Jacks picked second in baseball race

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ELMHURST, Ill. – The South Dakota State University baseball team has been picked to finish second in the 2017 Summit League race, according to a poll conducted among league coaches and announced by league officials Thursday.

The Jackrabbits, under the direction of first-year head coach Rob Bishop, return six position starters from a squad that finished the 2016 season with a 22-35 overall record and fourth-place finish in the league standings with a 13-17 mark.

Leading the Jackrabbits' returning contingent is junior catcher Luke Ringhofer, who was named as a Summit League Player to Watch. A two-time all-Summit League selection, the Cottage Grove, Minnesota, native hit a team-best .361 with three home runs and 31 runs batted in during the 2016 campaign. Ringhofer carries a Division I-era-best streak of 49 games reaching base safely into 2017.

Defending Summit League champion Oral Roberts received five first-place votes en route to earning the top spot in the poll. SDSU received the other first-place vote and was followed by North Dakota State, Omaha, Western Illinois and Fort Wayne.

SDSU opens the 2017 season Feb. 17 against Northern Illinois in Glendale, Arizona. The Jackrabbits kick off the Summit League season March 17 at Omaha.

2017 SUMMIT LEAGUE BASEBALL PRESEASON POLL

  1. Oral Roberts (5) - 25
  2. South Dakota State (1) - 18
  3. North Dakota State - 17
  4. Omaha - 13
  5. Western Illinois - 9
  6. Fort Wayne - 8

Note: First-place votes in parentheses