MINNEAPOLIS -- No. 4 seed South Dakota State advanced to the title game with a 2-1 victory over No. 3 seed Northern Colorado during day two of the 2026 Summit League Baseball Championship at Siebert Field. The Jackrabbits started the tournament with back-to-back wins for the first time in program history as freshman Kaden Rylance and senior Ty Madison combined to limit the Bears to just a pair of hits and strike out seven.
Both team's starters retired the side in order in each of the first two frames before the Jackrabbits broke through in the third on a trio of base hits to scratch a run across. Centerfielder Owen Siegert produced the lone tally with a wind-aided double that dropped just in front of his diving counterpart Mason Griffin.
The Jacks pushed their lead in the fourth to 2-0 after Nate Wachter doubled to lead off the frame, then came around to score on a throwing error by UNC starter Jake Storey. Wachter was on third when the Bears' righthander fielded a bunt and had Wachter caught in a pickle but his throw home sailed by catcher Sam Pease allowing what proved to be the winning run to score.
Rylance surrendered just two walks through the opening five frames for the Jackrabbits before UNC's Jaden Stone broke up the no-hitter with one out in the sixth. His single to right advanced Brandon Sanchez to third, who had been hit by a pitch earlier in the inning. Sanchez would cross the plate on a sacrifice fly by Logan Pruski to cut the Bears' lead in half.
SDSU would have a chance to add to the lead in the ninth, loading the bases off UNC reliever Brady Hudson, but he would get out of that jam. Madison, who relieved Rylance after the sixth, would give up a two-out infield single in the ninth, but that would be all he would surrender in three clean innings.
Pitcher of Record
Win – Rylance (4-3): 6.0 IP, 1 hit, 1 earned run, 2 walks, 5 strikeouts
Loss – Storey (2-7): 6.0 IP, 5 hits, 2 runs, 1 earned run, 1 walk, 3 strikeouts
Save - Madison (3): 3.0 IP, 1 hit, 0 earned runs, 0 walks, 2 strikeouts
Notable Notes
• This marks the first time in program history SDSU has started tournament play with back-to-back wins
• SDSU's title-game appearance will be its first since 2023 -- the Jacks' lone title came in 2013
• Madison has now pitched 4.2 innings of scoreless relief in two tournament wins for the Jacks
• North Dakota State was the last No. 4 seed to win the tournament title in 2014, while the No. 4 seed has made the title game in three of the past five tournaments (2022, Omaha; and 2024, Northern Colorado)
Up Next
The Bears will play top-seeded Oral Roberts in an elimination game on Friday at 4 p.m. CT at Siebert Field.
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