North Dakota State (2018 Record: 26-24, 15-13)
It was a decent 2018 season for NDSU finishing third in the Summit League before going 1-2 in the Summit League Tournament.
Returning Players
Outfielder Jayse McLean will hit in the middle of the lineup this year after batting .250 last year with 7 home runs and 31 RBI. Bennett Hostetler should be back at shortstop after starting there the past two seasons. He hit .225 last year with 35 runs scored. He’ll play in the Cape Cod League this summer. Tucker Rohde will likely take over at third base after hitting .269 last year. Outfielder Carter Thompson should hit in the middle of the order after batting .340 in 97 at-bats last year with 3 home runs and 25 RBI.
Parker Harm was great out of the bullpen last year with a 4.21 ERA in 51.1 innings pitched with 55 strikeouts and a save. He will also play in the Cape this summer. Jake Drew will take on a more prominent role this season after posting a 4.02 ERA in 15.2 innings pitched last year with 17 strikeouts. Jardan Harms will try to get in the weekend rotation after a shortened junior season due to an injury. Mitch O-Connor will likely be a weekend starter after making nine starts a season ago.
Newcomers
Peter Brookshaw led the team in hitting this past fall and as a chance to start on the infield as a freshman. Zach Solano is redshirt freshman who can play all three outfield spots. Brock Anderson is a two-way player who could see time at first base, in the outfield, and on the mound as a freshman.
Max Loven and Ben Smith are both freshman who have a chance to work their way into the starting rotation after strong outings in the fall. Alec Holcomb is a JUCO transfer who could be used in the back-end of the bullpen.
Outlook for 2019
“Our team strength has always been our pitching and defense. We have a younger/inexperienced pitching staff this year but the potential to be very deep, so we will need some time to figure out roles and where guys fit best. We need to continue to defend well like we have the past couple of years and will need a couple of young players to step up in the infield to replace a couple key infielders that we lost due to graduation. Offensively, base running is the area we need to improve upon the most. We have a good core of impact players that are back from last season combined with some talented newcomers that we believe can come in right away and make a major impact for our team. With our returning impact players a year older, combined with our crop of new players, we feel the pieces are there to be very solid offensively and improve upon what we did as a team in 2018. Our team seems to have solid depth on the mound and on the position player side of things, which will help give us some different options and combinations to work with.” – quote from NDSU coaching staff
Omaha (2018 Record: 15-35, 10-17)
Omaha had some big wins over Northwestern and Nebraska from the Big Ten. But they finished fifth in the Summit League and missed out on the conference tournament.
Returning Players
Outfielder Thomas Debonville will try to become the leader of the offense after hitting .259 last year with 37 runs scored, 6 home runs, 28 RBI, and 21 stolen bases. First baseman Braden Rogers led the team with a .280 average last year and will be back. Keil Krumwiede should return to shortstop after hitting .228 last year with 2 home runs and 26 RBI. He also could see time on the mound.
Joey Machado should lead the weekend rotation after posting a 4.35 ERA in 2018 over 82.2 innings pitched with 50 strikeouts. Andrew Brighton could take a weekend rotation spot as well after posting a 4.85 ERA last year in 59.1 innings with 17 strikeouts. Cal Hehnke was their best pitcher in 2018 with a 3.86 ERA in 60.2 innings pitched with 58 strikeouts and 5 saves. Payton Kinney had a 3.31 ERA in 16.1 innings with 14 strikeouts. Spencer Koelewyn made 11 starts last year and had a 4.04 ERA in 49 innings pitched with 35 strikeouts.
Newcomers
Brett Bonar is a transfer who will compete for time behind the plate. Matt Bondarchuk is also a transfer, but he will look for time in the outfield.
Jacob Mohler and Jacob Alcorn are both transfers who will add some depth to the pitching staff. Richie Holetz is a freshman who could see significant innings right away.
Outlook for 2019
“We look to improve upon consistency of play throughout the full season. Our added depth should help us obtain consistency.” – Head Coach Evan Porter
Oral Roberts (2018 Record: 38-20, 24-6)
Oral Roberts was by far the best team in the Summit League last as they only lost six conference games and breezed through the Summit League Tournament on their way to a regional appearance.
Returning Players
First baseman Spencer Henson hit .364 last year with 35 runs scored, 10 home runs, and 58 RBI. Riley Keizor should be back behind the plate after hitting .293 in 2018 with 6 home runs and 41 RBI. Andrew Pace and Jack Rosenberg will need to step up in this lineup this season.
Josh McMinn will try and lead the weekend rotation this season after posting a 3.86 ERA in 2018 over 77 innings pitched with 68 strikeouts. Colton Larkins had a 3.89 ERA in 34.2 innings pitched with 36 strikeouts in 2018. Tanner Rogen will be counted on in the pitching staff this season as well.
Newcomers
Oral Roberts has several transfers who could give this team a boost in 2019 to cover up some of their losses. Blake Hall and Hunter Swift will try to work their way into the outfield mix – Swift could see some innings on the mound as well. Matt Gaskins and Chris Henderson are both right-handed pitchers who will add depth to the pitching staff.
Outlook for 2019
Oral Roberts will need to replace a lot of production from last year’s team, including two weekend starters who graduated and two of their top hitters. The four transfer players mentioned above will need to make a major impact if this team is going to reach the postseason again.
Purdue Fort Wayne (2018 Record: 11-37, 7-23)
Last year was not pretty for Purdue Fort Wayne as they only won 11 games overall and finished last in the Summit League.
Returning Players
Mike Snyder will be back on the infield after hitting .260 last year with a couple of home runs. First baseman Travis Upp led the team with a .305 average last year with 2 home runs. Outfielder Jacob Dickson hit .283 last year with 3 home runs.
Chase Phelps could move into the weekend rotation after making five starts last year with a 5.64 ERA in 52.2 innings pitched with 46 strikeouts. Trevor Armstrong is also expected to have a big role in the pitching staff after a solid freshman season.
Newcomers
Justin Miller and Jarrett Miller are both freshman pitchers who could see a lot of innings in 2019. Sean Ferguson is a transfer who will also add depth to the pitching staff.
Outlook for 2019
The coaching staff hopes to be better in all phases of the game in 2019. They will need to pitch and play defense at a much higher level to win games this season.
South Dakota State (2018 Record: 18-32, 14-13)
They only won four out-of-conference games but had a winning conference record in 2018. They fought their way to the Summit League Tournament championship game before losing to Oral Roberts.
Returning Players
Second baseman Gus Steiger led the team in hitting as a freshman last season with a .311 average to go along with 28 runs scored and 27 RBI. Nick Smith is back for his senior season after being limited to 33 games last year. He should be a big part of the lineup in 2019. First baseman Josh Falk will take over in the middle of the order after hitting .286 last year with 6 home runs and 30 RBI.
They retain three significant starters from last year’s team in Brady Moxham, Brady Stover, and Tyler Olmstead. They were top three in innings pitched last year. Stover struck out 63 batters in 43.1 innings with an ERA of 4.57, while Olmstead punch out 57 batters in 52 innings with a 4.67 ERA. Moxham threw the most innings at 73 with 68 strikeouts and an ERA of 5.55.
Outlook for 2019
They lose some key pieces and a lot of thump from the lineup with Anthony Schneider, Tony Kjolsing, and Newt Johnson departing. They’ll need several players to step up in their place. With all they have coming back in the pitching staff, that could hold them over until they figure out the lineup.
Western Illinois (2018 Record: 17-31, 14-12)
Western Illinois started the season 0-12 but ended finishing second in the Summit League standings. However, they went two-and-out in the Summit League Tournament.
Returning Players
Catcher CJ Schaeffer returns behind the plate after hitting .275 last season with a pair of home runs. Outfielder Steve McShane led the team with a .317 average in 2018 in just 39 games played. Deion Thompson is a versatile player who hit .271 a season ago with 29 runs scored, 6 home runs, and 30 RBI. Drue Galassi will need to step up in the lineup after hitting .255 last year. First baseman Bailey Montgomery should return to the lineup as well after hitting .288 last season. Alex Dorethy hith .299 with 4 home runs and 27 RBI last year.
Javin Drake retuns to the lead the weekend rotation after posting a 3.96 ERA in 50 innings pitched last year with 53 strikeouts.
Newcomers
Kevin Raisbeck (INF); Trenton Bauer (C/OF); Jackson Gray (LHP); and Jordan Cheek (RHP)
Outlook for 2019
While they lose some key contributors from the lineup, most of their starters come back. They’ll need some newcomers to step up in the pitching staff.
2019 All-Summit League Preseason Team
C: Riley Keizor (Oral Roberts)
1B: Spencer Henson (Oral Roberts)
2B: Gus Steiger (South Dakota State)
SS: Bennett Hostetler (North Dakota State)
3B: Tucker Rohde (North Dakota Stae)
OF: Deion Thompson (Western Illinois)
OF: Thomas DeBonville (Omaha)
OF: Carter Thompson (NDSU)
DH: Josh Falk (South Dakota State)
SP: Tyler Olmsted (South Dakota State)
SP: Brady Stover (South Dakota State)
SP: Josh McMinn (Oral Roberts)
SP: Javin Drake (Western Illinois)
SP: Joey Machado (Omaha)
RP: Cal Hehnke (Omaha)
RP: Parker Harm (NDSU)
Honorable Mention:
1B – Travis Upp (Purdue Fort Wayne)
OF – Jayse McLean (NDSU)
Predicted Order to Finish:
1. Oral Roberts
2. NDSU
3. Omaha
4. South Dakota State
5. Western Illinois
6. Purdue Fort Wayne
