits' all-time leader in strikeouts per nine innings pitched and has maintained that pace throughout the 2023 season.

Bourassa entered the Feb. 18 game at Little Rock with the bases loaded and one out as the Jackrabbits were clinging to a 2-1 lead in the bottom of the sixth inning. He proceeded to strike out the first two batters he faced and added five more strikeouts over the next three innings to complete the save.

In his next outing, in the second game of a March 4 doubleheader at Utah Tech, Bourassa successfully completed his second save opportunity of the season by striking out eight over three shutout innings in a 7-2 Jackrabbit victory.
In 121 2/3 career innings over three seasons, Bourassa has struck out 186 batters for an average of 13.75 K's per nine innings. That rate is nearly two strikeouts per complete game better than the nearest Jackrabbit pitcher — former teammate Bret Barnett with a ratio of 11.88 K's per nine innings.

The right-hander moved into the SDSU top 10 for career strikeouts in his April 7 outing at Western Illinois. Bourassa now stands in fifth place in career strikeouts after breaking a tie with Layne Somsen (180 K's from 2009-13) earlier this month.

Bourassa also holds two of the top three single-season ratios in program history. He began his Jackrabbit career in the starting rotation in 2021 and fanned 65 batters in only 42 1/3 innings that year to set an SDSU single-season record with an average of 13.82 K's per nine innings pitched. His rate so far this season is 13.86 K's per nine frames.

The native of West Fargo, North Dakota, made a full-time transition to the bullpen in 2022 and nearly equaled his previous totals with 64 strikeouts in another 42 1/3 innings for a ratio of 13.61 strikeouts per nine innings, which stands third in program history.

In addition, Bourassa moved into sole possession of fourth place on the SDSU career saves chart with his 15th save in the Jackrabbits' 6-5 victory at North Dakota State on May 18. That broke a tie with Gary Olechoski (14 saves from 2003-06).

Bourassa turned in the best performance of his SDSU career March 25, 2022, at Oral Roberts as he tossed six shutout innings of relief, 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.

KUNZ EARNS OPENING DAY START: Senior right-hander Blake Kunz was tabbed as the Jackrabbits' Opening Day starter, bringing further attention to a meteoric rise on the mound for the former SDSU football player.

A native of Germantown, Wisconsin, Kunz made only one appearance last season after being a late addition to the baseball roster.

In his first career start, Feb. 17 at Little Rock, Kunz pitched only an inning-plus and was saddled with the loss. All three of the outs he recorded were via the strikeout, but he was charged with seven runs — the first three via a three-run home run — after giving up two hits, walking two batters and hitting four.

Kunz tossed four shutout, no-hit innings in his second start of the season March 5 in the series finale at Utah Tech, then added 4 2/3 innings of two-run baseball March 12 at Western Kentucky. He notched his first collegiate victory after tossing five innings with five strikeouts May 6 at Purdue, then logged career bests of 6 2/3 innings and eight strikeouts in a losing effort May 13 versus Northern Colorado. He currently lead the team with 52 innings pitched and ranks second on the staff with 56 strikeouts.

Kunz previously played tight end for three seasons (2018-2020) for the Jackrabbit football team, seeing action in 34 games. He tallied 32 receptions for 528 yards (16.5 ypr) with six touchdowns, the last of which was a 14-yarder against Delaware in the Football Championship Subdivision national semifinals against Delaware in the spring of 2021 as SDSU advanced to the FCS title game for the first time in program history.

GRUNZKE ANNOUNCES RETIREMENT: The 2023 season marks one final trip around the bases for Jackrabbit assistant coach Brian Grunzke, who announced he will retire at the conclusion of the current campaign.

Grunzke has coached at South Dakota State since 2012, serving under head coaches Dave Schrage and Rob Bishop, and has coached collegiately for 40 years. He has served as the team's third-base coach and recruiting coordinator throughout his tenure.

Overall, Grunzke has been a part of 271 victoies with the Jackrabbits and helped guide the team to a Summit League tournament title and NCAA?Tournament berth in 2013.

Grunzke served as head coach at Waldorf University (Iowa) for 16 seasons from 1990-2005, compiling a 388-344-1 record in leading the Warriors to eight appearances in the NJCAA Region 11 finals. He also served coaching stints at Arkansas-Little Rock, Northern Iowa and Illinois-Springfield.

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 six-plus seasons with the Jackrabbits, Bishop holds a 136-171 record at SDSU, including an 86-74 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.

SDSU used a powerful offense to return to the Summit League tournament in 2022 after posting a 13-9 record in league play. The Jackrabbits, who doubled up the opposition in home runs by a 62-30 count, played only 12 home games in posting a 22-23 overall mark.

Overall, Bishop holds a 685-493-1 record (.581 winning percentage) as a collegiate head coach. He earned his 600th career victory in the Jackrabbits' 8-6 victory at 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. 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 2022 SDSU baseball roster features 37 players from nine different states and one Canadian province. Of the 37 players, 12 are from Minnesota, six are from both South Dakota and Iowa, and five hail from Nebraska. Two players are from Montana and North Dakota, while Colorado, Utah, Wisconsin and Ontario are represented by one player each.

By class, eight are seniors and even are juniors, while the sophomore and freshman classes are each made up of 11 players.

-GoJacks.com-