North Dakota
Fargo Shanley powers to ND Class A state baseball crown
DICKINSON, N.D. — Fargo Shanley was playing in its third state championship game in four seasons and senior shortstop Tommy Simon has started in all three.
Simon and the Deacons weren’t going to be denied Saturday after title games losses in 2021 and 2022.
Landon Meier and Simon both cracked home runs and drove in three runs each to spark the Deacons to an 11-6 victory against Bismarck Legacy for the North Dakota Class A state baseball championship at Dakota Community Bank & Trust Ballpark.
“It means just about everything,” said Simon, who has committed to play baseball at Nebraska. “I’ve kind of given my life to baseball since I was 12. It’s pretty nice to win one for my school. … It would have sucked to go 0-for-3 (in title games) and I’m really glad we didn’t.”
Shanley won its first state title since 2013.
“I was excited for them to be able to finish this off,” Shanley head coach Luke Rustad said of his team.
David Samson/The Forum
Meier went 3-for-4 and also scored three runs. Simon was 2-for-4 and scored two runs. Both had doubles to go along with their home runs.
“The entire lineup was hitting the ball very hard,” Simon said. “It was great to see.”
The Deacons built a 10-2 lead in the top of the fifth inning before Legacy scored three in the bottom of the fifth and another in the sixth to narrow the gap.
In the first inning, Adam Leininger drove in a run on a ground out, Simon belted a solo home run and a third run scored on an error.
David Samson/The Forum
Legacy scored two in the second to make it 3-2, but the Deacons got both runs back in the third on Simon’s two-run double.
In the fourth inning, Landon Meier doubled in two runs and a third scored on a Legacy error. Boden Meier drew a bases-loaded walk to make it 9-2. Landon Meier made it 10-2 with a solo homer in the fifth.
“That’s my guy,” Simon said of Landon Meier. “I’m going to be pretty sad that our time together could be over.”
In the sixth, Jordan Leininger was hit by a pitch, Quinn Miller singled and Boden Meier walked to load the bases. Landon Hale followed with a sacrifice fly to left to drive in Jordan Leininger for an 11-5 lead.
“Every time they got a run, we answered back,” Rustad said.
David Samson/The Forum
Legacy’s Drew Beasley was 2-for-4 with a double and three RBIs.
Greg Noel started for Shanley and went two innings. Hale relieved and worked the final five, giving up three earned runs on four hits, striking out four and walking one.
Simon said it was nice to see classmates who don’t play baseball make the trip to Dickinson for the title game.
“It’s a special group of guys in this class,” Simon said. “That was sweet. It was a good bunch of them that made the trip.”
David Samson/The Forum
Rustad said this team had a special resolve.
“I think the biggest thing is they didn’t ride an emotional roller-coaster,” Rustad said. “They just played mature. They were focused. Baseball is about being consistent.”
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FARGO, ND (Dakota News Now) -North Dakota State held South Dakota State to 35.7% shooting in the first half, and kept the Jackrabbits at bay in the second half, en route to a 76-65 victory for the Bison in the Scheels Center on Wednesday in Summit League men’s basketball.
SDSU missed its first eight field goal attempts of the contest but found itself down just 6-0 in the opening minutes. The Jackrabbits trailed 15-6 before getting on their best run of the night. An 11-0 scoring stretch over a roughly two-minute span gave SDSU a 17-15 edge. The Jacks led for 23 seconds before NDSU struck back. The Bison responded with a 13-0 run to give the Bison a 28-17 advantage with 5:22 remaining in the opening half. North Dakota State eventually took a 35-23 lead into the halftime break. The Bison shot 48.3% from the field, while hitting five 3-pointers, and the Jacks were held to 2 of 13 from deep.
SDSU and NDSU traded baskets through a majority of the second half. The Jackrabbits whittled the deficit into single digits for a large portion of the period. Matthew Mors drained back-to-back 3-pointers to cut the margin to 63-58 as the clock dipped to five minutes remaining. Consecutive treys made by NDSU’s Treyson Anderson and Damari Wheeler-Thomas pushed the lead to double digits for good.
South Dakota State outshot North Dakota State 52-44% from the floor, but the Bison were 9-for-18 from 3-point range in the final 20 minutes of action.
NOTES
- North Dakota State improved to 15-5 overall and 5-0 in Summit League play. South Dakota State fell to 9-10 (2-2).
- Anderson led all scorers in the game with 20 points. The Bison sophomore went 7-for-12 shooting and 5 of 9 from deep. Five Bison scored in double digits including Trevian Carson (14), Markhi Strickland (12), Wheeler-Thomas (11) and Andy Stefonowicz (10). Wheeler-Thomas had eight rebounds and Carson dished out four assists, while the duo had three steals apiece.
- Four Jackrabbits scored in double digits led by Jaden Jackson’s 16 points. He was followed by Joe Sayler (12), Damon Wilkinson (10) and Mors (10). Jackson had team highs in rebounds (8) and assists (4).
- NDSU narrowly outshot SDSU 46-44% but had an edge from deep. The Bison connected on 14 3-pointers (45.2%) while the Jacks knocked down nine on 26 attempts (34.6%).
UP NEXT
South Dakota State returns home for its next contest on Saturday. The Jackrabbits host Kansas City at 4:15 p.m. in First Bank & Trust Arena as part of a doubleheader with the SDSU women’s basketball team.
Copyright 2026 Dakota News Now. All rights reserved.
North Dakota
North Dakota troopers escort semi truck hauling 81 foot wide building on five mile journey
The North Dakota Highway Patrol (NDHP) was on scene to assist with the move of a large building in Cass County on Wednesday.
On January 14, 2026, NDHP troopers were on hand to assist a heavy haul team with moving a building on a five mile journey along Highway 46 from Co. Rd. 17 in Cass County to west of Kindred.
Troopers say that the building is 81 feet wide, 81 feet long and 35 feet high.
NDHP warned motorists that the building’s track would be “slow moving” and would take up the entire roadway. Troopers advised alternate routes.
BISMARCK, N.D. (KFGO/KVRR) — The North Dakota Democratic-NPL will hold its state convention in Bismarck on Friday, March 6 to Sunday, March 8, 2026.
They say all official business will take place on Saturday, March 7.
Delegates to the state convention are elected at their legislative district conventions.
If a district does not fill its slate, it may allow the district chair to appoint the remaining delegates.
“At a moment when division threatens progress, we come together – across generations, communities, and regions – to reaffirm that democracy works best when everyone has a voice and a stake in what comes next,” North Dakota Democratic-NPL Secretary and Convention Planning Chair Kari Breker said. “This convention is about leadership rooted in hope, action over cynicism, and unity as the engine of lasting change. Together, we are not just defending democracy – we are building a future worthy of the next generation.”
The North Dakota GOP State Convention is scheduled to be held in Minot from March 26 through March 29 at the North Dakota State Fairgrounds.
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