The South Dakota State University baseball team now stands at 19-17 overall and 8-6 in the North Central Conference after being swept in a doubleheader against the University of Nebraska-Omaha on Sunday.

In the first game, the Jacks could only scratch out two hits against UNO hurler Kyle Funk, as the Jacks lost 4-0.

Rob Hirrschoff (6-3) went the distance for the Jacks, striking out four batters but walking six.

In the second game, the Jacks left 11 runners on base in a game UNO won 5-2.

UNO, who leads the NCC standings with a 10-2 mark, took the lead in the third inning, scoring four runs on five hits.

SDSU scored on an RBI single by Ryan Sauter in the fourth inning and another RBI single by Ryan Hansen in the fifth.

Cory Gilbert took the loss for the Jacks.

Rain in Omaha pushed the weekend’s play back a day. The Jacks continued the series with another doubleheader on Monday. Details were not available.

SDSU vs. Northern State

The Jacks traveled to Aberdeen last Wednesday and swept a doubleheader away from Northern State University.

In the first game, the Jacks set a new school record for most runs scored in an inning with 16 as they beat NSU 25-8.

SDSU was down 2-0 early in the game, but with the help of a 47 mile per hour wind, the Jacks’ offense started rolling.

After tying the game 7-7 in the third inning, the Jacks came to bat in the fourth.

Jimmy May, a transfer from Northern, and Ryan Hansen each hit three-run home runs.

Chris Studer added three RBI’s with a single and a double in the 16-run frame. That broke the old record of 15 runs scored against Southwest State in 1989.

Matt Hanson went 4-6 with five RBI’s. Noah Hummel went 5-7 and May also collected five hits.

George Kohlmann picked up the win for the Jacks on the mound.

The offense continued for the Jacks in the second game as they shutout NSU 24-0.

SDSU clobbered seven home runs in the game, two each for Kerry Jacobson and Studer. Studer went 4-5 on the day with seven RBI’s. Jacobson went 3-4 with four RBI’s.

SDSU used three pitchers to shut out the Wolves. They gave up only three hits and struck out seven. Rob Hirrschoff picked up the win.

The South Dakota State University baseball team upped its record to 17-15 overall and 8-4 in the North Central Conference by sweeping two doubleheaders in North Dakota last weekend.

On Sunday, SDSU outscored the University of North Dakota 23-3 while taking two games from UND.

In the opening game, the Jacks collected 12 hits, winning the game 11-1. Matt Hanson had three hits while Kerry Jacobson and Ryan Sauter each had two. Chris Studer belted a home run in the fifth inning.

Tom Mousel and Randy Santema combined to hold UND to one run on six hits. Mousel got the win.

In the second game, freshman pitcher Justin Allen went the distance for the Jacks as they won 12-2. After UND took a 1-0 lead in the first inning, State blew the game open by scoring eight runs in the third. Greg Geary had two hits, one of them a home run. Noah Hummel also homered for the Jacks.

On Saturday, the Jacks took two games from North Dakota State University in Fargo.

In the first game, SDSU pitcher Rob Hirrschoff went the distance, giving up only five hits as the Jacks won 1-0. SDSU scored the game’s lone run in the top of the fourth inning.

Hummel singled and reached second on a fielder’s choice. A sacrifice fly advanced him to third and a single by Geary drove him in.

In the second game, SDSU scored six runs in the fourth inning en route to a 7-3 victory.

After NDSU took a 3-1 lead, the Jacks came back to load the bases in the top of the fourth. A hit batsman and a walk drove in two runs for the Jacks. Hummel then smacked a double to drive in two more runs. Kerry Jacobson singled home another run and an NDSU error plated the final run.

Cory Gilbert picked up the win for the Jacks.

The Jacks travel to Aberdeen for a twinbill against Northern State University on Wednesday. They then go to Omaha (Neb.) for two NCC doubleheaders this weekend.

The South Dakota State University baseball team now stands at 12-14 overall and 4-4 in the North Central Conference after going 1-3 last weekend against the Augustana Vikings.

The Jacks split the doubleheader played on Sunday at Bob Shelden Field in Brookings. In the first game, the Jacks scored in every inning but the second, en route to a 10-5 victory.

After a shaky start in which SDSU starter Rob Hirschoff gave up five runs in the first inning, he settled down and gave up only two hits the rest of the way. Kerry Jacobson and Ryan Hansen each had two-run home runs.

Offense was the story in the second game, which the Vikings won 15-14.

Each team cranked five home runs. For SDSU, Jacobson, Greg Geary and Ryan Sauter each hit one and Chris Studer hit two. Studer ended up going 5-6 and collecting six RBIs. Jacobson and Matt Hanson each went 4-6, Jacobson with six RBIs as well.

On Saturday, the Vikings swept a doubleheader away from the Jacks at Ronken Field in Sioux Falls.

In the first game, Augustana’s Phil Lang had a two-RBI single in the bottom of the sixth inning to push the Vikings past the Jacks 7-6.

SDSU took a 6-5 lead into the bottom of the sixth, after being down 5-1. The Jacks pounded out 15 hits, two each by Matt Hanson, Noah Hummel, Chris Studer, Brock Schroeder and Kerry Jacobson. Jimmy May went 3-3. Tom Mousel took the loss on the mound for the Jacks.

Augustana then took the second game 6-3.

Kerry Jacobson knocked in all three Jackrabbit runs in the top of the first inning with a three-run home run. Chris Studer hit a double in the third inning for the only other hit the Jacks could muster against Augustana pitcher Owen Hoegh.

Andy Salmela provided the offense for Augie, slamming two-run and three-run home runs off SDSU’s Cory Gilbert.

The Jacks play Briar Cliff College at Bob Shelden Field in Brookings on Wednesday at 1:30.

This weekend, they travel to North Dakota for doubleheaders against North Dakota State on Saturday and the University of North Dakota on Sunday.

The South Dakota State University baseball team evened its overall record to 10-10 and 3-1 in North Central Conference play by winning three out of four games played last weekend.

The Jacks split a doubleheader against Morningside on Sunday. SDSU scored in five out of seven innings to win the first game 8-7. Kerry Jacobson doubled and hit a home run while Chris Studer homered and had three RBI’s to lead the Jacks to a comfortable 8-3 lead going in to the final inning. Morningside came back with four runs in the top of the seventh before Ryan Sauter closed the door on them.

In the second game, Morningside hurler Jesus Pena tossed a one-hitter to lead his team past SDSU 6-0. The Mustangs scored two in the top of the first and four more in the fifth. Pena did the rest. Chris Studer singled to tally SDSU’s only hit against him.

Pitching was the story in SDSU’s doubleheader sweep over the University of South Dakota at Bob Shelden Field last Friday.

In the first game, an extra-inning affair, State’s Tom Mousel pitched all nine innings to collect the 1-0 victory. He ended up with 10 strikeouts, two walks and gave up just seven base hits.

Good defense kept State in the game in the top of the ninth inning. Mousel gave up a double, a walk and a single to load the bases with only one out. USD’s Derek Huxford then lined a shot to the right side of the infield, where Greg Geary was waiting. He dove to stop the ball, then threw home to force the runner out. Mousel then ended the inning with a strikeout.

In the bottom of the ninth, Ryan Sauter reached first base on a passed ball strikeout with two outs. Brock Schroeder drew a walk advancing Sauter to second. Matt Hanson drove Sauter in with a smash to the left field wall.

USD pitcher John Brunswold had eight strikeouts, two walks and gave up four hits.

In the second game, Collin Cantalope gave up four hits and no walks in six innings, and Ryan Sauter pitched the seventh to guide SDSU to a 3-2 victory.

An RBI single by Rob Heisel gave USD a 1-0 lead in the fourth inning. But the Jacks came back with two in the bottom of the inning with run scoring hits by Greg Geary and Sauter. Kerry Jacobson drove in one more run in the fifth inning.

USD’s Dustin Moore hit a solo home run in the sixth inning.

SDSU’s doubleheader against National American University scheduled for April 3 was canceled.

The last weekend in March also proved successful for the Jacks as they took three out of four games from Southwest State University.

On Saturday, playing in Sioux City, Ia., SDSU took both games from SSU. In the first game, SDSU scored three runs in the first inning on RBI hits by Kerry Jacobson and Greg Geary and a run scoring ground out by Ryan Hansen. State tacked on single runs in the fourth and fifth innings and two more in the seventh to earn a 7-4 win. Cory Gilbert got the win on the mound and Ryan Sauter earned the save.

In the second game, SDSU scored three runs in an inning again, this time in the third. Runs in the fifth and sixth innings preserved a 5-2 win for the Jacks. Collin Cantalope got the win and Sauter got his second save of the afternoon.

On Friday, the two teams split a doubleheader played at Riverside Park in Yankton. SSU took the first game 7-5, and SDSU won the second game 12-0.

In the first game, SSU jumped out to a 4-0 lead in the first inning, led by Travis Irwin’s three-run home run. A two-run home run by Ryan Hansen in the sixth made the score 7-5, where it stayed. SSU pitcher Marc Craigmile allowed only five Jackrabbit hits.

In the second game, SDSU broke open a 1-0 game in the bottom of the fourth inning by plating six runs. That frame featured home runs by Ryan Sauter, Kerry Jacobson and Chris Studer. Studer then added a three-run home run in the fifth inning.

Rob Hirrschoff went the distance for SDSU, allowing only three hits while collecting 10 strikeouts.

At this time of the year, tennis is probably the farthest thing from most people’s minds. But the South Dakota State University men’s and women’s tennis team have been hard at work for over a month getting ready for their season.

The Jacks have already played two matches, and while they do count in the standings, head coach Don Hanson calls them preliminary matches.

“We just go out and play whoever we can play,” Hanson said. “We don’t really worry about them, we just go play them. Our season really begins about mid-March.”

The February matches are used primarily to gear up for the season because of the lack of training facilities at SDSU. The teams practice on the track area at Frost Arena but can only use it after intramurals get over. That means they practice two or three nights a week and sometimes go until midnight.

Their schedule of matches for the season shows about 27 matches between the men and women. Only one of those is slated to be played in Brookings. That will be at Hillcrest Courts. Because of this schedule, Hanson has given his team a nickname.

“We are the Road Warriors,” Hanson said. “We’re on the road all the time. It’s tough.”

Despite the tough schedule, Hanson is looking forward to what he thinks will be a competitive season.

“I’m really excited,” Hanson said. “By conference time, I think we’ll be real tough.”

Hanson has good reason to be excited. He has young, yet experienced teams on both the men’s and women’s side. Sophomore Ben Barnes is the top-ranked player on the men’s team. Last year, Barnes took third in the North Central Conference Senior Thomas Chiu, junior Aaron Rothenberger and freshman Jeff Everson round out the top four. There are seven others who compete for the final two spots on the varsity squad each week.

With the exception of one player, the women’s team is identical to last year’s team. Junior Sarah Everding currently holds the top spot. She is followed by juniors Alissa Lambertz, Jennifer Tidwell and Julie Johnson. Every week, five other players try to grab the final two varsity spots.

SDSU will be busy with matches nearly every weekend leading up to the NCC championship tournament in Omaha, Neb., the last weekend in April. Hanson said that for the first time, the NCC tournament is a national qualifying event. That means the NCC winner will advance to the national finals.

Besides looking forward to the competitive part of the season, Hanson is also looking forward to working with the athletes.

“State’s got a really wonderful group of young people, outstanding sports people, work their guts out with very little facilities and represent this school as well as any team that’s ever going to represent this school,” Hanson said. “I’m really proud of them and I love being associated with them.”

The South Dakota State University rodeo team is getting back in the saddle again.

The Jacks will begin practice this week for the spring rodeo season. The first event of the spring will be the Jackrabbit Stampede Rodeo, April 4 to 7.

Head coach Terry McCutcheon said the men’s and women’s teams both have certain events they are strong in, but he says each team has some quality experience going into this season.

On the men’s side, McCutcheon points to the team roping, calf roping and the saddle bronc riding as events the Jacks will contend in.

”We have some juniors and seniors that have been at it for two years that are very experienced and starting to really find themselves,” McCutcheon said.

Breakaway roping and goat tying will be the women’s strongest events, McCutcheon said.

”We have some good senior leadership that’s paving the way in those two events,” McCutcheon said.

The Jacks are returning many top performers from last fall’s rodeo season, which consisted of three rodeos. Mark Brockmueller is leading the Great Plains Region in team roping with a 20 point advantage over Devin McGrath of National American University. Jaret Wirtz is in second place in the saddle bronc riding while Travis Hande is fourth. Beau Wisness is tied for third place in steer wrestling.

For the women, Megan Fagerhaug currently sits in fifth place in the breakaway roping and Ann Maher is in a tie for sixth place in goat tying.

The spring rodeo season consists of seven rodeos and runs through the second weekend in May. After the regular season, the top 10 in each event will advance to the regional playoffs in Bozeman, Mont. The top seven after the regional tournament will go to the national finals in Casper, Wyo. in June.

“I’m really excited about the possibilities for the team, both men and women,” McCutcheon said. ”This year we have a lot of people who are juniors that are very tough in their events and becoming very confident, so the spring is going to bring a lot of possibilities.”

Not only is McCutcheon excited about watching the team, he’s also looking forward to a change of venue. Thanks to a deal with Sutton Rodeos, Inc. of Onida, S.D., SDSU will move its rodeos from the Animal Science Arena to the Brookings Area MultiPlex.

“There was not a better rodeo in the region and maybe very few rodeos that were better in the country on a regional basis than was in the Animal Science Arena,” McCutcheon said. ”Somebody in the front row or the middle row was always going to get dirt on them from the bucking horses or the bulls or something, which made it a lot of fun. But now we’re going to make that move and see if we can’t do it on a larger scale.”

McCutcheon said that while practice is starting this week, anyone who wants to join the rodeo team is welcome.

Last week, the South Dakota State University athletic department helped honor female athletes by celebrating the 16th annual National Girls and Women in Sports Day.

According to senior women’s administrator Nancy Neiber, about 60 student athletes, coaches, trainers and assistants visited elementary and middle schools in Brookings last Wednesday. They provided some instruction in their respective sports and gave out T-shirts and posters. They also talked with the students about the importance of National Girls and Women in Sports Day.

“The young folks in Brookings had a great day with the athletes from South Dakota State,” Neiber said.

Freshman volleyball player Sarah Simet worked with eighth grade students on serving skills at the Brookings Middle School. The response she got from the kids was favorable, she said.

“I think they thought it was pretty cool,” Simet said. “A nationals team came in and helped them out, so they were kind of amazed.”

National Girls and Women in Sports Day began in 1986. It was established through a Congressional resolution to celebrate the achievements of girls and women in sports. The day was also designed to honor Flo Hyman, captain of the 1984 United States Women’s Olympic Volleyball team. Hyman led that team to the silver medal. Two years later, Hyman died of a heart attack during a match in Japan.

The day honors a different athlete each year. This year’s honoree is Dot Richardson. Richardson, an orthopedic surgeon in California, played shortstop on the 2000 U.S. Women’s Olympic Fastpitch Softball team that won the gold medal.

The theme for this year’s National Girls and Women in Sports Day was “Celebrating 30 Years of Title IX.” Title IX is a piece of legislation that was added to the Educational Amendments of 1972. It bans academic and athletic sexual discrimination in schools.

“The premise of Title IX is ‘let’s do the right thing,’” Neiber said. “If you have the opportunity to do what you want to do, the person next to you should have the same opportunity.”

SDSU complies with Title IX by offering 10 sports for men and 10 for women.

SDSU’s tribute will continue Saturday with a reception between the women’s and men’s basketball games against the University of Nebraska-Omaha. According to Neiber, all past and present female student athletes, coaches, teachers and any others who have given girls and women opportunities in sports will be invited.

“Ladies and gentleman, heeeeere’s your Jackrabbits!”

Every time you go to a home Jackrabbits basketball game, you hear public address announcer John Hittle emphatically say these words. His excitement is the result of nearly 20 years of sports announcing.

A native of Huron, S.D., Hittle got his start in announcing by calling sporting events for Huron High School. He’s also done some semi-professional baseball but for the last five years, he has been the announcer for men’s and women’s basketball games at South Dakota State University.

Over Hittle’s career as an announcer, he says he has picked up a few things here and there, but his style is basically his own.

“Some people say ‘you sound like so-and-so,’” Hittle said. “Well, no, I don’t sound like so-and-so because I do my own announcing.”

Hittle’s originality can be seen in some of the phrases he uses while announcing a game.

“When I’m doing the starting lineups,” Hittle said, “the first thing I’ll say is ‘Ladies and gentlemen, let’s give a warm Jackrabbit welcome to the Huskies’ starting five.’ That’s something I started.”

Hittle is also credited with calling Frost Arena the world’s largest rabbit den.

“When I started calling Frost Arena the rabbit den, I wanted to come up with a tag that would relate to Frost Arena besides Frost Arena,” Hittle said.

So one night, Hittle started the game by saying, “Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the world’s largest rabbit den.”

Oddly enough, that single catchphrase aroused controversy.

“We had a few people say ‘rabbits don’t live in a den, they live in a hutch.’”

After some research, they found that a hutch and a den are basically the same thing. All the while, Hittle remained confident in his choice of words.

“Hutch just doesn’t go,” Hittle said.

Hittle also brings enthusiasm to the game through his announcing. That’s important to have because at the collegiate level, Hittle said, it’s more than just a game.

“When you get to this level, it all becomes a show,” Hittle said. “If our players are hitting shots and making fantastic plays, it’s going to get louder.”

Sometimes, however, that enthusiasm can lead to embarrassing moments. One in particular stands out in Hittle’s mind. Earlier this season, Hittle started to announce a basket made by center Adam Robinson, but Robinson missed the shot.

“I was looking up at the basket and I thought it was going in,” Hittle says.

He looked down to turn on his microphone and say “Robinson for two,” when one of his colleagues hit him on the back and told him it didn’t go in.

“I got ‘Rob-’ and turned it (the microphone) off,” Hittle says.

While announcing is something Hittle loves to do, it’s only a hobby. Hittle has a technical degree in radio, television and film, a bachelor’s degree in communication studies and theater and a master’s degree in sports administration. He is currently a videographer/editor for Today’s Ag.

While Hittle doesn’t have any immediate plans to leave SDSU, he does have one dream.

“Before I die, I’d love to do one basketball game in L.A. I’d love to announce one game for the Lakers.”

Hittle says no matter where he ends up, he will always try to get into announcing.

The South Dakota State University athletic programs have been busy recruiting top high school talent to help carry on the Jackrabbits’ winning traditions.

Football

The official signing date for football is Feb. 6, but head coach John Stiegelmeier has already gotten verbal commitments from eight players.

The Jacks will be getting three linebackers in Zack Maxwell (6’1″ 190 lbs. from Watertown, S.D.), Jesse Rounds (6’0″ 215 lbs. from Brookings, S.D.), and Willie Jones (6’1″ 240 lbs. from Yankton, S.D.). On the defensive line, the Jacks get Blake Seeds, a 6’3″ 285 lb. transfer from Black Hills State University and Jared Schwader (6’3″ 228 lbs. from Yankton, S.D.). Gabe Guzman, a 6’3″ 290 lb. offensive lineman, will transfer from Fullerton (Calif.) Community College.

Also verbally committing were Zack Campbell, a 6’5″ 235 lb. tight end from Platte, S.D., and Dusty Snyders, a 5’10″ 150 lb. wide receiver from West Lyon (Iowa) High School.

“There are five South Dakotans there,” said Steigelmeier. “We feel that we have the cream of the crop in the state of South Dakota”

Women’s Basketball

Two players have officially signed with the women’s basketball program. Heather Sieler, a 5’8″ point guard from Huron, S.D., signed with the team in November 2001.

“She’s been a starter on that Huron team for a few years,” said head coach Aaron Johnston. “She gives us a lot of perimeter quickness. She shoots the ball well from the three-point line and she is a great, great competitor.”

The other new Jackrabbit will be Christina Gilbert, a 6’2″ post player from Stillwater, Minn. Gilbert already has SDSU ties. Her high school coach is Deb Van Klei, a former women’s basketball stand-out at State.

“Christina is a tremendous, tremendous athletic post player,” said Johnston. “I would say from her physical abilities there won’t be many post players like her in the conference.”

Men’s Basketball

The men’s basketball program has signed one player. Andy Kleinjan, a 6’2″ 155 lb. two-guard, signed with the team in November 2001. Kleinjan, from Sioux Valley High School in Volga, S.D., will redshirt his freshman year, said head coach Scott Nagy.

Softball

The Jackrabbit softball team has bolstered their pitching staff with the signing of the top prep pitchers from Nebraska and Iowa.

Kim Hightower, from Elkhorn (NE) High School, signed on with the Jacks in November 2001. The right-hander has a career 78-17 record. In her senior year, she went 23-5 with a 0.49 ERA.

Right-hander Jackie Sorenson also signed last November. Sorenson, from Clear Creek-Amana (IA) High School, has a 116-16 career record along with an 0.44 ERA going into her senior year.

“Their both All-Staters,” said first-year head coach Shane Bouman. “Both of them come very successful programs, and it’s only going to help us as far as building our program and moving into the future.”

Volleyball.

The Division II national runners-up added to their team last November by signing three all-state players from Minnesota.

Rhonda Bitker is a 6’1″ middle hitter from Tracy-Milroy-Balaton (MN) High School. Bitker helped give her team the Class 2A state championship in November by tallying 21 kills and 38 attacks in the title match.

Joan Ebnet, a 5’9″ outside hitter from Brainerd (MN) High School, carries on the Ebnet family tradition in volleyball at SDSU. Her sister Rose played from 1997-2000 and sister Annie is currently on the team. Ebnet led her team last year in kills with 48, service aces with 54 and digs with 353.

Katie Hawkins is a 5″11″ outside hitter from Meadow Creek Christian High School in Andover, MN. A starter for five years, Hawkins holds school records in five categories.

“The main thing that they’re going to be able to give us is just more depth and we