LAKE NORDEN — Five more past greats are slated to be inducted into the South Dakota Amateur Baseball Hall of Fame in 2026.
Delwin “Del” Ochsner of Alpena, Craig Mock of Mitchell, Wes Risse of Martin, Brian Relf of Flandreau and Joe Maunders of Lennox are members of the latest induction class.
The group will be honored between the two evening Class B semifinal games on Saturday, Aug. 15 during the state amateur baseball tournament at Cadwell Park in Mitchell.
The SDABA Hall of Fame banquet will be held on Sunday, Nov. 1 at Flandreau. More details on the banquet will be released later. The SDABA Hall of Fame is located in Lake Norden.
Information on the S.D. Umpires Association 2026 Hall of Fame inductee and honorary inductee will be released later.
Here’s the biographies of the new inductees:
Delwin “Del” Ochsner
Ochsner was a dominant presence on the mound, known for his power fastball, durability and fierce competitiveness. His love for the game began on the family farm north of Alpena and he quickly advanced through local youth and American Legion programs.
By age 14, Ochsner was already pitching in the state amateur tournament. In 1972, he recorded 22 strikeouts in an American Legion Baseball regional game to help propel Alpena to the championship.
Ochsner went on to earn a full scholarship to Iowa State University, where he developed into one of the program’s top pitchers. As a junior in 1975, he compiled an 8-4 record and 1.53 earned run average while earning All-Big Eight Conference second team honors. His performance drew attention from professional scouts and further refined the skills that would define his amateur career.
Returning to Alpena, Ochsner became a cornerstone of the town’s amateur team from 1976 to 1985. Competing in the highly regarded Pony Hills League, he was consistently called upon to face the toughest opponents. He delivered with regular double-digit strikeout performances and made numerous state-tourney appearances, both with Alpena and as pickup player.
Craig Mock
The Illinois native came to South Dakota to play basketball and baseball at Mount Marty College in Yankton and began his amateur baseball playing career in 1988 with the Tabor Bluebirds while still in college. Over the next 18 years, Mock played with Tabor and Scotland in the South Central League, Clear Lake in the Eastern Dakota League, Canova in the Corn Belt League and Mitchell UPT in the Sioux Empire League.
An infielder and contact hitter who regularly batted over .400, Mock played in the state tourney each of his 18 seasons. He was a member of state runner-up teams in 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000 and 2002 and also played on state semifinal teams in 1988 and 2003. Mock earned all-tourney honors in 1999 and 2022 and was selected multiple times to play in the South Central League vs. Sunshine League All-Star Game.
Following the completion of his playing career, Mock coached youth baseball and guided teams to South Dakota State VFW Class AA 11-under and 12-under state titles in 2010 and 2011.
His baseball and basketball exploits have already earned him induction into the Mount Marty College Sports Hall of Fame in 2016 and the Northern Illinois Sports Hall of Fame in 2017.
Wes Risse
Wes Risse, who played 18 years of amateur baseball (1974-1992) for the Martin Merchants, is the fourth member of his family to be inducted into the SDABA Hall of Fame, joining his father Dave (2006) and uncles Ed (2011) and Chuck (1995).
Risse started playing baseball at age 6 because the Little League team needed players and also played VFW Teener baseball, competing in two state tournaments as a pickup player. Since Martin didn’t have an American Legion Baseball team, he started his amateur career. Risse also played at Black Hills State College in Spearfish and returned home after the program was discontinued to farm and ranch and play amateur baseball.
Primarily a catcher and infielder, Risse also spent some time on the mound later in his career. He played in the state tournament every year, either with Martin or as a pickup player, and compiled a career batting average of around .350 with five or six home runs per year. He prided himself on his defense more than offense and used his strong arm to throw out players from all over the diamond.
When his sons were old enough to play, Risse and several of his former teammates worked to revive Little League in Martin and creating opportunities for a new generation of young athletes. He also played some games with the Winner Old Studs in a 60-and-over tournament and played his final game in a 60-and-over tournament in 2015 at Rapid City.
Brian Relf
Relf was one of the best offensive and defensive catchers in the Corn Belt League throughout the 1980s and 1990s and helped the Flandreau and Madison teams he played for stay at the top of the league during that span.
He played in 21 state tournaments during his 22-year career and was twice named the most valuable player for the Flandreau Cardinals. Relf compiled a career batting average of .350 or better with an estimated 125 home runs.
Relf was known as the ultimate teammate who carried a positive attitude and never said an unkind word to any opponent or umpire.
A longtime teacher, coach and administrator, Relf serves on the board of directors for Helping Kids Round First — a non-profit organization based in South Dakota committed to improving the lives of people in vulnerable communities through sustainable programs in sports, farming, healthcare and education.
Joe Maunders
The Corsica native spent 34 years (1970-2004) as a pitcher and middle-of-the-order hitter for Corsica, Mitchell Commercial Bank, Mitchell Moonlight Bar, Salem Cubs, Sioux Falls Nite City, Sioux Falls Bud Champs and Renner Old Milwaukee.
The lefty-swinging Maunders spent a majority of his early amateur career with Mitchell Commercial Bank, batting over .500 a couple of seasons and piecing together a handful of years with nearly 20 extra-base hits.
He concluded his career with a batting average of around .400 with an estimated 100-120 home runs.
Maunders primarily played first base but also saw regular duty on the mound with many of the teams he played on. He played in more than 20 state amateur tournaments.