The North Dakota State University (NDSU) baseball team continues its early season road schedule with a two-game series at Southern Illinois, followed by a three-game set at Vanderbilt. The games against Southern Illinois are scheduled for Tuesday and Wednesday, while the Vanderbilt series begins on Friday.
Fans can follow all five games through live statistics, with video broadcasts available on ESPN+ for the Southern Illinois games and SEC Network+ for the Vanderbilt series. More information is provided on GoBison.com/coverage.
Last weekend, NDSU lost both games of a doubleheader at Missouri, falling 5-3 and 7-5. Jonah Walker started game two and recorded four strikeouts over four innings. The Bison collected 10 hits in that contest, with Tyman Long going 2-for-5 and hitting a home run.
This week marks only the fourth meeting between NDSU and Southern Illinois; the Salukis swept their previous series in 2006. The upcoming matchup against Vanderbilt will be the first between the two programs. Vanderbilt enters the week receiving votes in the USA Today Top 25 Coaches Poll.
NDSU has played at least one Southeastern Conference (SEC) opponent each of the past three seasons, including trips to LSU, Alabama, Arkansas, and Missouri. Under head coach Tyler Oakes, now in his fifth year leading the program, NDSU has a record of 7-26 against power conference teams and is still seeking its first win against an SEC opponent.
The Bison began this season with six straight losses before earning their first victory over Monmouth during the Stetson Tournament. Their current record stands at 1-10. Last year, NDSU also had a slow start but recovered to win the Summit League Tournament and defeated Kansas in NCAA Tournament play.
The team’s schedule includes 51 games overall—21 non-conference matchups featuring opponents such as Stetson, Vanderbilt, Nebraska, and Creighton who reached last season’s NCAA Tournament. NDSU will not play at home until March 27 when they host Oral Roberts after opening with 24 consecutive road games.
NDSU returned to the NCAA Tournament last year for just the third time since moving to Division I and won an elimination game against then-ranked No. 23 Kansas after clinching their spot by winning their third Summit League Tournament title.
Coach Tyler Oakes is five wins away from his 100th career victory as he starts his fifth season as head coach and thirteenth overall with NDSU. He led the team to its first Summit League regular season title in 2022 and another tournament championship last year.
Pitcher Parker Puetz was named Summit League Peak Pitcher of the Week on February 17 after throwing five scoreless innings with eight strikeouts in NDSU’s opener at Florida Gulf Coast.
Dante Smith and Parker Puetz were listed among Summit League Players and Pitchers to Watch this season. Smith is returning after being named All-Summit League last year, posting a .375 batting average in league play. Puetz earned Freshman All-America Second Team honors from D1Baseball in 2023 despite recovering from injury much of last season.
Four players—Smith, Colten Becker, Noah Gordon, and Tommy Simon—return after starting at least half of last year’s games. Pitchers Matt Sargeant and Garrett Shupe are back after pitching more than ten innings each last season. Nine seniors are featured on this year’s roster.
NDSU added depth with seven junior college transfers among their newcomers this year along with six true freshmen joining the squad.
In preseason polling by Summit League coaches, NDSU was picked fifth out of participating teams; Oral Roberts was selected as preseason favorite.
Coach Oakes has scheduled challenging non-conference opponents throughout his tenure; over recent years NDSU has played before some of its largest-ever road crowds—including more than ten thousand fans at LSU last March—the highest since program records began in 1977.
This spring marks thirty seasons for Bison baseball at Newman Outdoor Field where they have posted an all-time home record of 264-153-1 since opening in 1997.
On May 6th, NDSU will again face local professional team Fargo-Moorhead RedHawks in exhibition play at Newman Outdoor Field; last year’s contest drew nearly two thousand spectators.
Since 2013 nine current or incoming Bison players have been selected in Major League Baseball drafts; most recently Joey Danielson was drafted by Texas Rangers in round seventeen of last summer’s draft while Bennett Hostetler begins this spring as a non-roster invitee with Miami Marlins following his selection by them three years ago.
Nick Belzer joined Oakes’ staff as assistant coach during the offseason following experience playing collegiately at Minnesota State and professionally within Milwaukee Brewers’ organization through 2022.
Next up for NDSU is a visit to Nebraska scheduled for March 11th.
