TerryVandrovec

South Dakota State continues to move toward securing private funding for an indoor practice and human performance facility, according to athletic director Justin Sell. But the school won’t be in a position to announce any major gifts today, the last day of May.

Sell had previously stated that he hoped to be able to go public with news of a lead donation by the end of this month.

“We’re working with several donors and people who are interested,” he said. “We’re certainly making progress on that front. Some of that process takes time.”

Sell declined to get into too much detail beyond that.

“I want people to understand the responses we’ve gotten are very positive,” he said. “We’ve got to get a few more things put together, and hopefully we’ll be in a position to make an announcement in the near future in regards to moving it forward.”

And, now, my interpretation on this …

If the lead gift turns out to be one of the biggest in school history, as seems possible, there is organizing to do that goes well beyond the athletic department. That means copious amounts of red tape to clear.

If there’s still no news by October 10-11, when SDSU aspires to bring funding to the Board of Regents for building approval, then perhaps there’s more to it (i.e. something falling through). That’s the only unofficial timeline that really matters, and it’s five months off.

Terry Vandrovec also posts regular updates on his Twitter page.

This was the scene on Saturday evening in Tulsa at the end of the Summit League baseball tournament. Was there really any other way it could end?

Oral Roberts capped its remarkable run in the conference by winning its 15th baseball title in as many tries. This one was memorable because it was one of the few times the Golden Eagles lost so much as a single game in the double-elimination tournament.

That’s our topic this week on the Too Much TV podcast, ORU radio voice Geoff Haxton stopping by to recap the tourney and the Golden Eagles’ tenure, while also previewing their upcoming NCAA Division I tournament appearance.

Here’s the link.

Terry Vandrovec also posts regular updates on his Twitter page.

Going with an all-baseball theme today:

On Monday, the field for the NCAA Division I baseball tournament was announced. SDSU faced two of the 64 qualifying teams during the regular-season: Oral Roberts and Creighton. The Jacks went 2-4 in those games, beating each club once.
The Summit League champion Golden Eagles (37-23) are the No. 4 seed in the Waco Regional and will take on host Baylor (44-14) in the tourney opener, while the Jays (26-28) – surprise winners of the Missouri Valley Conference tournament – are No. 4 in the L.A. Regional and will face UCLA (42-14).

Former SDSU pitcher Caleb Thielbar is pitching in the Minnesota Twins organization again this summer. The 6-foot, 200-pound lefty is 2-0 with a 2.57 ERA with 11 strikeouts in 14 innings as a reliever for the New Britain Rock Cats in the Double-A Eastern League. He began the season with the Fort Myers Miracle.

Meanwhile, ex-Jacks standout Blake Trienen is in high-A ball with the Stockton Ports, an Oakland A’s farm club. The 6-4, 215-pound righty is 4-4 this season with a 4.18 ERA as a starter. He has struck out 46 batters in 56 innings.

Terry Vandrovec also posts regular updates on his Twitter page.

South Dakota State has 13 head coaches in charge of its 21 varsity sports. And six of them have completed one season or less in that role.

But this isn’t a post about turnover – it’s about money. Coaching salaries aren’t always made available to the media at the time of the hire, in part because things have to go through the Board of Regents before becoming official.

But everything seems to be caught up now through a State of South Dakota web site, the latest addition being wrestling coach Chris Bono. He’s scheduled to make a base of $75,000. That’s a decent bump from his predecessor Jason Liles, who was at $61,911.

The rest of the relative newcomers and their wages, which are public record:

Phil McDaniel, volleyball: $65,500

Dave Schrage, baseball: $60,000

Kim Aggabao, softball: $50,000

Megan Rossiter, equestrian: $50,000

Michael Engdahl, tennis: $37,000

At first, I was surprised to see that McDaniel was making more than Schrage given the difference in experience in sports of similar stature. But volleyball certainly brings in more ticket revenue than baseball.
Also, Engdahl runs two teams (men and women), although that still comes out to far fewer student-athletes than in say, equestrian.

As for updates on the top earners in the department:

Justin Sell, athletic director: $160,000

Aaron Johnston, women’s basketball: $157,358

Scott Nagy, men’s basketball: $150,000

John Stiegelmeier, football: $141,000

Based on the numbers available from the Google machines, not even the legendary Pat Summitt was out-earning her football and men’s basketball counterparts at Tennesse prior to retiring. Johnston is in very select company, for whatever that’s worth.

Terry Vandrovec also posts regular updates on his Twitter page.

On Monday, Colorado State announced Ryun Williams as its new women’s basketball coach, meaning the University of South Dakota will be in transition mode coming off a third-place finish in the Summit League regular-season standings. The Coyotes were already going to be challenged by losing three standout starters.

Fourth place UMKC - the conference tourney runner-up - is in the same spot with Candace Whitaker accepting a job as an assistant at Oklahoma State. Also gone are seven seniors.

Oral Roberts, No. 2 in the most recent regular season and the champion of the two before that, is leaving the Summit League for the Southland Conference in addition to losing coach Jerry Finkbeiner to Utah State.

Yes, sticking around at South Dakota State should pay off again for Aaron Johnston – and that’s not a reference to his $157,358 base salary.

The Jackrabbits have won the last four Summit tournament titles and three of five regular-season crowns since joining the conference. And now their primary challenger (Oral Roberts), the only other D-I program in the state (USD) and the upstart Roos are facing changes.

Sure, those changes could pay off in the long run. For example, UMKC seems to have done very well in landing Marsha Frese, the associate head coach at Northern Illinois and sister of Maryland coach Brenda Frese. Likewise, USD isn’t going to fall off the face of the earth. Hardly.

It’s just that SDSU already has a step on the pack, and now its primary competition could be running in place for a bit. After weathering the tumult of the NCAA Division I transition, Johnston and the Jacks have unrivaled stability

That doesn’t mean that SDSU is going to waltz through the Summit for four more years. But it sure can’t hurt in terms of retaining Johnston and/or staying on top without interruption whenever his tenure comes to an end.    

Terry Vandrovec also posts regular updates on his Twitter page.

The Aaron Johnston coaching tree grew Wednesday, women’s basketball assistant Chad Oletzke being introduced as the new coach at Illinois Springfield, an NCAA Division II school in – you guessed it – Springfield, Ill.

A Minnesota native, Oletzke spent three seasons with the Jackrabbits, helping them win three Summit League tournament titles and one regular-season crown. Before that, he was the head coach at a junior college in Wyoming, experience that Johnston figured would benefit the SDSU staff.

So was this the plan all along, that Oletzke would be in Brookings only until landing another head coaching gig? Not necessarily.

“I entered SDSU with a real open mind, whether it was to stay as an assistant with AJ or somebody else – I was open to that as well as exploring head-coaching opportunities,” he said. “I thought it was an overall good opportunity to come back (to the area).”

As for UIS, the interestingly named Prairie Stars went just 20-59 the last three seasons under visiting coach Marne Fauser. (A visiting coach is like a long-term interim, basically). But Oletzke likes that the school has a new facility, is centrally located within its conference and is based in a city that reminds him of Sioux Falls. Plus, he’ll reportedly earn $44,600 in his first season, up from $35,000 with the Jacks. (Related note, remaining SDSU assistants Emilee Thiesse and Katie Falco earned $48,000 and $45,500, respectively, in 2011-12, according to the Open SD site.)

Oletzke becomes the second former Johnston assistant this spring to land a head coaching gig, following North Dakota’s Travis Brewster.

What does Johnston think of the loss? It’s hard to say because he’s out of the country on vacation. But Oletzke said he was aware of the situation prior to taking off, and has been in contact via email.

Terry Vandrovec also posts regular updates on his Twitter page.

On the cusp of full-blown summer, the local hockey squad – the Sioux Falls Stampede – crashed the headlines recently with the hire of Cary Eades as head coach and general manager.

After a standout playing career at the University of North Dakota, Eades has won titles at the high school, college and junior levels. Some folks took issue with the Stampede ousting Kevin Hartzell, but it’s pretty tough to knock the appointment of Eades – this week’s guest on the Too Much TV podcast.

Here’s the link.

Terry Vandrovec also posts regular updates on his Twitter page.

It’s summer. Time to empty out the notebook:

The SDSU wrestling program will have two full-time assistants next season, according to athletic director Justin Sell. The Jacks didn’t have any in 2010-11 and one in 2011-12. They’re 1-29 in their last 30 Western Wrestling Conference duals.

Remember when the UND alumni association made a public statement about SDSU refusing to enter into new scheduling contracts with the Sioux until the nickname issue gets resolved? Jacks women’s basketball coach Aaron Johnston said that he has tried for years to get UND on the schedule, to no avail.
“We think this would be a good game and make sense for many reasons,” said Johnston, who once hired current UND coach Travis Brewster. “They must have a bigger vision for their program.”

The Mercer squad that the SDSU men’s basketball team beat 74-61 on the road early in the 2011-12 season went on to win 27 games and finish first in the CollegeInsider.com Tournament. Mercer topped Georgia State, coached by former IUPUI boss Ron Hunter, in the first round of the CIT.

A trio of SDSU recruits fared well at the Nebraska state track and field meets. Future football players OL Mike Shoff and Tom Peitz (a walk-on linebacker) won the discus and the shot put in Class D and C, respectively. Shoff also won the all-class golf in the shot. On the track, Austin Hamm and Andrea Weeder swept the 1,600 and 3,200 titles in Class D boys and girls, respectively.

Terry Vandrovec also posts regular updates on his Twitter page.

The South Dakota State baseball season came to an ugly end Saturday in Brookings, the Jackrabbits committing seven errors - their worst defensive showing since moving to the NCAA Division I level – in a home loss to an unremarkable Western Illinois club.

It was … the best possible outcome?

What I mean is this: A win would have been two in a row, arguably convincing returning players that they were merely victims of atrocious luck this season, that things were bound to turn around next year based on the law of averages. But there’s no way that the Jacks go into the offseason with any false positivity now, not after flopping in the finale.

Yes, they seemed to be running against the wind all year, from a coaching change to a slew of injuries. But, in the end, SDSU just wasn’t very good. That’s not to say they didn’t have good players, which added to the frustration. The stats scream “struggle,” not to mention the record - a drop of 19 games in the win column.

What’s more, five position players - all multiple-year starters – have run out of eligibility. Those guys were the last key holdovers from the squads that reached three straight Summit League title tilts.

In that regard, next year is apt to feel like a new beginning … with a three-step head start. That is, SDSU will have a full year under its new coaching staff, one that favors a very different style of play than the former one; all but two pitchers return from a solid-enough staff and the Summit will be wide open with 8 billion-time champion Oral Roberts moving into the Southland Conference.

Then again, that’s conjecture, projection, assumption. Coach Dave Schrage doesn’t seem interested in basing the future on that.

He spoke at length after Saturday’s penultimate game. And he spoke with resolve. Remember, he was the head coach at Notre Dame just two years ago and inherited an SDSU club that, despite some key personnel losses, seemed position to make another run at a conference title. Yet the Jacks started 0-8 and never got in a rhythm, even though they showed flashes of ability in beating Minnesota, Creighton and Oral Roberts.

Clearly, this wasn’t the way he expected the season to go. But he seems intent on digging in heels instead shrugging shoulders.

“Hopefully, the guys that are coming back don’t like this feeling,” Schrage said. “I think that’s what we have to take from it. We’re going to come back and work harder.”

Terry Vandrovec also posts regular updates on his Twitter page.

The South Dakota Board of Regents held a regularly scheduled meeting this week in Brookings. Among the items revealed in the agenda:

On April 19, the Building Committee for the SDSU Indoor Practice and Human Performance Facility, represented by Regent Schaefer, met at SDSU to select a construction manager at-risk for the project. After interviews and discussion, the committee voted to select JE Dunn/Henry Carlson to construct the project.

JE Dunn is based in Kansas City, Mo., but has 20 offices across the country. Its most recent sports-related projects include John Q. Hammons Arena at Missouri State (pictured below), Tulsa’s football stadium and Mizzou Arena.

Henry Carlson is based in Sioux Falls and is current working on the student union expansion project at SDSU. Other notable buildings include the Sanford Children’s Hospital, the Sanford Heart Hospital and the USD Wellness Center. 

This appointment fits into the category of things the school can do while attempting to get funding in place.

Terry Vandrovec also posts regular updates on his Twitter page.

For the second year in a row, the South Dakota State baseball team will have to replace a four-year starter and the program leader in career games.

This year, it was centerfielder Billy Stitz who finished up his eligibility. Next, it’s shortstop Eric Cain, who should break Stitz’s career appearances mark Friday at Erv Huether Field in the final series of a difficult season. (I chronicled Cains’ considerable career in the Thursday edition.)

So what’s on deck at short? A newcomer, more than likely as was the case in center this season with true freshman Eric Danforth picking up a good chunk of the innings vacated by Stitz.

Colorado native Tyler Shannon may be the most game ready at short next season. He was named second-team all-region at Ellsworth (Iowa) Community College this spring, hitting .375. He’s rangy at 6-foot-5, but will need to improve on an .897 fielding percentage.

Cody Sharrow is also plenty intriguing. A senior Mount Mansfield Union in Vermont, the 6-2 Sharrow came to the attention of the SDSU staff during a Legion tournament in Rapid City. Jacks coach Dave Schrage said that Sharrow received plenty of recruiting interest (and even took a visit to Boston College), but is an avid hunter and saw life in South Dakota as a positive. Sharrow already has won two state titles in Legion ball and another in basketball, playing point guard.

Both players signed in the fall. All told, Schrage expects to bring in at least eight new bodies and as many as 11 before next season. Most of them will be position players (whereas the 2011 class was heavy on arms) and in the small-ball mold that Schrage prefers, furthering a change in styles and eras.

By the end of the weekend, Brookings will have bid adieu to more of the old guard, a group that led the Jacks to three consecutive Summit League title tilts. It’s time for a new breed to take charge.

Terry Vandrovec also posts regular updates on his Twitter page.

This week on the Too Much TV podcast, we’re talking NBA playoffs. But before getting all bummed out (because I know many of you loathe pro hoops) consider the guest: Argus Leader sports writer Justin Wulf. That’s right, our resident Georgian is finally getting his shot on the show. That whole #FreeWulf campaign on Twitter paid off.

Here’s the link.

Terry Vandrovec also posts regular updates on his Twitter page.

The school year is winding down, but the bits keep in tidding … or something like that:

The Canadian Football League kicks off its season in the next month, and former South Dakota State standouts LB Derek Domino and OL Mitch Erickson are on the roster. So is former USD defensive lineman Ko Quaye. All three played high school ball in Minnesota and spent time in the NFL.

Former SDSU wing Kai Williams wrapped up his second pro season last week in England. The 6-foot-6 Williams helped the Cheshire Jets finish sixth in the BBL during the regular season and then reach the playoff semifinals. He wound up averaging 14.7 points, 5.7 rebounds and 0.8 blocks (good for eighth in the league) in 13 games.
Prior to that, Williams was under contract with the NBA D-League, biding his time in the available player pool before opting to go overseas again. His brother, Jamal, also played in the BBL, suiting up for the Plymouth Raiders.

The SDSU softball team finished with 13 wins for the second straight season. But this campaign, the first under Kim Aggabao, turned out to be even more abbreviated than planned due to the final Summit League series being rained out. The Jacks played only 40 games, some 14 fewer than last year and the smallest total since 1993. Everyone else in the Summit played at least 46.
NDSU will rep the league in the NCAA Division I tournament for the fourth year in a row, keeping pace with the SDSU women’s basketball team in going 4-for-4.

Terry Vandrovec also posts regular updates on his Twitter page.

The numbers won’t be official until December when double checked and released by the South Dakota Board of Regents. But early indications are that the South Dakota State athletic department took a step forward in the 2011-12 school year.

Athletic director Justin Sell referenced the following areas during an interview about the renovations that are underway at Frost Arena. Again, all totals remain unofficial for now:

* The recent scholarship auction raised roughly $370,000. That’s up from $272,000 last year and in the $80,000 range the spring before that. The latter of those numbers included the Stan Marshall golf tournament, which should bring in another $25K-30K later this summer.

* Three years ago, the Jackrabbit Club brought in $332,000. It’s closer to $600,000 now.

* Ticket revenue should come in around $1.1 million, marking the first time SDSU has crossed into seven figures. Last year was closer to $980,000.

Plus, there’s room to grow in that Jackrabbit Club donations are required to get access to season tickets. And football season-tickets sales for 2012 are already at an all-time high, while 400 prime spots inside the basketball area are now open for season tickets due to the renovations.

To be sure, the Jacks have a long way to go in order to be funded the way they’d like to be. For example, Sell once said that he hoped to sell roughly 8,000 football season tickets before opening a new stadium. For all its gains, SDSU is only about a third of the way there.
However, the upward trend does seem to support industry claims that ticket sales and donations beget ticket sales and donations.

Terry Vandrovec also posts regular updates on his Twitter page.

The baseball team this week could be the last from South Dakota State to make the trek to Southern Utah, as the the Thunderbirds are set to leave the Summit League for the Big Sky Conference. But that’s not what makes the series noteworthy.

Rather, SUU is discontinuing its baseball program at the end of this season because the sport isn’t sponsored by the Big Sky. That was announced in January. Then, in early April, coach David Eldredge and assistant Chase Hudson were relieved of their duties, leaving assistant Clayton Carson and administrator Kit Janes in charge the rest of the way.

Double yikes.

However, the Thunderbirds have pressed on. They’re sitting at 10-6 in Summit League play and in fourth place by some 5.5 games. Another win this weekend against the Jackrabbits would all but assure them of a spot in the conference tournament. What’s more, senior shortstop Bo Cuthbertson (pictured above) is up for the national shortstop of the year award.

That’s pretty remarkable and - incredibly - not entirely unprecedented. Just last year, Centenary was put in a similar spot, the school opting to drop from NCAA Division I to Division III in one hard-to-swallow swoop. Yet the Gents made the best of things, contending for most of the season in the Summit and reaching the four-team tourney even as some of their top players were searching for new schools.

Might this meaning playing out the string isn’t as hard as we melodramatic media types make it out to be? Or are the student-athletes even more mentally tough than they’re thought to be?

Either way, it’s become part of life in college sports given all the budget cuts and conference changes.

Terry Vandrovec also posts regular updates on his Twitter page.