Friday, April 10
Brookings, S.D.
3 p.m.
North Dakota State
at
South Dakota State
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Photo by: Jacob Funk
Bison Head to Brookings for Three-Game Summit League Series at South Dakota State
4/9/2015 2:54:00 PM | Baseball
Complete Release (PDF)
Live Stats (Friday) | Live Stats (Saturday) | Live Stats (Sunday)
THIS WEEKEND: The North Dakota State University baseball team (8-18, 3-9 Summit League) will make the short drive south to Brookings, S.D., to take on the South Dakota State University Jackrabbits (17-13, 6-6 Summit League) in a three-game Summit League series Friday, April 10 - Sunday, April 12. The series opener on Friday is scheduled for 3 p.m., while Saturday's contest is slated to get underway at 1 p.m. The series finale Sunday is scheduled to begin at 1 p.m.
THE SERIES: The three-game series in Brookings will be meetings 161-163 in the all-time series that dates back to 1956. The Jacks lead the series, 58-102. Last season, the Bison went 3-2 against South Dakota State, splitting a four-game league slate at home, before defeating the Jackrabbits in the opening round of The Summit League tournament, 4-3.
SCOUTING SOUTH DAKOTA STATE: The Jackrabbits enter Friday with an overall record of 17-13 and a Summit League mark of 6-6 after sweeping Winnipeg in a non-league doubleheader Wednesday in Brookings, 6-2 and 11-1. Through 30 contests, Zach Coppola is hitting .394 with 43 hits in 109 at bats. Coppola has two doubles, one triple and 16 RBI and has stolen a team-and Summit League-best 22 bases in 22 attempts. Tony Kjolsing leads the team in homers with two, while Paul Jacobson paces the Jacks in runs batted in with 21. Eric Danforth has a team-high two triples. RHP Adam Bray (3-3, 3.65 ERA, 1 CG, 44.1 IP, 42 H, 24 R, 18 ER, 12 BB, 39 SO), LHP Chris Anderson (3-1, 3.71 ERA, 43.2 IP, 44 H, 21 R, 18 ER, 17 BB, 32 SO) and RHP Ryan Froom (2-2, 3.07 ERA, 29.1 IP, 30 H, 12 R, 10 ER, 10 BB, 26 SO) are scheduled to start on the mound for the Jacks in the three-game series. As a team, South Dakota State is hitting .286, third-best in The Summit League, and has a team ERA of 4.38, second-lowest in the league. The Jacks are under the direction of fourth season head coach Dave Schrage (Creighton, 1983).
CATCHING UP WITH THE BISON: The Bison enter Friday with an overall record of 8-18 and a Summit League tally of 3-9 after claiming a 9-1 win over Dakota State on Wednesday, April 8, in the 2015 home opener at Newman Outdoor Field. Through 26 contests, Taylor Sanders is hitting a team-high .365 with 27 hits in 74 at bats. Sanders has six doubles and one homer to go along with 10 RBI and a .486 slugging percentage. Ben Petersen leads the Bison in total hits with 29 and is hitting .341, while John Skrbec has a team-best 22 RBI and eight doubles. Skrbec is second on the team in home runs with three and leads the team in slugging percentage at .500. Juan Gamez paces NDSU in homers with four in 24 games. As a team, the Bison are hitting .254, while their opponents are hitting .287. On the mound, right-hander Jay Flaa leads the Bison with a 2.60 ERA and three saves in 27.2 innings pitched. Flaa has allowed only eight earned runs on 15 hits while striking out a team-high 43 batters and walking 10. The Bison have a team ERA of 5.34 in 220.2 innings pitched, compared to a 3.92 ERA in 234 innings of work for their opponents.
RECORD WATCH: Right-hander David Ernst is one start shy of becoming the all-time career games started leader at North Dakota State. Ernst is currently tied with former Bison great Jake Laber at 45 starts. The Fargo native is scheduled to pitch the series opener against South Dakota State Friday. Ernst ranks third in career innings pitched with 268.0 and is tied for fourth in most wins at 17.
SKRBEC SWINGING FOR THE FENCES: Bison third baseman John Skrbec is hitting .348 in his five six games, going 8-for-23 at the plate with three home runs, two doubles and 10 RBI. He has recorded at least one hit in his last eight games. In Wednesday's non-league game against Dakota State, Skrbec went 2-for-4 at the plate with three RBI and a double.
CONSISTENT AT BATS: NDSU redshirt sophomore JT Core is hitting .571 in his last four games, going 8-for-14 at the plate. He has collected at least one hit in his last five games.
SANDERS SURGING: NDSU outfielder Taylor Sanders has hit safely in five of his last seven games. The junior leads the Bison and ranks sixth in The Summit League in batting. Against Dakota State Wednesday, the Lake Oswego, Ore., native went 3-for-4 at the plate with a double and RBI.
KEEFER'S GREAT STARTS: Bison southpaw Trent Keefer has a 3.09 ERA and is a perfect 2-0 in his last two starts. In his last start Sunday at Fort Wayne, the Mesa, Ariz., native allowed two earned runs on eight hits while striking out seven and issuing no walks, helping the Bison to an 18-7 triumph.
GOING, GOING, GAMEZ: NDSU junior catcher Juan Gamez has hit two grand slams so far this season. The Tucson, Ariz., native recorded his first grand slam against Kansas on Feb. 27, before delivering what proved to be the game-winning grand slam at Northern Colorado on March 7. Gamez leads NDSU in round-trippers this season with four and ranks second on the team in RBI with 18.
POSITION DEPTH TO BE TESTED: The Bison have key spots to fill in the lineup after the departure of Summit League Player of the Year Tim Colwell and fellow All-Summit League performers Michael Leach, Kyle Kleinendorst and Wes Satzinger. Senior third baseman John Skrbec, junior shortstop Aiden Hook and junior left fielder Jon Hechtner are the lone returning position starters for the Bison.
NEW FACES: Seven freshmen and seven transfers make up the 14 total newcomers joining the Bison this season. New freshmen include Brayden Resch (C/UTIL), Drew Fearing (INF), Mason Pierzchalski (INF), Jayse McLean (OF), Joe Vacinek (RHP), Colin Baumgard (RHP) and Blake Stockert (RHP). The new transfers are Danny Regan (INF/OF), Juan Gamez (C/UTIL), JT Core (C/UTIL), JD Larimer (INF), Taylor Sanders (C/OF), Riley Horn (LHP) and Nick Salentine (RHP/INF).
FIVE CONSECUTIVE 20-WIN SEASONS: North Dakota State has reached the 20-win mark five straight seasons. The Bison have qualified for four straight Summit League tournaments, winning the tournament championship last season and reaching the championship game each of the past three seasons. This is NDSU's eighth season in The Summit League after three seasons as a Division I independent.
PRESEASON PICKS: Defending Summit League tournament champion North Dakota State was picked to finish fourth in The Summit League in a preseason poll of the league's six head coaches. For the second consecutive season, Omaha was tabbed to claim its third straight Summit League regular season baseball title. The Mavs received three of six first-place votes and a total of 23 points. Oral Roberts placed second with the other three first-place votes and 21 points. South Dakota State came in third with 17 points followed by the Bison with 15 points. Western Illinois (8 points) and Fort Wayne (6 points) rounded out the poll.
THE SUMMIT LEAGUE: This is North Dakota State's eighth year in The Summit League, which has six baseball teams for 2015 – NDSU, Fort Wayne, Omaha, Oral Roberts, South Dakota State and Western Illinois – after losing Oakland to the Horizon League. Denver, IUPUI and South Dakota do not have baseball. Oral Roberts, which won 15 straight league championships from 1998-2012, returns to the league this season after competing in the Southland Conference the past two years.
THE COACH: North Dakota State head coach Tod Brown (Arizona, 1994) is in his eighth season with a 174-212 record. Brown previously was the pitching coach and recruiting coordinator for eight seasons at Bowling Green, where he was part of two division titles and a regular-season title in the Mid-American Conference. Brown began his collegiate coaching career in 1999 as a volunteer assistant at Arizona. He was a left-handed pitcher for the Wildcats under Hall of Fame coach Jerry Kindall and a member of the 1992 Pac-10 champs.
THE TOD BROWN FILE:
Live Stats (Friday) | Live Stats (Saturday) | Live Stats (Sunday)
THIS WEEKEND: The North Dakota State University baseball team (8-18, 3-9 Summit League) will make the short drive south to Brookings, S.D., to take on the South Dakota State University Jackrabbits (17-13, 6-6 Summit League) in a three-game Summit League series Friday, April 10 - Sunday, April 12. The series opener on Friday is scheduled for 3 p.m., while Saturday's contest is slated to get underway at 1 p.m. The series finale Sunday is scheduled to begin at 1 p.m.
THE SERIES: The three-game series in Brookings will be meetings 161-163 in the all-time series that dates back to 1956. The Jacks lead the series, 58-102. Last season, the Bison went 3-2 against South Dakota State, splitting a four-game league slate at home, before defeating the Jackrabbits in the opening round of The Summit League tournament, 4-3.
SCOUTING SOUTH DAKOTA STATE: The Jackrabbits enter Friday with an overall record of 17-13 and a Summit League mark of 6-6 after sweeping Winnipeg in a non-league doubleheader Wednesday in Brookings, 6-2 and 11-1. Through 30 contests, Zach Coppola is hitting .394 with 43 hits in 109 at bats. Coppola has two doubles, one triple and 16 RBI and has stolen a team-and Summit League-best 22 bases in 22 attempts. Tony Kjolsing leads the team in homers with two, while Paul Jacobson paces the Jacks in runs batted in with 21. Eric Danforth has a team-high two triples. RHP Adam Bray (3-3, 3.65 ERA, 1 CG, 44.1 IP, 42 H, 24 R, 18 ER, 12 BB, 39 SO), LHP Chris Anderson (3-1, 3.71 ERA, 43.2 IP, 44 H, 21 R, 18 ER, 17 BB, 32 SO) and RHP Ryan Froom (2-2, 3.07 ERA, 29.1 IP, 30 H, 12 R, 10 ER, 10 BB, 26 SO) are scheduled to start on the mound for the Jacks in the three-game series. As a team, South Dakota State is hitting .286, third-best in The Summit League, and has a team ERA of 4.38, second-lowest in the league. The Jacks are under the direction of fourth season head coach Dave Schrage (Creighton, 1983).
CATCHING UP WITH THE BISON: The Bison enter Friday with an overall record of 8-18 and a Summit League tally of 3-9 after claiming a 9-1 win over Dakota State on Wednesday, April 8, in the 2015 home opener at Newman Outdoor Field. Through 26 contests, Taylor Sanders is hitting a team-high .365 with 27 hits in 74 at bats. Sanders has six doubles and one homer to go along with 10 RBI and a .486 slugging percentage. Ben Petersen leads the Bison in total hits with 29 and is hitting .341, while John Skrbec has a team-best 22 RBI and eight doubles. Skrbec is second on the team in home runs with three and leads the team in slugging percentage at .500. Juan Gamez paces NDSU in homers with four in 24 games. As a team, the Bison are hitting .254, while their opponents are hitting .287. On the mound, right-hander Jay Flaa leads the Bison with a 2.60 ERA and three saves in 27.2 innings pitched. Flaa has allowed only eight earned runs on 15 hits while striking out a team-high 43 batters and walking 10. The Bison have a team ERA of 5.34 in 220.2 innings pitched, compared to a 3.92 ERA in 234 innings of work for their opponents.
RECORD WATCH: Right-hander David Ernst is one start shy of becoming the all-time career games started leader at North Dakota State. Ernst is currently tied with former Bison great Jake Laber at 45 starts. The Fargo native is scheduled to pitch the series opener against South Dakota State Friday. Ernst ranks third in career innings pitched with 268.0 and is tied for fourth in most wins at 17.
SKRBEC SWINGING FOR THE FENCES: Bison third baseman John Skrbec is hitting .348 in his five six games, going 8-for-23 at the plate with three home runs, two doubles and 10 RBI. He has recorded at least one hit in his last eight games. In Wednesday's non-league game against Dakota State, Skrbec went 2-for-4 at the plate with three RBI and a double.
CONSISTENT AT BATS: NDSU redshirt sophomore JT Core is hitting .571 in his last four games, going 8-for-14 at the plate. He has collected at least one hit in his last five games.
SANDERS SURGING: NDSU outfielder Taylor Sanders has hit safely in five of his last seven games. The junior leads the Bison and ranks sixth in The Summit League in batting. Against Dakota State Wednesday, the Lake Oswego, Ore., native went 3-for-4 at the plate with a double and RBI.
KEEFER'S GREAT STARTS: Bison southpaw Trent Keefer has a 3.09 ERA and is a perfect 2-0 in his last two starts. In his last start Sunday at Fort Wayne, the Mesa, Ariz., native allowed two earned runs on eight hits while striking out seven and issuing no walks, helping the Bison to an 18-7 triumph.
GOING, GOING, GAMEZ: NDSU junior catcher Juan Gamez has hit two grand slams so far this season. The Tucson, Ariz., native recorded his first grand slam against Kansas on Feb. 27, before delivering what proved to be the game-winning grand slam at Northern Colorado on March 7. Gamez leads NDSU in round-trippers this season with four and ranks second on the team in RBI with 18.
POSITION DEPTH TO BE TESTED: The Bison have key spots to fill in the lineup after the departure of Summit League Player of the Year Tim Colwell and fellow All-Summit League performers Michael Leach, Kyle Kleinendorst and Wes Satzinger. Senior third baseman John Skrbec, junior shortstop Aiden Hook and junior left fielder Jon Hechtner are the lone returning position starters for the Bison.
NEW FACES: Seven freshmen and seven transfers make up the 14 total newcomers joining the Bison this season. New freshmen include Brayden Resch (C/UTIL), Drew Fearing (INF), Mason Pierzchalski (INF), Jayse McLean (OF), Joe Vacinek (RHP), Colin Baumgard (RHP) and Blake Stockert (RHP). The new transfers are Danny Regan (INF/OF), Juan Gamez (C/UTIL), JT Core (C/UTIL), JD Larimer (INF), Taylor Sanders (C/OF), Riley Horn (LHP) and Nick Salentine (RHP/INF).
FIVE CONSECUTIVE 20-WIN SEASONS: North Dakota State has reached the 20-win mark five straight seasons. The Bison have qualified for four straight Summit League tournaments, winning the tournament championship last season and reaching the championship game each of the past three seasons. This is NDSU's eighth season in The Summit League after three seasons as a Division I independent.
PRESEASON PICKS: Defending Summit League tournament champion North Dakota State was picked to finish fourth in The Summit League in a preseason poll of the league's six head coaches. For the second consecutive season, Omaha was tabbed to claim its third straight Summit League regular season baseball title. The Mavs received three of six first-place votes and a total of 23 points. Oral Roberts placed second with the other three first-place votes and 21 points. South Dakota State came in third with 17 points followed by the Bison with 15 points. Western Illinois (8 points) and Fort Wayne (6 points) rounded out the poll.
THE SUMMIT LEAGUE: This is North Dakota State's eighth year in The Summit League, which has six baseball teams for 2015 – NDSU, Fort Wayne, Omaha, Oral Roberts, South Dakota State and Western Illinois – after losing Oakland to the Horizon League. Denver, IUPUI and South Dakota do not have baseball. Oral Roberts, which won 15 straight league championships from 1998-2012, returns to the league this season after competing in the Southland Conference the past two years.
THE COACH: North Dakota State head coach Tod Brown (Arizona, 1994) is in his eighth season with a 174-212 record. Brown previously was the pitching coach and recruiting coordinator for eight seasons at Bowling Green, where he was part of two division titles and a regular-season title in the Mid-American Conference. Brown began his collegiate coaching career in 1999 as a volunteer assistant at Arizona. He was a left-handed pitcher for the Wildcats under Hall of Fame coach Jerry Kindall and a member of the 1992 Pac-10 champs.
THE TOD BROWN FILE:
- 2014 Summit League tournament champions
- 2014 NCAA Division I Baseball Tournament Corvallis Regional qualifiers
- Won school-record 40 games in 2012
- Three straight Summit League championship game appearances
- Four consecutive Summit League tournament appearances
- Winning percentage of .518 the past four seasons
- 16 All-Summit League honorees, six first team selections
- 14 players who signed professional contracts
- Coached three NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship recipients: Wes Satzinger (2014), John Straka (2013) and Kole Zimmerman (2008)
Wednesday, March 11
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