The Basics
Game 55
Oral Roberts (32-22, 22-6) vs. South Dakota State (21-30, 12-15)
Date: May 19, 12:00 PM
Location: Siebert Field (Minneapolis, MN)
Live Stats: UST Athletics
Broadcast: Midco Sports
 
TULSA, Oklahoma – The Oral Roberts baseball team is set to open Summit League Tournament play against South Dakota State on Wednesday, May 20, at 12 p.m.
 
Fans can follow the action live on the Summit League Network or keep up with updates on X at @ORUBASE.
 
Last Time Out:
The Golden Eagles wrapped up the regular season with a series win over Northern Colorado, defeating the Bears 14-2 (8 inn.) and 10-3 after falling 7-6 in game one.
 
Wailele Kane-Yates led the team, going 9-for-14 with a double and three home runs while tallying nine RBI. Makani Tanaka joined in on the extra-base hitting, recording a double, two triples, and two home runs while driving in five runs.
 
Brenden Asher earned the win in game two after throwing 6.0 innings, allowing two runs while striking out five batters and walking none.
 
Inside the Series:
The Golden Eagles hold a 90-23 all-time series record over SDSU, sweeping both series against the Jackrabbits this season. Last season, ORU earned an 11-2 win over SDSU in the first round of the Summit League Tournament.
 
Pitching Matchup:  
Wednesday: RHP Easton Teel (4-2 / 3.11 ERA / 72.1 IP) vs. RHP Sam Schlecht (3-4 / 6.12 ERA / 64.2 IP)
 
All-League Awards:
The Golden Eagles raked in 14 Summit League honors, earning four individual year-end awards and five first-team selections.
 
Player of the Year Makani Tanaka led a quartet of Oral Roberts honorees that earned individual awards. He was joined by Pitcher of the Year Jack Hill, Defensive Player of the Year Martell Davis, and Coach of the Year Ryan Folmar. Folmar earned his eighth Coach of the Year honor.
 
Wailele Kane-Yates and Easton Teel joined Davis, Hill, and Tanaka on the All-League First Team, while Cooper Combs, Will Edmunson, and Hudson Ellis secured spots on the Second Team. Cooper Kelly was named an honorable mention.
 
Kane-Yates Player of the Week:
Catcher Wailele Kane-Yates claimed the final Kwik Star Summit League Peak Performer of the Week honor, league officials announced Monday, May 18.
 
Kane-Yates closed out the regular season by going 9-for-14 (.643) with three home runs and nine RBI in a series win at Northern Colorado. He also added two RBI in a midweek tilt against Oklahoma State.
 
The Koloa, Hawai'i, native had multiple RBI in all four games last week for the Golden Eagles and finished each game in the series against the Bears with three hits. He homered twice in game one and added a home run and a double in the finale.
 
Top 100 Hitters:
Oral Roberts' national recognition continued as seniors Makani Tanaka and Wailele Kane-Yates were named Weekend 14 Top 100 Hitters by D1 Baseball on Monday, May 18. Kane-Yates went 9-for-14 on the weekend with a double and three home runs while tallying nine RBI. Tanaka hit 7-for-16 with a double, two triples, and two home runs while driving in five runs.
 
Regular Season Champions:
The Golden Eagles secured their 24th Summit League regular season title on Saturday, May 9, after defeating Omaha 4-3 to secure the top seed in the conference tournament.
 
Ace of Ks:
Right-hander Easton Teel has cemented his spot in ORU's pitching rotation, starting game one of every series this season. The sophomore tallied 50 strikeouts in conference play with a league-leading 22 strikeouts looking.
 
National Nods:
A pair of Golden Eagle pitchers earned national recognition Wednesday, May 7. Starting pitcher Easton Teel and reliever Jack Hill were named to D1 Baseball's Top Starting and Relief Pitchers lists, respectively. This marks Teel's second midseason recognition by the organization, while Hill earned his first appearance, coming in at No. 51 in the Week 12 relief pitcher rankings.
 
Career Leader:
Sophomore starter Easton Teel continues to make his mark nationally, as the right-hander's 3.03 career ERA ranks 21st in NCAA Division I, while his 1.98 walks per nine innings ranks 22nd.
 
Golden Eagle Defense:
ORU's defense ranks among the nation's best, as its .982 fielding percentage ranks 8th nationally. The Golden Eagles have also turned 36 double plays this season, the second-most in the league.
 
Scouting the Opponent:
South Dakota State enters the tournament as the No. 4 seed, finishing the regular season with a 21-30 overall record and a 12-15 mark in Summit League play. Last week, the Jackrabbits were swept at Omaha, falling 10-7, 11-3, and 13-8.
 
SDSU had five players receive all-league honors, with third baseman Nolan Grawe and designated hitter Luke Luskey earning All-League First Team recognition. Luke Jones, Nate Wachter, and Ty Madison were named honorable mentions.
 
The Jackrabbits have compiled a .276 team batting average, including 92 doubles, 15 triples, and 41 home runs, which rank second in the league. Grawe leads the league with 18 doubles on the season and ranks third with 1.38 hits per game. Luskey's 52 RBI are a league best.
 
On the mound, SDSU owns a 7.50 team ERA, allowing 10.18 hits and 5.69 walks per nine innings.
 
Projected starter Sam Schlecht has a 6.12 ERA over 64.2 innings pitched. Schlecht started against the Golden Eagles twice this season, throwing 10.2 innings while allowing eight runs on 13 hits with just two walks.
 
Head coach Rob Bishop has compiled a 329-421-1 career record, including a 195-268 mark in 10 seasons at SDSU.
 
 
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