SIOUX FALLS, S.D. – Reigning regular season champion Oral Roberts was picked on top of the Summit League Preseason Baseball Coaches’ poll released Tuesday by league officials. The Golden Eagles, who led the way with 36 points, will have two more squads to fend off for the 2022 title after Northern Colorado and St. Thomas brought the league’s baseball membership to seven.
The Golden Eagles won their 19
th regular season title a year ago and have won five of the last six trophies handed out. ORU received all six first-place votes they could, while North Dakota State secured the remaining one and was pegged to finish second with 31 points in the poll voted on by the league’s seven head coaches.
The Bison won the #SummitBSB Championship a year ago as the No. 2 seed in Omaha, finishing the campaign with a program-record 42 victories. The tournament title was their second in program history.
Omaha (24) edged South Dakota State (23) for the third spot in the poll. The Mavericks went 14-12 a year ago in league play, while the Jackrabbits were picked where they finished a year ago, taking fourth at 9-19.
Northern Colorado, who begins its affiliate membership this spring, made its poll debut in the fifth spot with 13 points. The Bears were a point ahead of Western Illinois, who claimed sixth with 12 points.
St. Thomas, who was the 2021 MIAC Champions and tournament runner-up at the NCAA Division III level a season ago, rounds out the poll in seventh, earning eight points as the Tommies make the jump to the DI level.
The 2022 Summit League slate will feature eight three-game series. Each team will play the remaining six teams once and two of those opponents twice to make up a 24-game regular season. League play starts the weekend of March 18-20 with Western Illinois playing at newcomer Northern Colorado.
#SummitBSB Preseason Notes
- For the first time since the 2012 season, the Summit League will have seven teams competing in baseball thanks to the additions of Northern Colorado (affiliate) and St. Thomas (full-time).
- The Bears arrive from the WAC where they finished ninth in the 2021 standings with an 11-36 overall record and 7-24 mark in conference play. The Tommies arrive from the Division III level where they won the MIAC regular season title with a 17-2 conference mark and finished runner-up at the DIII National Tournament.
- A total of 13 2021 All-Summit League selections return (seven first teamers and six second teamers) for the 2022 season.
- Oral Roberts has five of the first-team selections back, while NDSU and Omaha each had one. The Bison return three of the second-team picks, while South Dakota State had two and the Mavericks had the remaining one.
- The Golden Eagles also have two of the individual award winners back along with Coach of the Year Ryan Folmar, who begins his 10th season at ORU. Folmar has led ORU to four NCAA regional appearances and boasts a 281-190 record at the school.
- Junior Isaac Coffey returns after being named the Pitcher of the Year in 2021 after posting a 9-2 record, a league-best 2.81 ERA and a league-high 92 strikeouts.
- Newcomer of the Year Josh Cox also returns after batting .293 with five home runs and 33 RBI in his first season as a Golden Eagles.
- NDSU returns a trio of starting pitchers that earned All-Summit League honors a season ago, including Cade Feeney, who was a first team pick and was named the league’s only Freshman All-American (Collegiate Baseball and D1Baseball.com).
- Feeney along with second-team picks Max Loven and Evan Sankey combined to go 18-7 in 40 starts for the Bison in 2021. Feeney led the way with an 8-1 record and 3.23 ERA en route to earn Freshman All-America honors.
- Omaha returns first-team selection Mike Boeve, who hit a team-best .319 a season ago. He was one of eight Summit League regulars to hit over .300 in 2021. The Mavericks had a league-high three players in that category, including returning second-team pick Eduardo Rosario, who ranked fourth in the league with a .337 clip.
- South Dakota State has a pair of all-league second team picks back from 2021 in starting pitcher/first baseman Drew Beazley (4-2, 2.16 ERA; 10 2Bs, 20 RBI) and catcher Derek Hackman (8 HR; .319 batting average).
- ORU first baseman Jake McMurray is the league’s top returning hitter after batting .343 in 2021. McMurray, catcher Alec Jones and outfielder Caleb Denny round out ORU’s quintet of first team all-league returners.
#SummitBSB Schedule Notes
- The 2022 season begins Feb. 18 with all seven league teams slated for action. League play starts four weeks later on March 18 when Western Illinois visits Northern Colorado for a three-game set.
- The rematch of the 2021 championship game between North Dakota State and Oral Roberts takes place in Tulsa from April 22-24.
- The top four teams in the regular-season standings will qualify for The Summit League Baseball Championship scheduled for J.L. Johnson Stadium in Tulsa, Okla., May 25-28.
| 2022 Summit League Baseball Preseason Poll |
| Place |
Team |
Points (1st) |
2021 Record |
| 1. |
Oral Roberts |
36 (6) |
31-22 (19-7) |
| 2. |
North Dakota State |
31 (1) |
42-19 (20-11) |
| 3. |
Omaha |
24 |
22-25 (14-12) |
| 4. |
South Dakota State |
23 |
15-32 (9-19) |
| 5. |
Northern Colorado |
13 |
11-36 (7-24; WAC)* |
| 6. |
Western Illinois |
12 |
11-28 (7-19) |
| 7. |
St. Thomas |
8 |
37-10 (17-2; MIAC, DIII)* |
*Northern Colorado and St. Thomas are in their first seasons as league members | Coaches are not allowed to vote for their own team.
2022 Summit League Players and Pitchers to Watch
Peter Brookshaw | North Dakota State | Jr. | IF
- Batted .263 with five home runs and 38 RBI, which are most among Bison returners
- Totaled 16 extra-base hits, scored 49 runs and added 12 stolen bases after starting all 61 games last year
Max Loven | North Dakota State | Jr. | LHP
- Two-time All-Summit League honoree as a starting pitcher
- Earned second-team honors in 2021 with a 3-3 record and 4.82 ERA
- 2019 Summit League Newcomer of the Year and first-team honoree
Riley Bost | Northern Colorado | Jr. | RHP
- Transfer from UT-Arlington where he made 10 appearances in 2021, striking out eight across 12.2 innings
- Totaled 32 strikeouts in 48 innings across three seasons for the Mavericks
Josh Glenn | Northern Colorado | RSr. | C
- Named a Top 50 catcher by D1Baseball.com prior to the 2022 season
- Batted .297 last season with a team-leading 10 doubles and 42 RBI
Mike Boeve | Omaha | So. | 3B
- One of two freshman to earn first team All-Summit League honors in 2021
- Batted a team-high .319 with 20 multiple-hit efforts
- Ranked second among Summit League players with 16 doubles
Mark Timmins | Omaha | Sr. | RHP
- Shared the team lead with five wins in 2021, striking out 37 in 45.2 innings of work
- Had a career-best 10-strikeout outing in a win over South Dakota State and logged complete game in a victory over BYU
Isaac Coffey | Oral Roberts | Jr. | RHP
- 2021 Summit League Pitcher of the Year, two-time All-League first team selection (2019 and 2021)
- Led league with nine wins, 92 strikeouts, and a 2.81 ERA
- Named a preseason All-American by the NCBWA (second team) and Collegiate Baseball (third team)
Dustin Demeter | Oral Roberts | Gr. | IF
- Graduate transfer from Hawaii where he batted .288 with 26 doubles, 13 home runs and 92 RBI over four seasons and 134 career starts
- Posted career-highs in batting average (.325), home runs (6) and RBI (34) as a senior in 2021
Graham Laubscher | St. Thomas | Gr. | LHP
-Named Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Most Valuable Pitcher in 2021
-Owns a 14-9 record and 2.79 ERA to go with 230 strikeouts over 36 career appearances
Brigs Richartz | St. Thomas | Fr. | C
- Earned Wisconsin honorable mention all-state honors as a high school senior in 2021
- Named the District 1 Player of the Year and Big Rivers Conference Player of the Year
Luke Ira | South Dakota State | Jr. | IF
- Started all 47 games, averaging better than a hit per game in 2021
- Led team with 11 doubles and 48 hits, while collecting 12 multiple-hit games
Nic McCay | South Dakota State | RSo. | RHP
- Returns to the active roster after missing the last two seasons with injury
- Named a Collegiate Baseball Freshman All-American in 2019 and an All-Summit League second team selection after finishing with a 6-1 record and a 4.08 ERA
Derek Botaletto | Western Illinois | Jr. | IF
- Team’s top returning batter after posting a .279 clip in 31 starts in 2021
- Had four hits and scored four runs in WIU debut, helping team to an 8-3 win over No. 2 Louisville
Jace Warkentien | Western Illinois | Sr. | LHP
- Led team with a 4.47 ERA and shared team lead with 10 starts in 2021
- Recorded 39 strikeouts in team-high 58.1 innings of work
Note: Players to Watch selected by league's head coaches
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