BISMARCK, ND (PlayNorthStar.com) – The North Star Athletic Association announced their tenth and final edition of the Baseball Players-of-the-Week Monday by the conference office. Dakota State (S.D.) swept the weekly honors as Will Clair was being selected as the Pitcher-of-the-Week and his teammate Bubba Thompson being chosen as the Player-of-the-Week.
North Star Athletic Association Baseball Pitcher-of-the-Week
Will Clair – Dakota State (S.D.) – Junior – pitcher – Casper, Wyo. – Clair retired the first 12 Waldorf (Iowa) batters, completing the North Star Athletic Association baseball tripleheader sweep over Waldorf (Iowa) by the score of 3-0 for Dakota State (S.D.). Despite giving up a defensive error to start the top fifth inning, Clair pitched no hitter through six innings before allowing a lead-off single in the top seventh. Clair finished the game with six strikeouts and only gave up a single to improve his pitching record to 9-2. He also collected three assists, defensively.
North Star Athletic Association Baseball Player-of-the-Week
Bubba Thompson – Dakota State (S.D.) – Junior – infielder – Appleton, Wis. – Thompson went .545 at the plate (6-for-11) as Dakota State (S.D.) closed their regular-season with a 4-0 record with wins over Dakota Wesleyan (S.D.) and Waldorf (Iowa). He also had a triple, registering a slugging percentage of .727. He recorded an on-base percentage of .545. Thompson produced a perfect fielding percentage defensively in 17 total chances at the shortstop position, collecting seven put-outs and ten assists. He played part of three double plays, defensively.
Recap from last week’s games
Bellevue (Neb.), ranked No. 15 in the latest NAIA Baseball Coaches’ Top 25 national poll, extended their winning streak to 11 games after sweeping the doubleheader with Viterbo (Wis.) 10-5 and 2-1 on April 27. The V-Hawks handed the Bruins their first home defeat of the season with a 6-1 regular-season finale victory. The 2024 North Star Athletic Association regular-season champion Bellevue is 36-12 overall record and finished their conference schedule with a 21-2 record. Viterbo finished fourth in the standings with an 11-36 overall record and a 10-13 league record.
Dakota State (S.D.) closed their regular-season schedule with a 4-0 record with a non-conference 7-2 victory over Dakota Wesleyan (S.D.) on April 23. The Trojans swept a rare North Star Athletic Association tripleheader at Sanford Sports Complex in Sioux Fals, S.D., on April 27 by the scores of 4-0, 8-1, and 3-0. Dakota State lifted their overall record to 35-14 and finished their NSAA schedule with a 17-6 record. Waldorf, who fell to Morningside (Iowa) 6-4 on April 23, is 19-26 overall record and completed their league schedule with a 9-14 record.
Dickinson State (N.D.) went 3-1 record in the final North Star Athletic Association four-game series with Valley City State (N.D.). The Blue Hawks swept the Vikings on April 25 in Valley City by the scores of 3-1 and 3-0 in 11 innings. VCSU earned game one 3-1 win on April 27 in Dickinson, before DiSU captured the final game by the score of 6-2. Valley City State is 19-30 overall record and finished their NSAA conference schedule with a 11-13 record. Dickinson State improved their overall record to 13-33 and completed the league schedule with a 7-16 record.
Mayville State (N.D.) closed out their regular-season schedule with a 13-3 setback to the NCAA Division I North Dakota State on April 23. The Comets were idle from the North Star conference play last weekend. MSU is 11-37 overall record and 6-17 NSAA conference record.
Looking Ahead
Valley City State (N.D.) closes out their regular-season with a nine-inning contest at NCAA Division I St. Thomas (Minn.) Monday (today).
The 2024 North Star Athletic Association Baseball Postseason Tournament returns to Dakota Community Bank & Trust Ballpark for the second straight year in Dickinson, N.D. The seven-team double elimination tournament begins Friday with three opening round games and continues through Monday with the championship game set for next Monday at 3:30 p.m. (Central Time)/2:30 p.m. (Mountain Time).
Monday’s Game
Valley City State (N.D.) @ St. Thomas (Minn.) – 3 p.m.
Friday’s Games – NSAA Baseball Postseason Tournament Opening Round
(7) Mayville State (N.D.) vs. (2) Dakota State (S.D.) – 12 p.m. (Central Time)/11 a.m. (Mountain Time)
(6) Dickinson State (N.D.) vs. (3) Valley City State (N.D.) – 3:30 p.m. (Central Time)/2:30 p.m. (MT)
(5) Waldorf (Iowa) vs. (4) Viterbo (Wis.) – 7 p.m. (Central Time)/6 p.m. (Mountain Time)
Saturday’s Games – NSAA Baseball Postseason Tournament
Loser’s Out Games – 10 a.m. (Central Time)/9 a.m. (Mountain Time) & 8 p.m. (Central Time)/7 p.m. (MT)
Winer’s Bracket Games – 2 p.m. (Central Time)/1 p.m. (Mountain Time) & WU-VU winner vs. (1) Bellevue (NE) – 5 p.m. (Central Time)/4 p.m. (Mountain Time)
Sunday’s Games – NSAA Baseball Postseason Tournament
Loser’s Out Games – 12 p.m. (Central Time)/11 a.m. (Mountain Time) & 7 p.m. (Central Time)/6 p.m. (MT)
Winer’s Bracket Game – 3:30 p.m. (Central Time)/2:30 p.m. (Mountain Time)
Monday’s (May 6) Games – NSAA Baseball Postseason Tournament
Loser’s Out Game – 12 p.m. (Central Time)/11 a.m. (Mountain Time)
Championship Game – 3:30 p.m. (Central Time)/2:30 p.m. (Mountain Time)
If necessary – second championship game on Tuesday, May 7 at 1 p.m. (Central Time)/12 p.m. (Mountain Time)