Baseball looks to build momentum in Tucson

MITCHELL, S.D. – Coming off an improved 2019 season, being picked in the middle of the preseason conference polls and with 17 upperclassmen on the roster, the Dakota Wesleyan University baseball squad is poised to return to the Great Plains Athletic Conference tournament.

 Among the returning upperclassmen includes reigning GPAC Pitcher-of-the-Year in Dominique Boerger (Milbank, S.D.). Along with Boerger returns Reed Harter (Colome, S.D.), Drew DeMers (Winner, S.D.), Kyle Bailey (Brandon, S.D.), Ethan Davis (Billings, Mont.) and Chandler Bakley (Martin, S.D.) who were all tabbed to the All-GPAC Team a season ago.

 Boerger finished last season ranked third in the NAIA with 17 runs allowed all season and ranked fourth with 7.1 innings pitched per game. He also came in at fifth nationally with 15 earned runs allowed on the year and was seventh with a 1.7 ERA. The Milbank, S.D., native led the conference in ERA, runs allowed, innings pitched per game and total innings pitched, while ranking third in hits allowed per game.

 Returning to lead the Tigers at the plate is DeMers who paced DWU a year ago with a .358 batting average. In 151 at-bats, DeMers finished with 54 hits, 30 RBIs and 33 runs scored. Harter also returns after recording a .305 batting average and a pair of homeruns a season ago. In the field, Harter recorded 11 double plays, 66 assists and a .982 fielding percentage.

 Bailey returns behind the plate for another season at catcher following a year where he tallied a 1.000 fielding percentage and 113 assists. At the plate, Bailey finished with 30 hits and 17 runs batted in. Bakley provides another bat in the lineup for the Tigers after batting .299 along with 46 hits and 25 RBIs last season. Davis pitched the second most innings last year after throwing in 70 innings with a 3.47 ERA. He recorded 55 strikeouts and allowed just 27 earned runs on the year.

 Other Tigers who look to make an impact this season include Cole Hellie (Phoenix, Ariz.), Cameron Quigley (Newcastle, Wyo.), Joseph Hanisch (Hartford, S.D.), Caleb Johnson (Ridgecrest, Calif.), Tyler Torres (Novato, Calif.), Gilberto Rodriguez (San Antonio, Texas), Wyatt Hunt (Rapid City, S.D.) and Patrick Starr (Overland Park, Kan.), among others.

 DWU began its' 2020 campaign with a 4-3 win over Kansas Wesleyan University. After dropping two games to KWU, the Tigers traveled to U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis, Minn., to battle Mayville State University. DWU dropped the opening game by a 4-3 score. However, the Tigers responded with a defensive effort in a 2-0 shutout of the Comets with Davis pitching the full game.

 The Tigers begin their annual spring training trip to Tucson, Ariz., today with a matchup against Briar Cliff University. Other teams they will play while in Arizona include Dordt University, Southwest Minnesota State University, Waldorf University, Benedictine College, University of Antelope Valley, William Penn University and University of Jamestown. DWU and UJ play a pair of doubleheaders to conclude the trip in Tucson, which will be the first GPAC games of 2020.

 DWU's home opener is on March 25 against Presentation College, while the Tigers play Midland University three days later for their GPAC home opener. DWU concludes the season with a bout against NCAA Division I opponent, South Dakota State University on April 28 in Brookings, S.D.