TULSA, Okla. – Six South Dakota State players, highlighted by repeat honorees Nick Smith and Newt Johnson, were named Tuesday to the all-Summit League Baseball Team. Selections were determined by a vote among the league’s six head coaches.
Smith, a junior from Chanhassen, Minn., moved up to the first team as a utility player after earning second-team recognition in 2017. Although hindered by injuries both early and late this season, Smith managed to post a .303 batting average while splitting time between designated hitter and the outfield. In 29 games during the regular season, Smith also tallied six doubles, three triples, a home run and 15 RBIs.
Joining Smith as first-team selections were seniors Tony Kjolsing and Anthony Schneider. A native of Chaska, Minn., Kjolsing was voted as the league’s top shortstop after batting .282 with five home runs and 32 runs batted in while starting all 46 games during the regular season. He leads the league with 42 bases on balls and ranks second with 19 stolen bases.
A senior from Altoona, Iowa, Schneider earned first-team recognition as a designated hitter after finishing the regular season third in The Summit League with a team-best .518 slugging percentage. Schneider ranked second on the team with nine doubles and 33 runs batted in, while also tying for second in both home runs (6) and stolen bases (9).
Johnson repeated as the second-team third baseman in matching his team-leading RBI total from a year ago at 40, which ranks third among Summit League players this season. The Rapid City native’s team-high seven home runs are tied for second in The Summit League in 2018, and his 32 runs scored are ninth-most. Johnson also recorded seven doubles and nine stolen bases during his senior campaign.
Also earning second-team honors were freshman second baseman Gus Steiger and sophomore pitcher Tyler Olmstead. Steiger, from Minnetonka, Minn., leads the team with 17 multi-hit games and 53 total hits en route to batting .301 with two home runs and 23 RBIs. He also has played near-perfect defense, committing only one error in 176 total chances for a .994 fielding percentage.
Olmstead began the league season in the starting rotation before moving to the bullpen in recent weeks. The Sioux Falls native has compiled a 2-3 record with a 4.81 earned run average, while striking out 55 batters in 48 2/3 innings.
South Dakota State ended the regular season with a 16-30 overall record and 14-13 mark in Summit League play. The fourth-seeded Jackrabbits open the four-team Summit League Baseball Championship by taking on top-seeded Oral Roberts at 6 p.m. Wednesday. The double-elimination tournament runs through Saturday at J.L. Johnson Stadium in Tulsa.
Oral Roberts swept the league’s top awards as outfielder Noah Cummings repeated as Summit League Player of the Year and Miguel Ausua was honored as Summit League Pitcher of the Year for the second year in a row. The Golden Eagles’ Riley Keizor was named Summit League Newcomer of the Year and Ryan Folmar was again honored as Summit League Coach of the Year.
Photo from www.gojacks.com.
