The Dakota Athletic Conference regular-season baseball championship will be decided today.
Dickinson State coach Duane Monlux said Monday that his team will travel to Jamestown College to play the rescheduled doubleheader at Jack Brown Stadium.
The games were originally scheduled for Sunday but weather issues led to a postponement. Today's doubleheader is scheduled to begin at 11 a.m. MDT.
The Blue Hawks (23-12, 11-3 DAC) must win at least one of the games to clinch the title and the No. 1 seed in this weekend's conference tournament. If the Jimmies (22-7, 10-5 DAC) sweep the doubleheader, they'll win the title and earn the top seed.
"There's still a lot riding on these two games so it's important we go over there and finish it out," Monlux said.
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The teams combined for nine home runs as they split Saturday's doubleheader in Jamestown.
DSU hammered six homers in the doubleheader, winning the first game 13-5. Jamestown catcher Miles Johnson's second home run of the second game was the go-ahead run the Jimmies needed to secure a 6-5 win.
Monlux expects Jack Brown's short porch in right field should provide more fireworks, but said the little things will decide who wins.
"It's going to come down to who throws strikes and the team that plays clean defense," Monlux said.
As for the two extra days off to rest pitchers and players for a deciding game? The DSU coach isn't so sure it's a good thing, especially since it gives the teams less time to prepare for the DAC tournament, which begins Friday in Minot.
"I don't think it helps any team to be honest with you because the guys you pitched over the weekend are, for the most part, going to be unavailable tomorrow," Monlux said.
