1. Roosevelt                      11-2

The Riders hang their hats on defense and pitching, through their first ten games of the year they’ve yielded just 29 runs. The team ERA sits at 2.06 in 68 innings, an impressive number especially when you take into consideration that they have seven pitchers who have ERA’s at 3.00 or less.

Last weekend they battled a hot Fargo North team in a double-header and came out with two wins. Then they got a dominant pitching performance from Connor Grove against Brandon Valley to extend their winning streak to six after dropping their only two games of the year last week. Seth Peterson leads the team in batting while Seth Bjordal leads in total bases and slugging. They’ll need to keep producing on offense to stay atop the rankings.

2. Brandon Valley             12-4

Nic Peterson, Jacob Adams and Cole Vanderbeek have combined for a .361 average making them the most feared middle of the lineup in Class A. Adams has hit three bombs already this year and continues to be the best power hitter in South Dakota. The pitching staff has chipped in with a team 2.47 ERA. Now all they need is a few signature wins before regionals and state qualifying action get underway.

3. Mitchell                          11-5

A couple of tough losses to Watertown interrupted a great week for Mitchell. Evan Mastel and Josh Schmidt continue to carry this offense. But Mitchell has found themselves in four one-run games in a row, so a few more bats would help them vault toward the top.

4. Washington                   8-3

Washington has a rematch with Brandon on Thursday night, they’re hoping to keep the bats hot. They have scored six or more runs every game in May including a 7-1 win over Lincoln on Tuesday.

5. Yankton                          10-9

Yankton has played more games than anyone in the state. Coach Ross Heine told me it makes them a better team because they so often see the opposite team’s number one starter. Mitch Gullikson, Tanner Termanson and Zach Benjamin have kept this pitching staff on point. They’ve also gotten some good innings from firstbasemen Lane Sawatzke on the mound. Yankton has piled up some good wins and should be ready to compete as the postseason starts.

1. Vermillion                      8-1

2. St. Thomas More         9-1

3. Madison                         6-0

Jacob Leighton is 7/13 with two doubles hitting and a 0.64 ERA 23 K 3 BB hitting. The team is hitting .303  and have outscored opponents 48-13 early in the season. Their team ERA sits at 1.84.

4. Bon Homme                  5-2

Bon Homme is the best two loss team in the class. Their only two losses were to Vermillion when they lost 2-0 and 9-8 in extra innings.

5. Parkston                         7-1

Jacob Weber, Dillion Stadlman, Cole Donahue, Ty Kinneberg, Ryan Alley, and Spencer Lucas have started to get their bats going after a slow start offensively. Jacob Weber and Dillion Stadlman have been magnificent on the mound giving the Trojans a chance to win every time they pitch.