SIOUX FALLS, S.D. -- Oral Roberts will open #SummitBSB league play against one of the hottest teams in the country as North Dakota State brings a 14-4 record into Tulsa. All 14 of those victories have come on the road for a Bison team that opened league play last weekend with a 3-1 series win over Western Illinois. NDSU received votes in the NCBWA Top 30 poll for the second consecutive week.

The Golden Eagles posted a 7-12 record in non-conference play. ORU was picked to finish second in the preseason coaches' poll.

The Leathernecks will host a weekend league series once again. This time the Jackrabbits visit Macomb for a matchup between two teams that salvaged a win in their league openers. 

Omaha takes a break from league play with a quick trip down to Wichita to take on the Shockers in a three-game set.

COMING UP
Friday, March 26
Omaha at Wichita State
South Dakota State at Western Illinois (DH)
North Dakota State at Oral Roberts (DH)

Saturday, March 27
Omaha at Wichita State
South Dakota State at Western Illinois
North Dakota State at Oral Roberts

Sunday, March 28
Omaha at Wichita State
South Dakota State at Western Illinois
North Dakota State at Oral Roberts

RECENT RESULTS
Friday, March 19
Oral Roberts 14, Saint Louis 7
North Dakota State 11, Western Illinois 2
Omaha 6, South Dakota State 1
Omaha 7, South Dakota State 1 (7)

Saturday, March 20
Saint Louis 6, Oral Roberts 2
North Dakota State 7, Western Illinois 3
North Dakota State 8, Western Illinois 4 (8)
South Dakota State 7, Omaha 6

Sunday, March 21
Saint Louis 4, Oral Roberts 1
Western Illinois 9, North Dakota State 7
Omaha 7, South Dakota State 1

NCBWA Rankings (#)

DIAMOND NOTES
• For the third time in five weeks, NDSU shortstop Bennett Hostetler was named the #SummitBSB Player of the Week. The Bison opened league play with a 3-1 series win at Western Illinois and Hostetler was a catalyst with his bat once again. 
• Against the Leathernecks, he went 8-for-16 at the plate, homered twice and drove in 10. Hostetler leads all Summit League players with 23 RBI and among Division I players with at least 50 at-bats, he ranks fifth nationally in batting average with a .460 clip and his .600 on-base percentage is tops among that group of players. He’s also third among DI players with 14 steals this season.
• NDSU’s 14-4 start is its best to a season since the 2021 squad opened that campaign 22-5, including a 16-game winning streak under head coach Tod Brown.
• The Bison’s three regular starters are a combined 10-0 on the season with a 3.20 ERA. Ben Smith is 4-0 (3.71), while Evan Sankey (1.16 ERA) and Cade Feeney (4.50) are both 3-0. Sankey has fanned 33 in 23.1 innings of work and owns a 0.64 WHIP.
• Omaha also opened league with a 3-1 series win as the Mavericks picked that up against South Dakota State at Tal Anderson Field. Righthander Joey Machado opened the series with a six-inning scoreless start, fanning 10 Jackrabbits en route to his first win of the season. It was the third double-digit strikeout performance of his career.
• At the dish, freshman Mike Boeve excelled in his first Summit League action, batting .533 (8-for-15) against SDSU and driving in four runs. Boeve had two run-scoring hits in the series-clinching win on Sunday.
• SDSU catcher Derek Hackman belted a pair of two-run homers in the Jacks’ 7-6 victory in game three. He’s now batting a career-best .333 on the season, which is tied for fourth best among league players.
• WIU outfielder Luke Schwartz was one of three Summit Leaguers to hit .500 or better in the opening weekend of league play. He went 7-for-14 at the plate and extended his hitting streak to six games overall. Catcher Trenton Bauer hit .375 against the Bison and ranks eighth in the league with a .313 batting average. He leads the Leathernecks with 20 hits and 13 RBI.
• Oral Roberts opens Summit League play with the Bison in Tulsa this weekend, while South Dakota State travels to Western Illinois. Omaha has a three-game, non-conference series scheduled at Wichita State.
• The Golden Eagles opened their series at Saint Louis with a 14-7 victory, but the Billkens bounced back to win the final two games to take the three-game set. In Friday night’s big victory, shortstop Adam Oviedo was a home run shy of the cycle, going 3-for-4 with a double, triple, three runs and three RBI.
• ORU’s Caleb Denny and Omaha’s Chris Esposito share the league lead with four homers.

#SUMMITBSB