WEDNESDAY SPORTS, AUGUST 26, 2026
MITCHELL KERNELS
— Mitchell boys golf finished seventh at the Pierre Invitational Tuesday at Hillsview Golf Course. Asher Dannenbring led the Kernels with a 3-under 69, finishing second individually. Mitchell had a team score of 320, with Jordan Meyerink and Mason Moody each shooting 83. Brandon Valley won the team title with a 296. Mitchell returns to action Thursday at the Huron Invitational at Broadland Creek Golf Course.
— Mitchell girls soccer lost its first match of the season on Tuesday, 4-1 at Brookings. Meanwhile, the Brookings boys beat the Kernels 9-1. Mitchell soccer is back in action on Tuesday, Sept. 1 at Pierre with the girls match at 4 pm, followed by the boys at 6 pm.
— The first Mitchell Quarterback Club meeting of the school year is Wednesday at Lakeview Golf Course. The event includes a meal at 5:30 p.m., followed by the meeting at 6:30. Dakota Wesleyan University and Mitchell High School coaches are scheduled to speak about their teams ahead of the fall season. Membership is $30 for the school year. The meeting is open to the public. Regular Quarterback Club meetings will be held Wednesdays at 6:30 p.m. at Bradley’s Pub and Grille.
— Mitchell girls tennis will compete at the Rapid City Invitational starting on Thursday at 1 pm. The Kernels are 7-2 in duals this season.
— Mitchell cross country will host the Mitchell Invite on Thursday at Wild Oak Golf Course at 4 pm.
— Mitchell volleyball starts its season on Friday at home vs. Sturgis at 5 pm. The Kernels will compete at the Huron Invite on Saturday with four matches on the schedule.
— Mitchell football starts its season on Friday at home vs. Brookings at 7 pm. The KORN Booth pregame show starts at 6 pm on KORN News Radio.
DAKOTA WESLEYAN
— Dakota Wesleyan’s Allison Meyerink shot an even par 72 on Tuesday to win the Mt. Marty Invitational. Meyerink finished +3 over the two days to win the Invite by seven shots. The Tigers return to action on Sept. 8 at the Siouxland Invitational in Sioux City.
— — Dakota Wesleyan University volleyball earned two GPAC weekly honors. Kayleigh Hybertson was named setter of the week, while Lizzie Tyler earned defender of the week honors. Hybertson recorded 152 assists and 34 digs while helping the Tigers go 3-1 at the Siouxland Invitational. Tyler had 74 digs over four matches and is now DWU’s all-time career digs leader with 1,877. The Tigers are 7-1 on the season and play Dakota State on Wednesday at 7 pm in Madison.
— Dakota Wesleyan women’s soccer will be at Bellevue (Neb.) on Saturday at 4:30 pm.
— Dakota Wesleyan men’s soccer is back in action on Friday at Nebraska Wesleyan at 7 pm.
— Dakota Wesleyan football starts its season on Saturday at Dakota State at 7 pm.
SOUTH DAKOTA STATE
— South Dakota State women’s soccer returns home Thursday to host Western Illinois at 7 p.m.
— South Dakota State volleyball starts its season on Friday vs. Sacramento State at 5 pm CST. The Jackrabbits will play three matches as part of the Pepperdine Tournament. SDSU plays the host Pepperdine on Saturday at 7 pm CST, followed by Villanova on Sunday at Noon CST.
— South Dakota State football starts its season on Saturday vs. Stetson at 6 pm. The Jackrabbit pregame show starts at 4 pm on KORN News Radio.
SOUTH DAKOTA
— USD women’s soccer will be at Northern Colorado on Thursday at 8 pm.
— USD volleyball starts its season on Friday at the Drake Tournament in Des Moines, Iowa, facing the host Drake at 6 pm. The Coyotes take on Milwaukee on Saturday at 3 pm, followed by DePaul on Sunday at 11 am.
— USD football starts its season on Saturday vs. Central Connecticut State at 1 pm.
HIGH SCHOOL VOLLEYBALL – HANSON EARLY BIRD TOURNAMENT
Freeman 2, Sanborn Central/Woonsocket 1
Parker/Marion 2, Wessington Springs 0
Hanson 2, Andes Central/Dakota Christian 0
Avon 2, Platte-Geddes 0
Freeman 2, Avon 1 – Semifinals
Parker/Marion 2, Hanson 0 – Semifinals
Freeman vs. Parker/Marion – Hanson Early Bird Championship, 7:30 pm
Hanson vs. – Avon – Hanson Early Bird Third Place, 7:30 pm
Wessington Springs vs. Andes Central/Dakota Christian, 5:15 pm
Sanborn Central/Woonsocket vs. Platte-Geddes, 5:15 pm
No. 5 Parkston 3, Mt. Vernon/Plankinton 2
Bridgewater-Emery 3, McCook Central/Montrose 1
Kimball/White Lake 3, Gregory 0
Miller 3, Kimball/White Lake 0
De Smet 3, Howard 0
No. 2 O’Gorman 3, Aberdeen Central 0
Watertown 3, SF Roosevelt 1
SF Jefferson 3, Huron 0
Yankton 3, Brookings 1
MINNESOTA TWINS
— Carlos Cortes homered and rookie Gage Jump struck out nine in 6 1/3 innings as the Athletics beat the Minnesota Twins 4-2. Taj Bradley tied his career high with 11 strikeouts, but gave up four runs and seven hits in 6 2/3 innings for Minnesota. He struck out the side on nine pitches in the fifth for the first immaculate inning in Twins history. The final game of the three-game series is Wednesday at 8:05 pm.
COLLEGE FOOTBALL
— The Southeastern Conference has approved a rule banning athletes who have been drafted by or appeared on NFL, NBA or WNBA rosters from returning to college sports. The SEC joins the Big Ten, which adopted a similar rule for football earlier Tuesday. The moves come amid a nationwide eligibility battle after court rulings granted some athletes additional years of college eligibility. The NCAA has been facing lawsuits from players seeking a fifth year, including athletes who graduated high school in 2022. The ACC and Big 12 are expected to discuss similar rules Wednesday. The college football season begins Saturday, with TCU and North Carolina meeting in Ireland.
MLB
— San Diego Padres minor league catching coordinator Oswaldo Pirela has been released from federal immigration custody on bond. Pirela, who is from Venezuela and lives in Arizona, was detained by ICE at the El Paso Airport on Aug. 16 during a work trip. The Padres confirmed Tuesday that he was no longer in custody and said he had been reunited with his family. Homeland Security says Pirela entered the U.S. legally in 2014 but overstayed after 2018. His family disputes that account, saying he had applied for asylum and obtained work permits. Pirela remains in removal proceedings.
NFL
— San Francisco 49ers owner Jed York used an alias while texting a woman he believed was a prostitute before his arrest in an Ohio police sting. According to a police report, York arranged to meet the woman after responding to an online advertisement and was stopped by police after arriving at a mobile home park. Officers found $160 in his possession. York pleaded no contest Monday to disorderly conduct and possessing criminal tools, both misdemeanors. He was sentenced to one day in jail, credited with time served, fined $1,150 and ordered to complete an online course. The NFL says it will review the case under its personal conduct policy.
TENNIS
— Serena Williams and Carlos Alcaraz have been eliminated from mixed doubles at the U.S. Open. The star-studded pair lost to Belinda Bencic and Flavio Cobolli 5-4, 4-1 in the quarterfinals Tuesday. Williams was playing at the U.S. Open for the first time since 2022, while Alcaraz was returning to competition after missing four months with a wrist injury. Williams does not plan to play singles, but could team with her sister Venus in women’s doubles.
COLLEGE BASEBALL
— The NCAA is giving college baseball teams the option to use an Automated Ball/Strike system next season in all three divisions. The experimental system will allow batters, catchers and pitchers to challenge called balls and strikes when the technology is available. The SEC tested the system during its conference tournament in May. The NCAA is also permitting 18-inch bases, while 15-inch bases remain standard, and a double first base will be required. Division I will add a 30-second timer between batters, during mound visits and offensive timeouts.
MLB
— Ozzie Albies singled in the go-ahead run with two outs in the eighth inning as the Atlanta Braves defeated Los Angles 4-3, snapping the Dodgers’ six-game winning streak in a matchup of first-place teams.
— Pinch-hitter Ryan Waldschmidt hit a game-winning, two-run homer with two outs in the ninth inning as the Arizona Diamondbacks rallied to stun the Chicago Cubs 5-4. Arizona pulled one game behind San Diego for the final NL wild-card spot.
— José Ramírez drove in five runs with three doubles, while Steven Kwan had five singles as the Cleveland Guardians overcame an early five-run deficit to beat the Los Angeles Angels 8-6 in 10 innings.
— Salvador Perez drove in two runs, while Seth Lugo gave up one run in five innings as the Kansas City Royals beat the Toronto Blue Jays 5-3 to extend their winning streak to nine games. The last time the Royals won nine straight was in 2017.
— Yordan Alvarez went 3 for 5 and lined a go-ahead triple in the eighth inning as the Houston Astros beat the New York Yankees 9-7. Yainer Diaz hit a pair of solo homers for the Astros. Meanwhile, Alvarez increased his major league-leading batting average to .323.
— Jarren Duran hit a grand slam in the 11th inning, while Mickey Gasper had his first career two-homer game as the Boston Red Sox beat the Miami Marlins 7-3 in extra innings. The Red Sox won their fifth in a row and ninth in 12 games.
— Cal Raleigh tied a team record with homers in four straight at-bats, while George Kirby pitched one-run ball into the eighth inning as Seattle Mariners beat the Philadelphia Phillies 4-1.
— Oneil Cruz hit the first homer allowed by closer Mason Miller in over a year with two outs in the ninth, sending the Pittsburgh Pirates to a 1-0 victory over the San Diego Padres.
— Max Clark hit his first home run at home and second of his career as five Tigers pitchers combined to allow one run as Detroit ended a six-game losing streak with a 4-1 win over the Tampa Bay Rays.
— Tristan Peters hit a two-run double off Jacob deGrom during Chicago’s six-run first inning as the White Sox held off the Texas Rangers 11-7. Peters also went deep in the sixth, extending his career-high homer streak to four games.
— Francisco Lindor made a diving catch at shortstop with the bases loaded in the ninth inning and scored the winning run on a throwing error in the 10th to lead the New York Mets past the Milwaukee Brewers 3-2.
— Pete Alonso had four hits, including a three-run homer, and drove in four runs as the Baltimore Orioles routed the St. Louis Cardinals 13-1.
— Rafael Devers hit his 28th homer, a drive that bounced into McCovey Cove, as the San Francisco Giants beat the Cincinnati Reds 3-1.
— Hunter Goodman homered in his return from a shoulder injury as the Colorado Rockies snapped a seven-game losing streak with a 3-1 victory over the Washington Nationals.
HIGH SCHOOL VOLLEYBALL PRESEASON POLL – AUGUST 24
CLASS AA
1. Harrisburg (6) 35-2 30 1
2. O’Gorman 26-5 21 2
3. Brandon Valley 27-4 20 3
4. S.F. Lincoln 21-6 8 4
5. S.F. Washington 18-9 7 5
RECEIVING VOTES: Watertown (22-11) 3; S.F. Jefferson (13-14) 1
CLASS A
1. Dell Rapids (3) 29-7 26 2
2. S.F. Christian (1) 27-11 24 3
3. Dakota Valley (2) 34-3 22 1
4. Clark-Willow Lake 27-2 8 4
5. St. Thomas More 30-11 7 NR
RECEIVING VOTES: Hamlin (22-6) 2; Wagner (24-10) 1
CLASS B
1. Chester Area (4) 33-1 28 1
2. Warner (2) 33-7 26 3
3. Northwestern 37-3 14 2
4. Bennett County 37-7 13 RV
5. Parkston 31-8 4 RV
RECEIVING VOTES: Colman-Egan (22-7) 3; Gayville-Volin (32-5) 1; Harding County (28-6) 1
HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL POLL – AUGUST 24
CLASS 11AAA
1. Sioux Falls Lincoln (16) 95
2. Brandon Valley (3) 69
3. Sioux Falls Jefferson (1) 67
4. Harrisburg 42
5. O’Gorman 23
Receiving votes: Sioux Falls Washington 4.
CLASS 11AA
1. Pierre (19) 97
2. Huron 62
3. Yankton 59
4. Tea Area 37
5. Sturgis (1) 24
Receiving votes: Watertown 12, Spearfish 9.
CLASS 11A
1. Sioux Falls Christian (20) 100
2. Lennox 72
3. Dell Rapids 60
4. West Central 38
5. Madison 19
Receiving votes: Dakota Valley 9, Canton 1, Tri-Valley 1.
CLASS 11B
1. Elk Point-Jefferson (10), 1-0, 83
2. St. Thomas More (8), 1-0, 82
3. Winner (1), 1-0, 41
4. Deuel, 1-0, 39
5. Sioux Valley, 1-0, 23
Receiving votes: Clark/Willow Lake 17.
CLASS 9AA
1. Parkston (19), 1-0, 99
2. Bon Homme, 1-0, 73
3. Platte-Geddes, 1-0, 54
4. Viborg-Hurley, 1-0, 27
5. Hamlin, 0-1, 16
Receiving votes: Britton-Hecla 13, Hanson 4, Garretson 3.
CLASS 9A
1. Freeman (14), 1-0, 84
2. Howard (4), 1-0, 76
3. Castlewood (1), 1-0, 46
4. Elkton-Lake Benton, 1-0, 41
5. Kimball/White Lake, 1-0, 30
Receiving votes: Lyman 4, Alcester-Hudson 3, Philip 1.
CLASS 9B
1. Dell Rapids St. Mary (14), 1-0, 89
2. Wall (5), 1-0, 75
3. Warner, 1-0, 60
4. Avon, 1-0, 40
5. Colman-Egan, 1-0, 16.
Receiving votes: Herreid/Selby Area 5.