THIS WEEK
The North Dakota State baseball team is set to open the 2022 season with a four-game series at Abilene Christian. The Bison will begin the season on Friday at 4:05 p.m. NDSU will then play a doubleheader beginning at 1:05 p.m. on Saturday before closing the series on Sunday at 1:05 p.m.
GAME COVERAGE
Live statistics and
video will be available for all four games on
acusports.com.
SUMMIT LEAGUE PRESEASON POLL
The Bison were picked second in the Summit League Preseason Poll. Oral Roberts earned the top spot with 36 total points and six first place votes. NDSU was positioned second with 31 total points and one first place vote. Omaha rounded out the top three with 24 total votes.
SUMMIT LEAGUE PLAYERS TO WATCH
Peter Brookshaw and
Max Loven were named to the Summit League Players to Watch list. Brookshaw started all 61 games last season and registered a .263 batting average with 59 hits and 38 RBI. Loven made 12 starts on the mound posting a 3-3 overall record and tossed 50 strikeouts.
OAKES TAKES OVER
Tyler Oakes was named head coach on June 22, 2021 and became the 22nd head coach in program history. Oakes, who joined the Bison as a pitching coach prior to the 2014 season, was appointed as the recruiting coordinator for the Bison in the summer of 2016, and elevated to associate head coach in the summer of 2018. With Oakes on staff, the Bison have won a pair of Summit League Tournament Championships and advanced to the NCAA Regionals in 2014 and 2021.
WELCOME TO THE STAFF
Brandon Hunt and
Tanner Neale joined the staff as assistant coaches prior to the 2022 season. Hunt comes to NDSU after three seasons as a volunteer assistant at Minnesota, and he also brings head coaching experience from two seasons at Division II Upper Iowa in 2017-18. Neale joined the NDSU staff as a volunteer assistant coach in August 2020. Prior to coming to NDSU, he spent the 2020 season as an assistant coach at NCAA Division III Luther College in Decorah, Iowa.
Trent Keefer also returns to NDSU as a volunteer assistant in 2022 after also serving in a similar role in 2018.
BACK FOR YEAR TWO
Cade Feeney is back for his sophomore season after being named to the D1Baseball Freshman All-America Team, Collegiate Baseball Freshman All-America Team and All-Summit League First Team last season. The Bismarck, N.D. native started 13 games in his freshman season posting an 8-1 overall record with a 3.23 ERA. His eight wins are tied for the second most in NDSU history and the most by a freshman.
IN SEASON OPENERS
The Bison are 5-1 over the last six seasons in season openers. Last season, NDSU fell short at Western Kentucky, 10-4, after giving up seven late runs.
Cade Feeney totaled three strikeouts over 3.1 innings of work in his collegiate debut.
LIFE ON THE ROAD
The Bison are scheduled to play their first 27 games of the season on the road. NDSU will face 10 different opponents across seven states. Last season, the Bison set a program record with 42 wins, including 25 on the road.
THE CHALLENGING SCHEDULE AHEAD
The Bison are set to play a challenging schedule this season with 52 regular season contests across 11 states against opponents from 12 different conferences. The schedule also features 15 home games at Newman Outdoor Field and three opponents that participated in the NCAA Tournament last season, including Fairfield, Nebraska and Miami (FL).
WHO'S BACK?
NDSU returns 12 letterwinners, including eight pitchers this season with five having tossed 30 or more strikeouts last season. The roster also includes eight seniors:
Charley Hesse,
Logan Williams,
Calen Schwabe,
Jake Drew,
Evan Sankey,
Riley Johnson,
Jack Simonsen and
Hunter Koep.
WELCOME TO THE SQUAD
The Bison welcome 10 newcomers this season:
Terrell Huggins,
Logan Williams,
Drew Grindahl,
Bennett Freiter,
Nolan Johnson,
Cadyn Schwabe,
Chase Nett,
Tyler Kliniske,
Andrew Baumgart and
Leland Wilson.
SCOUTING ABILENE CHRISTIAN
Abilene Christian notched a 36-21 (25-13 SC) overall record and advanced to the Southland Conference Tournament Semifinal last season. The Wildcats notched a program record 36 wins and earned their first conference championship in program history. Abilene Christian is entering its first season in the Western Athletic Conference (WAC).
THE SERIES VS. ABILENE CHRISTIAN
NDSU is 0-3 all-time against Abilene Christian. In the only meeting in 2017, the Wildcats swept the three-game series in Abilene, Texas, 4-1, 9-1 and 5-3.
UP NEXT
The Bison will travel to Dixie State for a four-game series on Feb. 25-27 in St. George, Utah.
