The Basics
Game #56 (SLT Game #2)
No. 1 Oral Roberts (35-20, 21-9) vs. No. 2 North Dakota State (18-31, 13-15)
Dates: May 22^nd | 6:00 PM
Location: Tal Anderson Field (Omaha, Nebraska)
Watch: Summit League Network | LiveStats: StatCrew Stats
 
OMAHA, NEB. - The Oral Roberts baseball team faces off against North Dakota State in the Summit League Tournament semifinals after winning comfortably in the tournament opener.
 
The Golden Eagles used a seven run second inning to run away from the Jackrabbits of South Dakota State early, winning 11-2 Wednesday afternoon.  They flip the page over to a team that has been a test as they split the regular season series with the Bison 3-3.  Most recently, the Golden Eagles took two of three from NDSU in Fargo, winning both games in 10 innings. 
 
Both teams only used two pitchers in their opening games, so both bullpens are essentially at full strength for the seventh meeting between these two rivals.  The winner grabs a spot in the Summit League championship game on Saturday afternoon and will receive a day off on Friday, while the loser plays on Thursday afternoon in an elimination game.
 
Probable Starters:
RHP Nathan Love (6-6, 3.84) vs. RHP Logan Knight (3-6, 5.29)
 
Inside the Series:
Oral Roberts leads the all-time series with the Bison 54-29, going 3-3 against NDSU in 2025.  The last 10 matchups have been fairly even as well, with an even 5-5 record as the Golden Eagles evened up the series in Fargo, taking two of three from the Bison, both wins coming in extra innings.  Oral Roberts averages 6.5 runs per contest against NDSU.  The Golden Eagles topped the Bison in last year's Summit League Tournament 11-3 in Tulsa.
 
 
Quick Hits: 
-            ORU has scored at least nine runs in its last six games
-            The Golden Eagles have blasted 19 homers in their last nine games (Kane-Yates with five)
-            ORU and NDSU split the regular season series 3-3
-            Both teams only used two pitchers in the opening round
 
 
Scouting the Opponent:
North Dakota State comes into Thursday's semi-final game with a record of 18-31, 13-15, and off an extra-inning, 1-0 win over Omaha on a wild pitch last night in the first round.  NDSU is 3-3 against ORU in 2025 with two of those losses coming in extra innings, both in Fargo.
 
Jack Schaffner has been one of the best hitters in the Summit in 2025 and came up big in last night's win, hitting a triple in the 10th inning and coming in to score the winning run moments later.  He averages .388 at the dish with just two homers and 20 RBIs, but is a tough out with an OBP of .444.  Colten Becker leads the team in homers with five, a group that doesn't hit many of them, and leads with 32 runs driven in.  The NDSU offense isn't overpowering as they hit .257 as a team, which is last in the Summit, hitting 30 homers (3rd) and driving in 209 (last).
 
The starting pitching has been a major bright spot for the Bison, possessing Summit League Pitcher of the Year Nolan Johnson, but he threw in the opener, so he is unavailable against ORU on Thursday.  RHP Logan Knight has been a complementary piece to Johnson on Saturdays and will likely get the nod on Thursday as he sports a 3-6 record with a 5.29 ERA.  He did throw a complete game shutout in Tulsa against the Golden Eagles back in March and followed that up with a quality start at home, going 6.1 innings with just three runs allowed.  In the bullpen, the Bison have five arms with a sub-six ERA, most of whom did not pitch on Wednesday night.  As a staff, NDSU has an ERA of 6.34, 3rd in the Summit, but is last in strikeouts with 341.
 
NDSU is the best fielding team in the Summit with a percentage of .973 committing just 45 errors and turning only 22 double plays. 

For the latest information on ORU Baseball, follow the Golden Eagles on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, or go to www.ORUAthletics.com. Fans can also receive updates on the team by downloading the ORU Athletics app from the App Store or Google Play Store.