Bandits to host three-game playoff series against Sioux Falls East

BROOKINGS – The postseason is here for the Brookings Bandits as they will take on Sioux Falls East in a three-game playoff series with a trip to the Class A Legion Baseball State Tournament on the line.

All three games will be played at Bob Shelden Field in Brookings and the Bandits are the No. 5 seed and SF East is the No. 12 seed. The first game is scheduled for 6 p.m. on Wednesday and the second game will be played at 4 p.m. on Thursday. If a third game is necessary, that will be played after game two.

Brookings enters the postseason with a 16-17 overall record, but the Bandits went 13-7 in league play. SF East is 15-26 overall and went 9-16 in league play.

The Bandits split their final four games of the regular season as they split doubleheaders against Watertown and Brandon Valley this past week. Before that, the Bandits played in the Gopher Classic on July 10 and 11 in Minneapolis and lost all four games in Minnesota.

Brookings head coach Carter Roach said despite the performance at the Gopher Classic, he likes where his team is at as they head into this playoff series.

“You know, we had a tough time up at the Gopher Classic, but we really came out last week, and I thought we played well. I really did. Obviously we went 2-2, but when you’re playing on the road, especially in the two places we did, Watertown Stadium and Aspen Park in Brandon, those are not easy places to play. I thought we did a good job in two of those games and we went on the road and played good baseball. The other two games just kind of got away from us a little bit,” Roach said.

Brookings had an up-and-down start to the season and then at the end of June and beginning of July, the Bandits put together a seven-game win streak that sent a jolt through the team. Six of the seven wins during that streak came against league opponents and Roach said the success that his team had against South Dakota teams makes him confident going into the postseason.

“I think [that success] just kind of really shows that during the week, during league play, those are elite teams and that's kind of when our top of the rotation guys throw [and we had success]. Then on the weekend and in some of those tournaments, we just maybe ran out of pitching or the week kind of caught up to us,” Roach said.

The pitching in league games has been stellar as the Bandits gave up three or less runs in 14 of their 20 league games. They’re led by sophomore Nolan Krogman who had two complete-game shutouts during the year. 

Roach said it isn’t just a one or two-man rotation though. He thinks the Bandits will have plenty of arms that can lead them to success in the playoff series and State Tournament, should they make it.

“I’m very proud of the guys that we’ve thrown out there [on the mound],” Roach said. “We’ve had some newcomers on the mound that have done a fantastic job. Obviously, Nolan Krogman is new to the senior legion team this year, he’s done a fantastic job. Noah Lease is also another sophomore on the team that’s new to senior legion ball and has thrown a lot of big innings for us this year. 

“Two names that really come to my mind that last year as underclassmen didn’t really get a lot of innings on the mound, but have been fantastic this year, that’s Max Jensen and Cooper Schneider. Coming into the year, both guys weren’t on the highest point of the depth chart when it comes to pitching, but we threw them out there and they’ve done a really good job and pitched in some important spots for us. So, I am very proud of those guys for coming in and filling a new role on the pitching side of things.”

On the flip side, the Bandits’ bats have been the problem in their seven losses. In those games they scored two runs or less in five of them and were shutout twice. Roach said the biggest thing for his offense is sticking to the plan they lay out before the game starts.

“It’s all about our execution and following our plan in our approaches. I think you can really see the games that we follow our approach. When we follow our hitting approach and we execute when it comes to bunting, stealing bases and really playing our overall offense, that’s when we’re scoring. When we maybe fall a little bit, we’re not executing, getting bunts down or focusing on getting good jumps on the bases and stealing bases, that’s when we’re not really going up there with our best plan of attack at the plate,” Roach said.

Brookings and Sioux Falls East split a doubleheader in Sioux Falls June 23. The Bandits won game one 8-0 with Krogman on the mound for the whole game, but then lost game two 7-4.

Roach said SF East is a tough draw as a 12-seed because they have as good of an offense as any team in the state.

“Sioux Falls East has a lot of firepower. They’ve got some really big bats in their lineup. … I know they’re going to come ready to play and we have to come ready to match them. I mean, Sioux Falls East, the top of their lineup at the plate is as good as anyone’s and then defensively, they can make plays. So, our pitchers are really going to have to bear down and follow our pitching plan and our scouting reports on these guys,” Roach said.

These will be the final home games of the summer for the Bandits as the State Tournament will be held in Rapid City July 28-Aug.1. Roach said it means a lot to play these games at home, not only for his players, but the community as well.

“[Playing at home is] unbelievable. Bob Shelden Field is, no question, one of the premier parks in South Dakota, so it’s nice to call that home. It’s also nice just to be comfortable. I mean, we practice there every day. [The players] love playing there, so it’s huge. Not even for just our kids, but just for the community of Brookings. Brookings is a baseball town and I know people love watching the hometown Bandits. So, it’s huge for our seniors, huge for the kids on our team and huge for our association and the city of Brookings,” Roach said.