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May 24—BROOKINGS — The eight-team Class B state baseball bracket gets fired up on Memorial Day Monday at Bob Shelden Field, with a new state champion guaranteed to be crowned.
With powerhouse Dell Rapids — winner of four state championships in the last five seasons — out of the picture, the field is open when the teams take the field starting at 10 a.m. on Monday.
West Central is the top seed, while No. 2 Madison/Chester/ORR has a strong roster and has been beaten only two times all season, including a loss to the Class A state champion Brandon Valley Lynx. Lennox earned the third seed after defeating Dell Rapids to reach this point, and No. 4 Vermillion takes on No. 5 Platte-Geddes/Dakota Christian/White Lake in a game matching experienced programs.
The game schedule for Monday is as follows:
No. 1 West Central vs. No. 8 Clark Area, 10 a.m.
No. 3 Lennox vs. No. 6 Dakota Valley, noon
No. 4 Vermillion vs. No. 5 Platte-Geddes/DC/WL, 2 p.m.
No. 2 Madison/Chester/ORR vs. No. 7 Winner/Colome, 5 p.m.
The semifinal round on Tuesday will include the West Central/Clark winner and the Vermillion/PGDCWL winners at 10 a.m., followed by Lennox/DV winner and the Madison-Winner/Colome victor at noon, with the championship game between the two semifinal winners at 3 p.m.
Here's a look at the eight teams that qualified for the state tournament, listed in the order of their quarterfinal games:
The Trojans are back in the state tournament for the first time since 2022. West Central has won five games in a row since a 14-3 loss to fellow state qualifier Lennox on May 4. ... Gunnar Alfson leads the team in batting average (.489), on-base percentage (.585) and slugging percentage (.809), with 23 hits, two home runs, 17 RBIs and 16 runs scored. ... CJ Den Boer is hitting .442 with 23 hits and a team-best 18 runs scored, while Beckett Everson leads the team with 19 RBIs. ... Alfson is the team leader in innings pitched at 26 2/3, with a 1.83 ERA, 10 hits allowed and 54 strikeouts this season. ... Everson has 25 strikeouts in 24 1/3 innings of work, while Den Boer has a 0.63 ERA and five saves in 11 innings. Taten Van Overbeke has a 1.94 ERA in 18 innings for the Trojans.
The Dinosaurs reached the state tournament by breaking through and knocking out Sisseton/Britton/Webster with a 6-2 win in the North Super Regional final on May 20. ... Clark Area has won six of its last seven games since a pair of losses at the hands of SBW on April 29 and 30. ... Caleb Drenth is the team leader in batting average (.381), while Watson Grantham is hitting .380 with 18 runs scored and leads the squad with 11 stolen bases. ... Cooper Pommer has a team-best 10 RBIs and 15 runs scored. ... Clark Area has a solid stable of pitching arms, led by Grantham's 33 1/3 innings with 51 strikeouts and a 2.31 ERA, while Charlie Luvaas has a 2.78 ERA in 27 2/3 innings, plus 36 strikeouts and Pommer has thrown 17 innings with a 2.88 ERA.
The Orioles are in the state tournament for the first time since winning the Class B state title in 2019. ... Lennox knocked out powerhouse Dell Rapids 7-4 in the region tournament to reach the state bracket, getting a big effort from Mason Reischl with six innings on the mound for the pitching victory, while Talen Eich had two RBIs and the save in the win. ... Eich and Reischl were two of Lennox's four all-region selections, joined by Jaxson Bittner and Cole Spieler, all of whom are seniors. Bittner is an outfielder, Eich primarily plays shortstop and both Spieler and Reischl play in the infield and pitch. Full season stats were not available for Lennox. ... The Orioles have more experience against state tournament teams this year than any squad, as they split series with Platte-Geddes/Dakota Christian/White Lake and West Central and have defeated Vermillion.
The Panthers have won five games in a row after a three-game losing streak midseason, capped by an 11-0 win over Beresford and an 8-1 road win over Freeman/Canistota/Marion in the South Super Regional bracket final to return to the state tournament. ... Dakota Valley played in the 2025 state tournament with a 4-2 extra-inning win over Madison in the quarterfinals, a 12-3 win over Winner/Colome in the semifinals and then fell 5-4 in eight innings in the championship game to Dell Rapids. ... Dakota Valley also played in the championship game in 2019 and 2022. Counting the 2026 season, the Panthers have reached the state tournament in six of the last seven Class B seasons. ... Full season stats were not available but DV had three all-region selections with seniors first baseman Sterling Schauff, outfielder Jake Pick and shortstop Noah Graham.
The Tanagers have seven straight wins and have won 10 of their last 11 games, taking down Bon Homme 11-1 in the South Super Regional bracket final. ... With its qualification, Vermillion is in the state tournament for the first time since 2021, when it reached the semifinal round. ... Nolan Nygren is Vermillion's leading hitter with a .500 batting average, a .568 on-base percentage, 35 hits and 29 RBIs. Cale Cleveland has scored 34 runs and has 21 stolen bases, drawing 23 walks. Trey Hansen has hit .453 with 27 RBIs and a pair of home runs. ... On the mound, Nygren has thrown 46 innings with 56 strikeouts and a 1.52 ERA, while Ryan Vitt has a 2.33 ERA and 40 strikeouts in 33 innings this season and Jackson Beacom has an ERA of 1.91 in 25 2/3 innings of work. ... Vermillion has scored 172 runs this season, second-most among state bracket qualifiers.
The Honkers have won seven games in a row to reach the Class B state bracket, including a 6-1 win over Rapid City Christian in the West Super Regional bracket final to advance. ... In the month of May, PGDCWL has outscored opponents 66-12. ... The Honkers have made it into the state tournament for the fifth straight season, but are 0-4 in their last four state tournament appearances, including a 3-2 extra-inning loss to Winner/Colome in the quarterfinals in 2025. ... Full season stats were not available but five Honkers players were recognized as all-region selections, including seniors catcher/pitcher Kenyon Kuiper and shortstop Jye Bailey, plus Asher Kott, Maddux VanZee and Keaton Christensen. ... Kuiper and Christensen were the starting pitchers for the Honkers in the region tournament, with Christensen throwing a complete game and allowing one run against Rapid City Christian. ... The Honkers have given up only 45 runs this season, which is second-best among state qualifiers.
The Bulldogs do not have a loss this season to a South Dakota Class B team. Madison lost 5-0 to Grand Forks Central on April 10 as part of the Border Battle event in Sioux Falls, and then fell 11-0 to eventual Class A state champion Brandon Valley on May 11. Madison is otherwise 17-0 against Class B teams, and has a pair of wins over Rapid City Central, as well. ... The Bulldogs also have 11 shutouts among their 20 wins this season. ... Madison reached the state tournament last season and fell 4-2 in the quarterfinals to Dakota Valley in nine innings. ... This is Madison's fifth consecutive year at the Class B state tournament. ... JD Prorok leads Madison on both offense and pitching fronts. He has a .463 batting average with 15 RBIs and a .607 on-base percentage. ... Cale Johnson has hit .380 and has driven in 17 runs, as has Tregg McGillivray with 17 RBIs and Quincy Kurtz has 19 runs scored. ... Prorok has 83 strikeouts and has allowed only one run and nine hits in 39 innings this season for a 0.18 ERA and an .067 batting average against him. ... Cohen Hahn has thrown 32 innings with a 1.53 ERA and 44 strikeouts, while Braylon Oftedal has an 0.67 ERA and 32 strikeouts in 31 innings. ... Of the teams still remaining, Madison leads all eight teams with 196 runs scored and given up a state-best 44 runs.
Winner/Colome has won seven straight games to return to the Class B state bracket for the second year in a row. That included a 16-6 win over Hot Springs and an 18-8 win over Belle Fourche in the West Super Regional bracket to advance to Brookings. ... The Royals reached the Class B semifinals last season before falling to Dakota Valley, which was Winner/Colome's first state appearance since 2022, when it also reached the semifinals. ... Winner/Colome last won a state championship in 2016. ... Offensively, Camdyn Anderson leads the way with a .648 batting average, 35 hits, 39 RBIs and 24 runs scored. Carter McKenzie is hitting .550 on the season with 29 runs scored and Carter Craven is hitting .419 with 12 RBIs. ... Quincy Phillips is second on the team with 15 RBIs. ... McKenzie leads the team in innings pitched with 24, and he has a 2.62 ERA with 22 strikeouts. ... Zac Olson has a 0.89 ERA with 15 2/3 innings pitched, as well.
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With powerhouse Dell Rapids — winner of four state championships in the last five seasons — out of the picture, the field is open when the teams take the field starting at 10 a.m. on Monday.
West Central is the top seed, while No. 2 Madison/Chester/ORR has a strong roster and has been beaten only two times all season, including a loss to the Class A state champion Brandon Valley Lynx. Lennox earned the third seed after defeating Dell Rapids to reach this point, and No. 4 Vermillion takes on No. 5 Platte-Geddes/Dakota Christian/White Lake in a game matching experienced programs.
The game schedule for Monday is as follows:
No. 1 West Central vs. No. 8 Clark Area, 10 a.m.
No. 3 Lennox vs. No. 6 Dakota Valley, noon
No. 4 Vermillion vs. No. 5 Platte-Geddes/DC/WL, 2 p.m.
No. 2 Madison/Chester/ORR vs. No. 7 Winner/Colome, 5 p.m.
The semifinal round on Tuesday will include the West Central/Clark winner and the Vermillion/PGDCWL winners at 10 a.m., followed by Lennox/DV winner and the Madison-Winner/Colome victor at noon, with the championship game between the two semifinal winners at 3 p.m.
Here's a look at the eight teams that qualified for the state tournament, listed in the order of their quarterfinal games:
The Trojans are back in the state tournament for the first time since 2022. West Central has won five games in a row since a 14-3 loss to fellow state qualifier Lennox on May 4. ... Gunnar Alfson leads the team in batting average (.489), on-base percentage (.585) and slugging percentage (.809), with 23 hits, two home runs, 17 RBIs and 16 runs scored. ... CJ Den Boer is hitting .442 with 23 hits and a team-best 18 runs scored, while Beckett Everson leads the team with 19 RBIs. ... Alfson is the team leader in innings pitched at 26 2/3, with a 1.83 ERA, 10 hits allowed and 54 strikeouts this season. ... Everson has 25 strikeouts in 24 1/3 innings of work, while Den Boer has a 0.63 ERA and five saves in 11 innings. Taten Van Overbeke has a 1.94 ERA in 18 innings for the Trojans.
The Dinosaurs reached the state tournament by breaking through and knocking out Sisseton/Britton/Webster with a 6-2 win in the North Super Regional final on May 20. ... Clark Area has won six of its last seven games since a pair of losses at the hands of SBW on April 29 and 30. ... Caleb Drenth is the team leader in batting average (.381), while Watson Grantham is hitting .380 with 18 runs scored and leads the squad with 11 stolen bases. ... Cooper Pommer has a team-best 10 RBIs and 15 runs scored. ... Clark Area has a solid stable of pitching arms, led by Grantham's 33 1/3 innings with 51 strikeouts and a 2.31 ERA, while Charlie Luvaas has a 2.78 ERA in 27 2/3 innings, plus 36 strikeouts and Pommer has thrown 17 innings with a 2.88 ERA.
The Orioles are in the state tournament for the first time since winning the Class B state title in 2019. ... Lennox knocked out powerhouse Dell Rapids 7-4 in the region tournament to reach the state bracket, getting a big effort from Mason Reischl with six innings on the mound for the pitching victory, while Talen Eich had two RBIs and the save in the win. ... Eich and Reischl were two of Lennox's four all-region selections, joined by Jaxson Bittner and Cole Spieler, all of whom are seniors. Bittner is an outfielder, Eich primarily plays shortstop and both Spieler and Reischl play in the infield and pitch. Full season stats were not available for Lennox. ... The Orioles have more experience against state tournament teams this year than any squad, as they split series with Platte-Geddes/Dakota Christian/White Lake and West Central and have defeated Vermillion.
The Panthers have won five games in a row after a three-game losing streak midseason, capped by an 11-0 win over Beresford and an 8-1 road win over Freeman/Canistota/Marion in the South Super Regional bracket final to return to the state tournament. ... Dakota Valley played in the 2025 state tournament with a 4-2 extra-inning win over Madison in the quarterfinals, a 12-3 win over Winner/Colome in the semifinals and then fell 5-4 in eight innings in the championship game to Dell Rapids. ... Dakota Valley also played in the championship game in 2019 and 2022. Counting the 2026 season, the Panthers have reached the state tournament in six of the last seven Class B seasons. ... Full season stats were not available but DV had three all-region selections with seniors first baseman Sterling Schauff, outfielder Jake Pick and shortstop Noah Graham.
The Tanagers have seven straight wins and have won 10 of their last 11 games, taking down Bon Homme 11-1 in the South Super Regional bracket final. ... With its qualification, Vermillion is in the state tournament for the first time since 2021, when it reached the semifinal round. ... Nolan Nygren is Vermillion's leading hitter with a .500 batting average, a .568 on-base percentage, 35 hits and 29 RBIs. Cale Cleveland has scored 34 runs and has 21 stolen bases, drawing 23 walks. Trey Hansen has hit .453 with 27 RBIs and a pair of home runs. ... On the mound, Nygren has thrown 46 innings with 56 strikeouts and a 1.52 ERA, while Ryan Vitt has a 2.33 ERA and 40 strikeouts in 33 innings this season and Jackson Beacom has an ERA of 1.91 in 25 2/3 innings of work. ... Vermillion has scored 172 runs this season, second-most among state bracket qualifiers.
The Honkers have won seven games in a row to reach the Class B state bracket, including a 6-1 win over Rapid City Christian in the West Super Regional bracket final to advance. ... In the month of May, PGDCWL has outscored opponents 66-12. ... The Honkers have made it into the state tournament for the fifth straight season, but are 0-4 in their last four state tournament appearances, including a 3-2 extra-inning loss to Winner/Colome in the quarterfinals in 2025. ... Full season stats were not available but five Honkers players were recognized as all-region selections, including seniors catcher/pitcher Kenyon Kuiper and shortstop Jye Bailey, plus Asher Kott, Maddux VanZee and Keaton Christensen. ... Kuiper and Christensen were the starting pitchers for the Honkers in the region tournament, with Christensen throwing a complete game and allowing one run against Rapid City Christian. ... The Honkers have given up only 45 runs this season, which is second-best among state qualifiers.
The Bulldogs do not have a loss this season to a South Dakota Class B team. Madison lost 5-0 to Grand Forks Central on April 10 as part of the Border Battle event in Sioux Falls, and then fell 11-0 to eventual Class A state champion Brandon Valley on May 11. Madison is otherwise 17-0 against Class B teams, and has a pair of wins over Rapid City Central, as well. ... The Bulldogs also have 11 shutouts among their 20 wins this season. ... Madison reached the state tournament last season and fell 4-2 in the quarterfinals to Dakota Valley in nine innings. ... This is Madison's fifth consecutive year at the Class B state tournament. ... JD Prorok leads Madison on both offense and pitching fronts. He has a .463 batting average with 15 RBIs and a .607 on-base percentage. ... Cale Johnson has hit .380 and has driven in 17 runs, as has Tregg McGillivray with 17 RBIs and Quincy Kurtz has 19 runs scored. ... Prorok has 83 strikeouts and has allowed only one run and nine hits in 39 innings this season for a 0.18 ERA and an .067 batting average against him. ... Cohen Hahn has thrown 32 innings with a 1.53 ERA and 44 strikeouts, while Braylon Oftedal has an 0.67 ERA and 32 strikeouts in 31 innings. ... Of the teams still remaining, Madison leads all eight teams with 196 runs scored and given up a state-best 44 runs.
Winner/Colome has won seven straight games to return to the Class B state bracket for the second year in a row. That included a 16-6 win over Hot Springs and an 18-8 win over Belle Fourche in the West Super Regional bracket to advance to Brookings. ... The Royals reached the Class B semifinals last season before falling to Dakota Valley, which was Winner/Colome's first state appearance since 2022, when it also reached the semifinals. ... Winner/Colome last won a state championship in 2016. ... Offensively, Camdyn Anderson leads the way with a .648 batting average, 35 hits, 39 RBIs and 24 runs scored. Carter McKenzie is hitting .550 on the season with 29 runs scored and Carter Craven is hitting .419 with 12 RBIs. ... Quincy Phillips is second on the team with 15 RBIs. ... McKenzie leads the team in innings pitched with 24, and he has a 2.62 ERA with 22 strikeouts. ... Zac Olson has a 0.89 ERA with 15 2/3 innings pitched, as well.
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