FAYETTEVILLE, ARK. – North Dakota State returns to the NCAA Tournament for the third time in program history after winning the Summit League Baseball Championship last week in Omaha.

The Bison will open the Fayetteville Regional against host and No. 3 overall seed Arkansas on Friday at 2 p.m. CT.

NDSU is coming off a title-run where the Bison hurlers allowed just five earned runs over four games with Summit League Pitcher of the Year Nolan Johnson leading that charge. The lefthander made two starts and earned Championship MVP honors as he pitched seven scoreless innings in NDSU’s opening-game win over host Omaha and four one-run innings in the title-clinching victory over top-seeded Oral Roberts.

The Bison defense, spearheaded by Summit League Defensive Player of the Year Jake Schaffner, also came up with several key plays as NDSU managed just 10 runs offensively, which were the fewest in the 40 previous tournaments by a champion.

NCAA TOURNAMENT | Fayetteville, Ark.
Friday, May 30
G1: (1) Arkansas vs. (4) North Dakota State | 2 p.m. CT | ESPN+
G2: (2) Kansas vs. (3) Creighton | 7 p.m. CT | ESPN+

Saturday, May 31
G3: G1 Loser vs. G2 Loser | 2 p.m. CT | ESPN+
G4: G1 Winner vs. G2 Winner | 8 p.m. CT | ESPN+

Sunday, June 1
G5: G3 Winner vs. G4 Loser | 2 p.m. CT | ESPN+
G6: G5 Winner vs. G5 Winner | 8 p.m. CT | ESPN+

Monday, June 2
G7: G6 Winner vs. G6 Loser (if necessary | TBD | ESPN+

RECENT RESULTS
2025 SUMMIT LEAGUE CHAMPIONSHIP
Wednesday, May 21
G1: (1) Oral Roberts 11, (4) SDSU 2
G2: (2) NDSU 1, (3) Omaha 0 (10)
 
Thursday, May 22
G3: (3) Omaha 7, (4) SDSU 6 (10)
G4: (2) NDSU 4, (1) Oral Roberts 0

Friday, May 23
G5: (1) Oral Roberts 8, (3) Omaha 1

Saturday, May 24
G6: (1) Oral Roberts 3, (2) NDSU 1
G7: (2) NDSU 4, (1) Oral Roberts 2
 
All-Tournament Team
Sam Canton, North Dakota State
Davis Hamilton, North Dakota State
Nolan Johnson, North Dakota State (MVP)
Logan Knight, North Dakota State
Danny Lachenmayer, North Dakota State
Jake Schaffner, North Dakota State
Drew Borner, Omaha
Ben Weber, Omaha
Brenden Asher, Oral Roberts
Cooper Combs, Oral Roberts
Wailele Kane-Yates, Oral Roberts
Dalton Patten, Oral Roberts
Jack Schark, Oral Roberts
Carter Sintek, South Dakota State

#SUMMITBSB CHAMPIONSHIP NOTES
• North Dakota State became just the second team in Summit League Championship history to open with back-to-back shutouts. The Bison also achieved the feat in 2014.
• In fact, it was just the third time a team posted back-to-back shutouts as South Dakota State blanked NDSU in back-to-back games to claim the 2014 title.
• The Bison, who were the No. 2 seed for the third straight year, blanked No. 3 Omaha 1-0 in 10 innings in their first action, then Logan Knight tossed a three-hitter in game four to beat No. 1 Oral Roberts 4-0.
• ORU has made the title game in all 25 of its tournament appearances and have won 22 titles. Two of their three losses have come when the tournament was held at Tal Anderson Field in Omaha (2021 and 2025).
• The Golden Eagles only other title setback was in 2019 at home to Omaha when the top-seeded Mavericks won the “if necessary” game.
• The Bison outscored its opponents 10-5 with those 10 runs being the fewest by any of 40 tournament champions.

SCOUTING THE BISON
NORTH DAKOTA STATE (20-32, 13-15 SL | @NDSUBaseball
Next Up: NCAA Tournament vs. (1) ³Arkansas
Previous Games: Summit League Championship - G2 vs. (3) Omaha (W, 1-0 (10)); G4 vs. (1) Oral Roberts (W, 4-0); G6 vs. (1) Oral Roberts (L, 3-1); G7 vs. (1) Oral Roberts (W, 4-2)
NCAA Division I Tournament History: 1-4
Summit League Championship History: 20-20
Summit League Championship Titles (Last): 3 (2025)
• NDSU won its third Summit League Tournament title, pulling off a similar path to their last title run in 2021, which was also hosted by Omaha and when the Bison were also the No. 2 seed and went 3-1 with two of those victories coming against top-seeded Oral Roberts.
• Led by Summit League Pitcher of the Year and Championship MVP Nolan Johnson, the Bison hurlers allowed just five earned runs over 37 innings of work to post a 1.22 ERA. Johnson made two starts, allowing just one earned run while striking out eight over 11 innings of work.
• Freshman Danny Lachenmayer, who was on the NCBWA Stopper of the Year watch list, tossed 6.1 innings of scoreless relief over two outings, earning the win in game two and save in game seven to secure the title. The lefthander struck out 10 and yielded just two hits in the tourney.
• For the second time this seaosn, Logan Knight tossed a complete-game, three-hit shutout against Oral Roberts - this time doing so in the winner’s bracket game of the tournament. Knight struck out three and is the only Summit League pitcher with a shutout this season.
• Outfielder Colton Becker (.357) and shortstop Jake Schaffner (.333) were the top hitting Bison in tournament play, posting five hits a piece.
AROUND THE LEAGUE
• Omaha third baseman Henry Zipay became the second Maverick in the past four seasons to be named the Summit League Player of the Year (Mike Boeve, 2022).
• The Omaha native led all Summit League hitters with a .415 batting average against conference foes, hitting safely in 21 contests and finishing with 14 multi-hit games in his 26 starts. His 10 doubles were second most among Summit hitters.
• NDSU lefthander Nolan Johnson became the first Bison in program history to be named the Summit League Pitcher of the Year.
• Johnson finished Summit play with a 4-2 record and a 3.34 ERA in nine Summit starts. He fanned 55 batters in 56.2 innings of conference work and limited opponents to a .242 batting average.
• NDSU shortstop Jake Schaffner was named the Summit League Defensive Player of the Year and was also one of the league’s top hitters, earning the only repeat spot on the all-league first team.
• Schaffner committed just two errors in 102 chances in Summit play, while hitting .408 in 28 Summit starts. He and Zipay both own a .384 batting average in all games and Schaffner leads all Summit batters with 84 hits this season.
• Oral Roberts freshman Easton Teel earned Summit League Newcomer of the Year honors after going 6-2 with a league-best 2.98 ERA against conference competition.
• Golden Eagle skipper Ryan Folmar was named the Summit League Coach of the Year for the seventh time in his career.
• Folmar picked up wins No. 378 and 379 of his career at the Summit League Tournament to become the conference’s all-time winningest coach surpassing former Valparaiso Paul Twenge for the top spot.
• The Golden Eagles won a share of their 20th regular season title in 2025 after winning nine of 10 to close out the Summit slate.
• St. Thomas is the other title holder as the Tommies won the program’s second straight trophy after equaling ORU with a 21-9 league mark.
• The Tommies were ineligible for postseason play after concluding their fourth season of transition to the Division I level.

#SUMMITBSB