STATE TOURNAMENT RECAP
FIRST ROUND:
Dell Rapids 3, Parkston/Ethan/Tripp 1
– Dell Rapids got the party started with a nice win in the only game of the day because of weather. Parkston/Ethan/Tripp was coming off a huge victory over a tough Vermillion team and was looking to carry that momentum throughout the state tournament. Future Tournament MVP Brayden Pankonen scored the first run of the tournament on a 2-out balk, but Parkston answered with a bases-loaded walk in the 3rd.
Pankonen and Landon Ruesink combined for 3 shutout innings, and a 2-RBI single in the bottom of the 4th by Mason Stubbe secured the first round victory for the Quarriers.
Madison 13, PG/DC/WL 5
– The Honkers came into the tournament undefeated, but the Bulldogs were battle-tested and threw haymakers from the start. Madison scored 4 in the 1st , 1 in the 2nd and 5 in the 3rd, taking a 10-0 lead into the 4th inning before PG/DC/WL could settle in. Nate Ricke was a beast at the plate, driving in 5 runs on 3 hits for the Bulldogs, while Trey Smith drove in 3 on 3 hits of his own. Mason Kennington also reached base 5 times with 3 walks and a pair of hits.
Dakota Valley 6, West Central 5
– Zero runs were scored in the first two innings, but the Trojans pushed one across before singles by Riley Rosenquist and Isaac Bruns gave the Panthers the lead. West Central regained the lead in the 5th inning, but Rosenquist again hit a go-ahead single in the bottom half of the inning and Beau Pollema got the save with 2 shutout innings.
Winner/Colome 5, Redfield Area 2
– For the Royals to take this game was huge. The Royals finished second in Region 4, while Redfield won a tough Region 2 with 5 All-State players. However, this is baseball and anything can happen. Redfield took the lead with 2 runs in the 1st, but Winner/Colome chipped away with runs in the 2nd, 3rd, and 5th innings, while Eathan Bartels scattered 9 hits in a complete game effort.
SEMIFINALS:
Dell Rapids 7, Madison 0
– Tad Tjaden picked up the win for the Quarriers, throwing 6 shutout innings with 9 strikeouts. The bats were alive early, scoring 3 runs in 3 innings before capitalizing with a 4-run 4th inning. Pankonen and Ruesink each scored a pair of runs, while Dylan Mathis and Jack Henry both went 2-3.
Dakota Valley 4, Winner/Colome 3
– Another close victory for the Panthers, Dakota Valley again fell down early on a Charley Pravecek double for the Royals. Dakota Valley took the lead on an Ashton Pick single in the 3rd, and added insurance runs on an RBI fielder’s choice from G Anderson later in the inning. West Central rallied for 2 runs in the 7th, but it was not enough.
CHAMPIONSHIP:
Dell Rapids 11, Dakota Valley 5
– This was one of the best baseball games I had ever been to. First, Dells brought the energy in the first inning, scoring on a pair of errors.
They then scored another run on a bases-clearing triple by Jack Henry. Aiden Boechler quickly earned an RBI on a groundout, and Dell Rapids had 4 runs before Dakota Valley could even take a breath.
I was worried that this was going to be a quick victory, and boy, I was not prepared for what was to come! The Panthers pushed 1 run across on a Brayden Major single, but Jake Pruchniak was out on a very close play at the plate to end the inning.
Riley Rosenquist’s triple in the next inning completely changed the momentum, however, and tied the game, and a double in the next at-bat for Jaxon Hennies gave the Panthers the lead.
And from that point on…nothing.
Pankonen had one of the best pitching performances of the year, striking out 10 with 6 hits and 1 walk in 8 1/3 innings for relief, while Aiden Boechler hit an RBI groundout in the 6th to tie the game.
Now, this is about the time I ran out of water! It was cool though, cause in my mind I thought, “The game’s almost over, I’ll be fine.” I was fine, but the game was not even close to being over!
Another side note, a guy came into the game and was talking to me about this being the first baseball game he had ever been to. It’s an interesting side note that has nothing to do with the game, but still, it was pretty cool.
Now, I also want to point out that Beau Pollema had a great game as well. He held one of the best offenses in the state to 2 earned runs in 7.2 innings of work. The pitching was stellar for both teams throughout the extra innings.
Dell Rapids finally scored on an error in the top of the 11th, and Pankonen broke the game open and sealed his MVP with a double that scored two runs. Landon Ruesink added an insurance run on a triple the very next pitch, and singles by Dylan Mathis and Aiden Boechler put the game out of reach.
It was a stellar game, and I hope I told the story the best I could from my angle.
I am currently putting together a video for our Youtube, so go check out Digital Z Sports on Youtube until then. Also, be on the lookout on Twitter for that post, as that is where we will announce it first.
HOME RUN LEADERS
OVERALL
4 HOME RUNS
Riley Rothschadl, Bon Homme
Jack Henry, Dell Rapids
Nolan Wahlfeldt, Belle Fourche
3 HOME RUNS
Ty Neugebauer, Parkston/Ethan/Tripp
Parker Puetz, Sioux Valley
Dylan Mathis, Dell Rapids
Aiden Boechler, Dell Rapids
2 HOME RUNS
Jack Kratz, Vermillion
Ryan Krog, Elkton
Aspen Dahl, Madison
Evan Vissia, Belle Fourche
Just a couple thoughts on this. First, We do want to note that all these stats come from GameChanger. We painstakingly verified every home run we could find from this season. We hope this is the most accurate numbers possible, but if there is any mistakes, please let us know and we will update it.
Now, what is really incredible is that Riley Rothschadl hit all 4 of his home runs in 4 CONSECUTIVE GAMES! That’s right, the Bon Homme Basher hit 4 dingers from May 9th-18th, against Parker, Menno/Scotland, Vermillion and Canton. He also earned a win on the mound in that time, cause you know, why not?
Fellow state-leader Jack Henry also hit his home runs in bunches, blasting one out versus MVPCS (April 18th) before hitting two against C/CE/F on April 22nd. He would then finish the month with a 4th home run against Brandon Valley on the 25th.
Our final leader, Noah Wahlfeldt, hit 25% of Region 4’s home runs this season! He hit his first home run in a 27-5 blow out against Lead-Deadwood on April 27th. The Broncs then had a rematch against L-D on May 4th, and Wahlfeldt put another ball into orbit. 11 days later, he hit his 3rd dinger against Hot Springs, and ended his bashing of baseballs with a home run in the regular season finale against Bennett County.
So those are your leaders, all in all, here was your home run breakdown by Region:
Region 1: 21
Region 2: 14
Region 3: 30
Region 4: 15
I do want to point out that Dell Rapids hit 12 home runs as a team, but even taking them away, Region 2 still hit more out than Region 2 and 4.
TOP 15 PITCHING PERFORMANCES
For Top Pitching Performances, we are going to use Bill James’ Game Score. For those unfamiliar, it’s a system that legendary sabermetrician Bill James used to evaluate starts. Here is the formula:
Start with 50 points
- Add +1 point for each out recorded
- Add +2 for each inning completed after the 4th.
- Add +1 for each strikeout.
- Subtract -2 for each hit allowed.
- Subtract -4 for each earned run allowed.
- Subtract -2 for each unearned run allowed.
- Subtract -1 for each walk.
When you go through a high school game, a 21-strikeout perfect game would score a 98. Most scores would hover right around 50, but for this segment, we are going to try and only use the Top 15 best starts. This isn’t to say that they are the only quality pitching performances, there was plenty of those, this is just a look at the most elite appearances this season. Now, to note, there is a little flaw to the system if a team 10-runs another, as it can be hard to score a lot more points. This means that the top scores need to go the distance, so most of the games aren’t complete blowouts. But on the other hand, this also means that most of these performances were in competitive games. The system isn’t perfect, but it gives us a pretty good list to discuss.
Now, let’s begin…
#1
95- Jake Pruchniak vs B/A-H, April 29th
Dakota Valley 5, B/A-H 0
| IP | H | R | ER | BB | SO |
| 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 18 |
The top pitching performance of the year, this one really put Pruchniak on the map. And no, I don’t mean that no one had heard of him before this. But this game was at the height of his elite pitching performances. He was coming off a couple good starts and this was the one that solidified his spot for many as the top pitcher in Class B. Simply put, this was an unparalleled perfect game for an elite pitcher.
#2
93- Logan Bobzin vs Menno/Scotland, May 10th
Centerville 2, Menno/Scotland 0
| IP | H | R | ER | BB | SO |
| 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 16 |
This game may have flew under the radar, as Centerville finished 8th in their Region and Menno/Scotland didn’t make the playoffs. However, this was a huge game in terms of postseason implications for both teams. Bobzin absolutely balled out in a big moment for his team.
#3
91- Jake Pruchniak vs EP-J, April 11th
Dakota Valley 4, EP-J 0
| IP | H | R | ER | BB | SO |
| 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 16 |
The start before THE START, Pruchniak hinted at the perfect game with a no-hitter against EP-J. He had a pair of walks, but 16 strikeouts easily prevented runs from the free baserunners.
#4
86- Jake Pruchniak vs Bon Homme, May 8th
Dakota Valley 1, Bon Homme 0
| IP | H | R | ER | BB | SO |
| 7 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 12 |
Again? The Panthers top pitcher takes the #1, #3 and #4 performances on the Game Score scale. This time, Pruchniak answered his perfect game with a 1-hit, 12-strikeout performance against a very good Bon Homme team. This game was the pitcher’s duel of the year, as Riley Rothschadl scored a 76 for the Cavaliers.
#5
85- Aspen Dahl vs Sioux Valley, April 20th
Madison 8, Sioux Valley 0
| IP | H | R | ER | BB | SO |
| 7 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 12 |
The Class B POY was well known for his bat, but many would be surprised to learn that Dahl was just as solid on the mound. This was a huge game against one of the top teams in their Region, and the Mount Marty commit held the Cossacks to just 3 base runners in a dominant victory.
#6
84- Peyton Osborn vs Castlewood/Deuel, April 10th
Redfield Area 6, Castlewood/Deuel 0
| IP | H | R | ER | BB | SO |
| 7 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 12 |
An early season performance, Peyton Osborn set the stage for a great Redfield Area season with this dominant performance vs C/D.
#6
84- Jack Neises vs Castlewood/Deuel, May 8th
Howard 4, Castlewood/Deuel 0
| IP | H | R | ER | BB | SO |
| 7 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 12 |
Now, you have to do a double take when you look at the boxscore, because Peyton Osborn had the same exact stats…versus the same team…half a month earlier. Definitely a weird coincidence, but cool none the less.
#8
83- Dustin Honomichl vs Canton, May 1st
Wagner 13, Canton 0
| IP | H | R | ER | BB | SO |
| 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 13 |
I think Wagner was a quietly solid team. With Honomichl or Nolan Dvorak on the mound, they really had a chance to beat anyone. This no-hitter was just 1 of 2 games to make the list from a 6 inning performance.
#8
83- Braden Herr vs Garretson, May 17th
West Central 6, Garretson 1
| IP | H | R | ER | BB | SO |
| 7 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 10 |
Right near the end of the regular season, Herr found his stride, throwing a no-hitter while striking out 10. Not a bad performance in a tough win.
#10
81- Jake Jensen vs Wagner, May 5th
Vermillion 2, Wagner 0
| IP | H | R | ER | BB | SO |
| 7 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 8 |
This was Jake Jensen’s second Game Score above 75, and he was 1 of 2 pitchers who didn’t get double digits strikeouts but made the list. This was also a big game for the standings, and one of the toughest opponents on this list.
#10
81- Treyse Eastman vs SFC, May 5th
Dell Rapids 2, SFC 1
| IP | H | R | ER | BB | SO |
| 7 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 13 |
A pitcher’s battle, Eastman scattered 3 hits and struck out 13 in a big game for the future champions. I was surprised this was the only Quarriers win to make the list, but they dominated at the plate all season, which leads to some quick victories.
#10
81- Aspen Dahl vs Sioux Valley, May 22nd
Madison 3, Sioux Valley 0
| IP | H | R | ER | BB | SO |
| 7 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 14 |
Dahl turned into the grim reaper for the Cossacks, eliminating them from the playoffs with another solid performance. He did give up 7 baserunners, but 14 strikeouts will keep any team at bay.
#10
81- Griffin Clubb vs O-R/R/Arlington, May 15th
Howard 10, O-R/R/Arlington 0
| IP | H | R | ER | BB | SO |
| 6 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 13 |
The 2nd Howard game to make the list, this time it was Clubb vs O-R/R/A. An impressive performance indeed, giving up just 1 hit in 13 strikeouts, and he would have quickly climbed the list had he gotten 1 more inning on the mound.
#14
80- Ben Swatek vs Menno/Scotland, May 8th
EP-J 3, Menno/Scotland 0
| IP | H | R | ER | BB | SO |
| 7 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 8 |
Maybe another quiet game that didn’t get the respect it deserved, Swatek was solid on the mound late for the Huskies and held Menno/Scotland at bay with only 4 base runners in the shutout.
#14
80- Tyson Wentland vs H-B/E, April 28th
MVPCS 2, H-B/E 0
| IP | H | R | ER | BB | SO |
| 7 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 11 |
Our final game on the list, Wentland, who is only a freshman, forecasted the future with an 11-strikeout performance. This guy has a high upside, and looks to be on this list for the foreseeable future.
OTHER 75+ PERFORMANCES
Region 1…Carter Uecker (79 vs Wagner), Riley Rothschadl (77 vs Wagner), Nolan Dvorak (77 vs Centerville), Logan Bobzin (77 vs Wagner), Riley Rothschadl (76 vs Dakota Valley), Jake Jensen (75 vs P/E/T)
Region 2…Parker Puetz (78 vs Clark Area), Parker Puetz (77 vs Castlewood/Deuel), Kaleb Hoover (75 vs Clark Area)
Region 3…Dylan Kindt (78 vs H-B/E), Conner Eich (78 vs SFC), Tyler Tjaden (77 vs Baltic)
Region 4…Dawson Hoffman (75 vs Gregory County)
1ST TEAM ALL-STATE
REGION 1
- Carter Uecker, Bon Homme
- Riley Rothschadl, Bon Homme
- Jake Pruchniak, Dakota Valley
- Jack Kratz, Vermillion
- Jake Jensen, Vermillion
REGION 2
- Aspen Dahl, Madison (POY)
- Camden Osborn, Redfield Area
- Peyton Osborn, Redfield Area
- Keaton Rolhfs, Redfield Area
- Parker Puetz, Sioux Valley
REGION 3
- Jack Henry, Dell Rapids
- Landon Ruesink, Dell Rapids
- Nate Babb, Tea Area
2ND TEAM ALL-STATE
REGION 1
- Logan Bobzin, Centerville
- Isaac Bruns, Dakota Valley
- Ty Neugebauer, P/E/T
- Charlie Ward, Vermillion
- Nolan Dvorak, Wagner
REGION 2
- Fehi Faonelua, Redfield Area
- Owen Osborn, Redfield Area
REGION 3
- Dylan Mathis, Dell Rapids
- Tyson Wentland, MVPCS
- Griffin Tobin, MVPCS
- Logan Boom, Tea Area
- Duece Sherard, West Central
REGION 4
- Dakota Munger, C/K/L
- Dawson Hoffman, PGDCWL
- Rylan Peck, Gregory County
- Charley Pravecek, Winner/Colome
- Joey Cole, Winner/Colome
STANDINGS/PLAYOFFS
REGION 1
- Dakota Valley 11-2 (9-1)
- Vermillion 13-2 (8-2)
- Parkston/Ethan/Tripp 12-4 (8-2)
- Bon Homme 9-3 (8-2)
- Wagner 7-5 (7-3)
- Elk Point-Jefferson 4-6 (4-6)
- Canton 3-7 (3-7)
- Centerville 3-10 (3-7)
- Parker 2-9 (2-8)
- Menno/Scotland 5-10 (2-8)
- Beresford/A-H 2-9 (1-9)
NORTH SIOUX CITY
- Dakota Valley 10, Centerville 0
- Bon Homme 4, Wagner 1
- Dakota Valley 4, Bon Homme 3
VERMILLION
- Vermillion 13, Canton 3
- P/E/T 11, EP-J 2
- P/E/T 4, Vermillion 3
REGION 2
- Redfield Area 12-0 (10-0)
- Madison 12-1 (8-1)
- Sioux Valley 8-2 (8-2)
- WW/M/WS/W/F/HH 6-4 (6-3)
- Howard 7-4 (6-4)
- Elkton 5-5 (5-5)
- Groton Area 3-6 (3-6)
- Castlewood/Deuel 2-4 (2-4)
- ORR/Arlington 1-9 (1-7)
- Clark Area 1-8 (1-8)
- Hamlin Area 0-10 (0-10)
REDFIELD
- Redfield Area 11, Castlewood/Deuel 1
- Howard 4, WW/M/WS/W/F/HH 1
- Redfield Area 10, Howard 0
MADISON
- Madison 14, Groton Area 4
- Sioux Valley 13, Elkton 0
- Madison 3, Sioux Valley 0
REGION 3
- Dell Rapids 11-0 (11-1)
- Tea Area 9-2 (9-2)
- West Central 10-2 (9-2)
- MV/P/CS 9-5 (6-4)
- Lennox 6-9 (6-5)
- Baltic 7-11 (6-5)
- SFC 5-9 (4-7)
- McCook 5-7 (4-7)
- C/C-E/F 4-8 (3-7)
- Hanson/B-E 4-9 (2-8)
- Garretson 2-9 (2-8)
- Tri-Valley 2-11 (2-9)
DELL RAPIDS
- Dell Rapids 10, McCook 0
- Lennox 4, MV/P/CS 3
- Dell Rapids 6, Lennox 3
TEA
- SFC 6, Tea Area 3
- West Central 4, Baltic 0
- West Central 12, SFC 7
REGION 4
- PG/DC/WL 11-0 (9-0)
- Winner/Colome 12-1 (8-1)
- Belle Fourche 8-5 (5-4)
- C/K/L 6-6 (5-4)
- Gregory County 6-7 (5-4)
- St. Thomas More 5-6 (4-4)
- RC Christian 7-5 (4-5)
- Lead-Deadwood 3-9 (3-5)
- Hot Springs 3-8 (1-8)
- Bennett County 1-12 (0-9)
PLATTE
- PG/DC/WL 10, Lead-Deadwood 0
- Gregory County 10, C/K/L 1
- PG/DC/WL 18, Gregory County 2
WINNER
- Winner/Colome 13, RC Christian 3
- Belle Fourche 16, St. Thomas More 6
- Winner/Colome 7, Belle Fourche 2
