The defending high school state baseball champions opened the 2026 season with a win over Tri-County Sundogs in Sioux Falls on Tuesday, March 24th. Dell Rapids took the win by a score of 9-2.
Connor Hanson had an RBI groundout, and Drake Eastman scored on a bunt play to put Dell Rapids ahead 2-0 after the top of the first. The first four batters reached for Tri-County in the bottom of the first which led to them tying the game 2-2. Jake Heinitz scored on an error, and Jackson Peppel had an RBI single in the top of the second to put Dell Rapids back in front 4-2. They would add two more runs in the top of the fourth when Ryan Stubbe scored on an error and Peppel had an RBI single. Dell Rapids added two more runs in the top of the sixth making the score 8-2. Heinitz scored on a passed ball in the top of the seventh to push the lead to 9-2.
Peppel finished with three hits and three RBIs. Swanson also had three hits with an RBI. Heinitz added two singles and an RBI. Eastman and Stubbe both finished with a single. Stubbe pitched three innings and allowed two earned runs on four hits and four walks with four strikeouts. Eastman threw two innings allowing two walks with six strikeouts. Owen Bollock pitched an inning walking two and striking out two. Cam Jones also pitched one inning allowing a hit with two strikeouts.
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | R | H | E | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dell Rapids | 2 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 9 | 5 | 1 | |
| Tri-County | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 5 | 7 |
