The Parkston Devil Rays overcame a five-run deficit to defeat the Hartford-Humboldt Gamecocks 10-8 to win the 2025 State B Amateur baseball championship Sunday afternoon in Brandon. Trailing 6 to 1, the Parkston Rays scored eight runs in the top of the eighth with Tanner Dyk delivering the go-ahead two-run single. The Rays had just three hits in the inning but drew three walks, had three batters get hit by pitch, and an error by the Gamecocks to go ahead 9-6. The Rays added another run on a Jake Helleloid single in the top of the ninth. The Gamecocks scored two runs in the bottom of the ninth on a home run by Kyle Konechne. Phil Johnson would then retire the next three hitters including the final out via strikeout to clinch the title for the Rays who were playing in the state tournament for the first time. Phil Johnson (Dimock-Emery) pitched four and one-third innings in relief for the win. The hurler allowed four hits and three runs while, striking out four and walking none. Jake Helleloid, who was named the tournament MVP, and Tanner Dyk had two hits and two RBIs each. James Deckert had two hits for and Carter Sommer drove in two runs for Parkston. Parkston won state championships in the 10U, 12U and junior Legion, while the 14U and Legion teams finished as state runners-up.
The Harrisburg Woodies beat Renner 4-3 to win the Class A baseball championship. Tyler Mitzel, the tournament MVP, pitched a complete game, had two hits including a game-tying solo home run and two RBIs for Harrisburg.
The Mitchell Kernel girls’ soccer team split two matches to start the season. Mitchell fell to top ranked Harrisburg 5-0 on Friday in Harrisburg. On Saturday, Taryn Thomas scored two goals and an assist in Mitchell’s 4-0 win over Tea Area at Joe Quintal Field. Addilyn Hubbard and Adia Hektner also had goals for Mitchell. Mitchell (1-1) hosts a Sioux Falls Christian at 4 p.m. on Tuesday at Joe Quintal Field.
The Mitchell Kernel boys’ soccer team was shutout by the Harrisburg and Tea Area in season opening matches. The Kernel fell 2-0 to Harrisburg on Friday and the Titans beat Mitchell 5-0 on Saturday at Joe Quintal Field. Mitchell (0-2) travels west for two road matches, facing Rapid City Stevens at 5 p.m. on Friday, Aug. 22 and Rapid City Central at 11 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 23.
Mitchell Kernels girls’ tennis will head to Sioux Falls for a triangular against Jefferson and Brookings starting at 10 a.m. on Monday.
The Mitchell Kernel boys’ golf team opens its season with East/West Invite at Spearfish Canyon Country Club on Monday. Some of the highlights on the Kernel schedule is hosting the annual Marchand Cup against Yankton on Sept. 2, and Mitchell Invite on Sept. 19. The Class AA state tournament is Oct. 6-7 at Meadowbrook Golf Course in Rapid City.
Dakota Wesleyan University kicked off its volleyball season with a split doubleheader against North Dakota opponents on Saturday. The Tigers started the day with a sweep of Valley City State. Karly VanDerWerff and Evy Knoblock each had 11 kills; Kayleigh Hybertson contributed 31 assists; Lizzie Tyler led defense with 17 digs. DWU fell to Dickinson State 3-1. Knoblock had 12 kills, Hybertson added 33 assists and 10 digs, and Tyler posted 22 digs. DWU (1-1) will play in the Siouxland Invitational Friday and Saturday in Sioux City, Iowa. The Tigers take on McPherson (Kan.) and Missouri Valley (Iowa) on Friday, and Rocky Mountain (Mont.) and William Penn (Iowa) on Saturday. The Tigers home opener is on September 6th against Waldorf.
The Dakota Wesleyan Men’s Soccer team will open their 2025 season at the Pepsi Cola Soccer Complex against Providence (Mont.) on Tuesday, September 2nd at 6:15 PM.
The Dakota Wesleyan Women’s Soccer team travels to Wisconsin next Saturday, August 23 for an exhibition vs. St. Norbert College. DWU will open their 2025 season at the Pepsi Cola Soccer Complex against Bellevue (Neb.) on Saturday, August 30th at 3:00 PM.
The Dakota Wesleyan football team will open its 11-game season at home against Dakota State on August 30th at 7:00 PM at Joe Quintal Field for the Traveling Chamber of Commerce Trophy. The Tigers will be at Joe Quintal six times this year with homecoming set for October 25th vs. Waldorf.
The Kansas Jayhawks scored a goal in the 58th minute to beat the SDSU women’s soccer team 1-0 in Lawrence, Kansas on Sunday. South Dakota State returns to Brookings to host Southwest Minnesota State in its home opener Friday at 7 p.m.
USD women’s soccer picked up its first win of the season in Des Moines with a 2-1 victory over Drake on Sunday. The Coyotes are back in Vermillion this week versus Kansas State on Thursday and Morningside on Saturday.
The Sioux Falls Little League team plays Fairfield, Connecticut in the Little League World Series on Monday at 6 p.m. on ESPN.
Tickets are on sale for the South Dakota Sports Hall of Fame banquet on Sept. 14 at the Sioux Falls Convention Center. Social hour begins at 4:30 p.m. Dinner is at 6 p.m., and the program begins at 7 p.m. Tickets available at sdshof.com
University of Nebraska Omaha forward Deng Mayar died on Saturday night after an incident in Utah, the program confirmed. Mayar transferred into Omaha this summer after spending the past two seasons at North Dakota. According to the Omaha World-Herald, Mayar drowned after an incident in the Blackridge Reservoir near Herriman, Utah, on Saturday. Mayar, who grew up in the Salt Lake City area, was 22.