Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Thanks for having me on and it was good. It's
a nice short trip, especially compared to some of the
other trips that we have to take on the bus,
so you know, it was an easy trip last evening
and got checked in the hotel and kind of gearing
up for this weekend and going back to Wednesday. It
was I thought it was a really cool environment for
(00:22):
us to play in, and there was a buzzer around
the stadium, and it's people there and obviously great weather
and so hopefully I've been talking with a lot of
people and the reviews have been extremely positive of trying
to do that thing on a yearly basis with the.
Speaker 2 (00:36):
Red Hawks, I think we're right there with your coach.
It was a tremendous atmosphere. I almost had two thousand
people out there on a weeknight to capture a little
bit of the essence of baseball. Felt like a summertime
night out there with the Bison taking on the Red Hawks.
Just afterwards, reflecting with the team, how are the guys,
you know, going up against older players. I mean the
(00:57):
starter they threw out was thirty years old. Playing with
the wood bats, they're producing runs and by the end
there the bullpen was was hanging up a lot of
zero is just what were your takeaways for what you
can grab from that game and take into this weekend.
Speaker 1 (01:10):
Yeah. I think it's just another opportunity for us to
play high level competition and guys that have obviously, uh
played collegiately at high level or even professional baseball. I
think Dylan Thomas just been in the big leagues a
couple of different stints, and so it's cool. It's a
cool opportunity for our guys to go up against that
and continue to challenge ourselves to continue to get better
(01:33):
and see some of the best of the best. And
I thought it was it was kind of special to
you know, uh, looking out there and then all of
a sudden RedHawks players are talking with our guys while
they're at second base, around the base path and stuff
like that too, and having some of those interactions. I
thought it was really cool, and I just thought it
was a great night overall for you know, baseball and
(01:54):
Fargo and showcasing to two local teams. I think that
do it the right way, and you know, I think
that's the biggest takeaway. It's just given the community and
opportunity to come out and support both our teams and
playing good baseball and having a fun night with us.
Speaker 3 (02:10):
That way, I kind of said, it felt like almost
a passion of a torch, like you guys are coming
towards the end of your regular season, they're just about
to get going and getting going here actually today, and
it did feel like a little bit of a passion
of the torch of the summer. And that was a
I thought it was a great event. I think me
and Sam are in agreement on that one right there
with you, that it was a great event. Would love
to do it again. Is there anything you'd like to
add to it or do differently if it happens again.
Speaker 1 (02:32):
Oh, I might need some time to think on that one.
You know. I thought, if mother nature can cooperate like that,
we take that every single year for sure. But I
just thought it was great to get out and play again,
especially at home, you know, not have to travel at all,
and again having kind of that buzz in the stadium
that Newman was was great to see as well. And
(02:55):
hopefully you know, can bring out some fans that maybe
specifically only go to RedHawks games, or you know, bring
Ndy a few fans to get out to some RedHawks
games too, and just show that there's more opportunities to
see baseball as Farda as well.
Speaker 3 (03:09):
I don't know if there's anything that can help Blake
tim and see the ball better than he is right now.
But I mean a big hit there in the ninth
for you against the RedHawks to bring it to a
one run game and then you know, tying runs on third,
he's standing on second representing that go ahead run. So
a great game for him. But even a guy like
Tate Martin, I mean, he gets two doubles in that game,
and he hasn't seen a lot of you know, at
bats because of some injuries and other things here throughout
(03:30):
this last couple of weeks. How much kind of game
might that may be help a Tate Martin some of
your other guys that had some good games, and maybe
even give you some confidence to throw a guy out
there this week and against the Tommies.
Speaker 1 (03:40):
Yeah, you know, we we'll need everyone in anyone, especially
hear down the stretch run and for Blake to keep
doing what he's been doing has been awesome and fun
to watch. I know we've talked about it in link
with how he works the type of kit he is
and the amount of time that he puts into his
craft too, and so it's great to see him having success.
And then you know a guy like Tate, he's still
(04:02):
a young kid that we have high expectations for and
he's had some injury issues that he's been battling, and
so we can't be we can't play in the field,
and DH is pretty much the only spot that he
can play right now. So getting him come at back
and get him going a little bit can be crucial
here down the stretch run too, to kind of create
some different matchups within our lineup against different pitchers and
(04:25):
lengthening out our lineup a little bit too.
Speaker 2 (04:27):
Talking with Bison Baseball head coach Tyler Oaks, NDSU has
Saint Thomas in a three game series on the road. Coach,
what's the status of of this group healthwise coming into
the weekend. It was good to see Havan Gustafson come
back and get back in the lineup on Wednesday night. Uh, no,
that obviously we've been missing Dante and and Parker as well.
Where are you guys at as far as availability for
(04:49):
the weekend.
Speaker 1 (04:50):
Yeah, like you said, it was great to get Gustuston
back out there, and you know he'll he'll be ready
to go this weekend again, so he'll get out there
for one of the games for sure, just so we
don't have to keep running. Gordon's kind of in the
ground a little bit catching every single game, and I
think he adds another element to our our offense as well,
(05:11):
being a left handed hitter and can create some matchup
problems that way too, So it was great to get
him back. And then Dante won't be good this weekend,
so we'll be without him, so more opportunse for guys
to continue to step up like Timmins and Tate Martin
like we talked about. And then we're hoping to hoping
to get Kyle Loll back in the mixt. He's with
(05:33):
us this weekend and so trying to find maybe some
opportunities that he can get it back out there and
get his feet wet again with them at Bath maybe
start at the DH spot one of the games. We'll
kind of see from there. But I know he's been
working his tailoff and three have process and jumping at
the bit to get back out there with his teammates.
And so we're turning in the right direction with that,
(05:54):
and so I think the big thing for us is
just continuing to you know, have the people available that
we have available and continue to go out and try
to play good baseball and know that guys are to.
Speaker 3 (06:04):
Be ready to go in their name Cold and Tyler
Oaks are with the said coach Bison Baseball. Three games
set down in Saint Paul against Saint Thomas this week,
and you guys took two out of three from Saint
Thomas up here about a month or so ago. They
took the first game. You guys got the next two
knowing they're gonna want a little bit of revenge in
the top team in the conference right now. But as
a conference standings that I've really gotten tight with Omaha
(06:25):
right behind you guys, still a good chance of of
you potentially catching oh are you and getting that number
one seed for the tournament. How do you view this weekend,
in these last couple of weeks with how tight everything
has gotten.
Speaker 1 (06:36):
Yeah, it's it's been a crazy, you know year in
the SEMIT League with everything is so tight and a
game per game, you just got to go out and
play good baseball or if you're gonna end up losing games,
and I think that's a credit to the league and
the coaches that we have in this league two of
continuing to build up their program. And you know, for us,
it's this week will be challenging obviously, a team that's
(06:58):
in first place right now, chomping at the bit to
try to win a regular season title, and this is
their last home series as well. So with them having
I think double digit seniors for sure, kind of an
experienced group, this is our last chance to play at home.
I'm sure we'll get their best effort, and then you know,
we'll have to continue to match that too and make
(07:19):
sure that we're ready to go and put ourselves in
the best position possible here going forward. Like you said,
anything is possible right now. You have a good weekend
this week and you're right back in the mix for
the one seed for the conference tournament. You have a
bad weekend, you're right back in that mix of just
trying to battle the for positioning in the conference tournament too.
And so it's a day in and day out process
(07:39):
that we're just trying to take one game at a time.
I know it sounds cliche, but that's literally all we
can do. Right now, especially in our league with how
tight it is, you just got to bring it that
day and see what you can do and go from there.
Speaker 2 (07:49):
Coach, I got to ask you about Jake Schaffner, and
it's interesting when we have our visit, like sometimes you
might not come up that much because you just know
what you're going to get, right. He's been tremendous over
these last two years shortstop for you, but I've got
him down for sixteen for his last twenty nine. That's
five point fifty one over his last six games, multi
hit games in all six of those games. He's reached
(08:10):
base safely in his last nine. I mean last weekend
gets Oh are you going back to the series in Brookings.
It just it amazes me how well he's able to
just generate hits. I mean, he's almost hitting four hundred
for the year. What have you seen for him specifically
in this last three week stretch that he's been able
(08:30):
to kind of crank it up and just year one
to year two with his approach that's allowed him to
be as consistent as can be in the leadoff spot.
Speaker 1 (08:38):
You know, I think it just comes down to the
consistency part of it and his ability to have extremely
talented back to ball skills. He doesn't strike out a ton,
He works good long at bats. People try to get
him out different ways, and he follows off pitches or
spoils pitches and then hits the mistake. And he's able
to do some things that other people can't do in
(08:58):
terms of handle the bat, and he does it. He
goes about it kind of in a quiet manner. You know,
he's not a guy that will hit a ton of
doubles or home runs, but you look in the box
score and all of a sudden, he has three or
four hits each day. And that's whether it's the line
drivel of a short stuff set or a couple of
bunt base hits. Like he's just so effective and finding
ways to get on base and kind of setting the
(09:19):
tone for our offense. And I just think it goes
back to him not striking out and putting balls in
play and having the ability to really be a contact hitter.
That just, I'm sure drives opposing coaches crazy in the
dugout because you're trying to get him out every which way,
and he finds ways to continue to beat him. And
then once he's on the base toss two. He can
(09:40):
cause some havoc on there too, so it's great to
have him at the top of the order. He's kind of,
you know, for as good as his freshman year was,
he definitely has taken the next step as a sophomore too.
And for me, as he's put himself in that conference
player of the Year type running. In my opinion, I
love it.
Speaker 2 (09:56):
I think it's well deserved for sure, Tyler Oaks, you're
with us on the Brady mart high line. Last one
for me, Coach Nolan Johnson, super impressive last Friday. Can
you just take us through how you evaluated that started
and what clicked for him and how he can carry
it over.
Speaker 1 (10:11):
Yeah, he's just competes, you know. He goes up and
competes and doesn't beat himself too often. He doesn't walk,
hedn't hit people, and its effective of throwing three pitches
in and around the zone then keep his hitters off
balanced that way, and when you're a left handed pitcher
and you can do those sort of things, there's a
lot of success to be headed. He's seen that success
(10:33):
in this year. And another guy that I think he
finishes the last two weeks up here of the regular season,
has definitely put himself in that conference picture of the
year type conversation, you know. For for us to have
a guy like that that can set the tone on
the first day of a weekend set is huge, especially
with how deep he's been going into games, and he's
(10:56):
been bouncing back grade and putting in the work throughout
the week too to make sure that he's at his
beast us and so I know he's a he's a
guy that a lot of people don't want to face,
and he makes a difficult on hitters by mixing matching
like we talked about, and for me, it's just extremely
rewarding to see him have the success he's head, especially
(11:16):
after last year being cut short with injury and him
working his stale off this offseason in the summer to
put himself in this position. It's pretty cool to watch,
no doubt.
Speaker 2 (11:25):
Man. He'll be back back in his home area here
tonight as NDSU takes on Saint Thomas down in the
Twin Cities. Tyler Oaks here with US Spies and baseball
coach coach. We appreciate it. Thanks always for the time
and good luck this weekend. We'll be rooting here in Fargo.
Speaker 1 (11:41):
Awesome. Thank you guys. I appreciate it.
Thanks for having me on and it was good. It's
a nice short trip, especially compared to some of the
other trips that we have to take on the bus,
so you know, it was an easy trip last evening
and got checked in the hotel and kind of gearing
up for this weekend and going back to Wednesday. It
was I thought it was a really cool environment for
(00:22):
us to play in, and there was a buzzer around
the stadium, and it's people there and obviously great weather
and so hopefully I've been talking with a lot of
people and the reviews have been extremely positive of trying
to do that thing on a yearly basis with the.
Speaker 2 (00:36):
Red Hawks, I think we're right there with your coach.
It was a tremendous atmosphere. I almost had two thousand
people out there on a weeknight to capture a little
bit of the essence of baseball. Felt like a summertime
night out there with the Bison taking on the Red Hawks.
Just afterwards, reflecting with the team, how are the guys,
you know, going up against older players. I mean the
(00:57):
starter they threw out was thirty years old. Playing with
the wood bats, they're producing runs and by the end
there the bullpen was was hanging up a lot of
zero is just what were your takeaways for what you
can grab from that game and take into this weekend.
Speaker 1 (01:10):
Yeah. I think it's just another opportunity for us to
play high level competition and guys that have obviously, uh
played collegiately at high level or even professional baseball. I
think Dylan Thomas just been in the big leagues a
couple of different stints, and so it's cool. It's a
cool opportunity for our guys to go up against that
and continue to challenge ourselves to continue to get better
(01:33):
and see some of the best of the best. And
I thought it was it was kind of special to
you know, uh, looking out there and then all of
a sudden RedHawks players are talking with our guys while
they're at second base, around the base path and stuff
like that too, and having some of those interactions. I
thought it was really cool, and I just thought it
was a great night overall for you know, baseball and
(01:54):
Fargo and showcasing to two local teams. I think that
do it the right way, and you know, I think
that's the biggest takeaway. It's just given the community and
opportunity to come out and support both our teams and
playing good baseball and having a fun night with us.
Speaker 3 (02:10):
That way, I kind of said, it felt like almost
a passion of a torch, like you guys are coming
towards the end of your regular season, they're just about
to get going and getting going here actually today, and
it did feel like a little bit of a passion
of the torch of the summer. And that was a
I thought it was a great event. I think me
and Sam are in agreement on that one right there
with you, that it was a great event. Would love
to do it again. Is there anything you'd like to
add to it or do differently if it happens again.
Speaker 1 (02:32):
Oh, I might need some time to think on that one.
You know. I thought, if mother nature can cooperate like that,
we take that every single year for sure. But I
just thought it was great to get out and play again,
especially at home, you know, not have to travel at all,
and again having kind of that buzz in the stadium
that Newman was was great to see as well. And
(02:55):
hopefully you know, can bring out some fans that maybe
specifically only go to RedHawks games, or you know, bring
Ndy a few fans to get out to some RedHawks
games too, and just show that there's more opportunities to
see baseball as Farda as well.
Speaker 3 (03:09):
I don't know if there's anything that can help Blake
tim and see the ball better than he is right now.
But I mean a big hit there in the ninth
for you against the RedHawks to bring it to a
one run game and then you know, tying runs on third,
he's standing on second representing that go ahead run. So
a great game for him. But even a guy like
Tate Martin, I mean, he gets two doubles in that game,
and he hasn't seen a lot of you know, at
bats because of some injuries and other things here throughout
(03:30):
this last couple of weeks. How much kind of game
might that may be help a Tate Martin some of
your other guys that had some good games, and maybe
even give you some confidence to throw a guy out
there this week and against the Tommies.
Speaker 1 (03:40):
Yeah, you know, we we'll need everyone in anyone, especially
hear down the stretch run and for Blake to keep
doing what he's been doing has been awesome and fun
to watch. I know we've talked about it in link
with how he works the type of kit he is
and the amount of time that he puts into his
craft too, and so it's great to see him having success.
And then you know a guy like Tate, he's still
(04:02):
a young kid that we have high expectations for and
he's had some injury issues that he's been battling, and
so we can't be we can't play in the field,
and DH is pretty much the only spot that he
can play right now. So getting him come at back
and get him going a little bit can be crucial
here down the stretch run too, to kind of create
some different matchups within our lineup against different pitchers and
(04:25):
lengthening out our lineup a little bit too.
Speaker 2 (04:27):
Talking with Bison Baseball head coach Tyler Oaks, NDSU has
Saint Thomas in a three game series on the road. Coach,
what's the status of of this group healthwise coming into
the weekend. It was good to see Havan Gustafson come
back and get back in the lineup on Wednesday night. Uh, no,
that obviously we've been missing Dante and and Parker as well.
Where are you guys at as far as availability for
(04:49):
the weekend.
Speaker 1 (04:50):
Yeah, like you said, it was great to get Gustuston
back out there, and you know he'll he'll be ready
to go this weekend again, so he'll get out there
for one of the games for sure, just so we
don't have to keep running. Gordon's kind of in the
ground a little bit catching every single game, and I
think he adds another element to our our offense as well,
(05:11):
being a left handed hitter and can create some matchup
problems that way too, So it was great to get
him back. And then Dante won't be good this weekend,
so we'll be without him, so more opportunse for guys
to continue to step up like Timmins and Tate Martin
like we talked about. And then we're hoping to hoping
to get Kyle Loll back in the mixt. He's with
(05:33):
us this weekend and so trying to find maybe some
opportunities that he can get it back out there and
get his feet wet again with them at Bath maybe
start at the DH spot one of the games. We'll
kind of see from there. But I know he's been
working his tailoff and three have process and jumping at
the bit to get back out there with his teammates.
And so we're turning in the right direction with that,
(05:54):
and so I think the big thing for us is
just continuing to you know, have the people available that
we have available and continue to go out and try
to play good baseball and know that guys are to.
Speaker 3 (06:04):
Be ready to go in their name Cold and Tyler
Oaks are with the said coach Bison Baseball. Three games
set down in Saint Paul against Saint Thomas this week,
and you guys took two out of three from Saint
Thomas up here about a month or so ago. They
took the first game. You guys got the next two
knowing they're gonna want a little bit of revenge in
the top team in the conference right now. But as
a conference standings that I've really gotten tight with Omaha
(06:25):
right behind you guys, still a good chance of of
you potentially catching oh are you and getting that number
one seed for the tournament. How do you view this weekend,
in these last couple of weeks with how tight everything
has gotten.
Speaker 1 (06:36):
Yeah, it's it's been a crazy, you know year in
the SEMIT League with everything is so tight and a
game per game, you just got to go out and
play good baseball or if you're gonna end up losing games,
and I think that's a credit to the league and
the coaches that we have in this league two of
continuing to build up their program. And you know, for us,
it's this week will be challenging obviously, a team that's
(06:58):
in first place right now, chomping at the bit to
try to win a regular season title, and this is
their last home series as well. So with them having
I think double digit seniors for sure, kind of an
experienced group, this is our last chance to play at home.
I'm sure we'll get their best effort, and then you know,
we'll have to continue to match that too and make
(07:19):
sure that we're ready to go and put ourselves in
the best position possible here going forward. Like you said,
anything is possible right now. You have a good weekend
this week and you're right back in the mix for
the one seed for the conference tournament. You have a
bad weekend, you're right back in that mix of just
trying to battle the for positioning in the conference tournament too.
And so it's a day in and day out process
(07:39):
that we're just trying to take one game at a time.
I know it sounds cliche, but that's literally all we
can do. Right now, especially in our league with how
tight it is, you just got to bring it that
day and see what you can do and go from there.
Speaker 2 (07:49):
Coach, I got to ask you about Jake Schaffner, and
it's interesting when we have our visit, like sometimes you
might not come up that much because you just know
what you're going to get, right. He's been tremendous over
these last two years shortstop for you, but I've got
him down for sixteen for his last twenty nine. That's
five point fifty one over his last six games, multi
hit games in all six of those games. He's reached
(08:10):
base safely in his last nine. I mean last weekend
gets Oh are you going back to the series in Brookings.
It just it amazes me how well he's able to
just generate hits. I mean, he's almost hitting four hundred
for the year. What have you seen for him specifically
in this last three week stretch that he's been able
(08:30):
to kind of crank it up and just year one
to year two with his approach that's allowed him to
be as consistent as can be in the leadoff spot.
Speaker 1 (08:38):
You know, I think it just comes down to the
consistency part of it and his ability to have extremely
talented back to ball skills. He doesn't strike out a ton,
He works good long at bats. People try to get
him out different ways, and he follows off pitches or
spoils pitches and then hits the mistake. And he's able
to do some things that other people can't do in
(08:58):
terms of handle the bat, and he does it. He
goes about it kind of in a quiet manner. You know,
he's not a guy that will hit a ton of
doubles or home runs, but you look in the box
score and all of a sudden, he has three or
four hits each day. And that's whether it's the line
drivel of a short stuff set or a couple of
bunt base hits. Like he's just so effective and finding
ways to get on base and kind of setting the
(09:19):
tone for our offense. And I just think it goes
back to him not striking out and putting balls in
play and having the ability to really be a contact hitter.
That just, I'm sure drives opposing coaches crazy in the
dugout because you're trying to get him out every which way,
and he finds ways to continue to beat him. And
then once he's on the base toss two. He can
(09:40):
cause some havoc on there too, so it's great to
have him at the top of the order. He's kind of,
you know, for as good as his freshman year was,
he definitely has taken the next step as a sophomore too.
And for me, as he's put himself in that conference
player of the Year type running. In my opinion, I
love it.
Speaker 2 (09:56):
I think it's well deserved for sure, Tyler Oaks, you're
with us on the Brady mart high line. Last one
for me, Coach Nolan Johnson, super impressive last Friday. Can
you just take us through how you evaluated that started
and what clicked for him and how he can carry
it over.
Speaker 1 (10:11):
Yeah, he's just competes, you know. He goes up and
competes and doesn't beat himself too often. He doesn't walk,
hedn't hit people, and its effective of throwing three pitches
in and around the zone then keep his hitters off
balanced that way, and when you're a left handed pitcher
and you can do those sort of things, there's a
lot of success to be headed. He's seen that success
(10:33):
in this year. And another guy that I think he
finishes the last two weeks up here of the regular season,
has definitely put himself in that conference picture of the
year type conversation, you know. For for us to have
a guy like that that can set the tone on
the first day of a weekend set is huge, especially
with how deep he's been going into games, and he's
(10:56):
been bouncing back grade and putting in the work throughout
the week too to make sure that he's at his
beast us and so I know he's a he's a
guy that a lot of people don't want to face,
and he makes a difficult on hitters by mixing matching
like we talked about, and for me, it's just extremely
rewarding to see him have the success he's head, especially
(11:16):
after last year being cut short with injury and him
working his stale off this offseason in the summer to
put himself in this position. It's pretty cool to watch,
no doubt.
Speaker 2 (11:25):
Man. He'll be back back in his home area here
tonight as NDSU takes on Saint Thomas down in the
Twin Cities. Tyler Oaks here with US Spies and baseball
coach coach. We appreciate it. Thanks always for the time
and good luck this weekend. We'll be rooting here in Fargo.
Speaker 1 (11:41):
Awesome. Thank you guys. I appreciate it.
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