Chilliwack native Shane Kraemer had the best seat in the house for history, taking in South Dakota State’s first ever division one baseball tournament game on Friday.
From the dugout, Kraemer watched his crew open with a regional game in Eugene, OR, against the University of Oregon Ducks. The Jacks held their own in a tough matchup against the national eight-seed, and led 2-0 through four innings. But the Ducks got one in the fifth and two in the eighth to get the win.
Needing a win in their second game, the Jacks instead saw their tournament hopes come crashing down with a 4-3 extra-innings loss to the University of San Francisco Dons on Saturday.
Kraemer saw action in this one.
The left-handed senior came on in the 13th inning and walked two batters to load the bases.
Chad Hodges took over, yielding a sacrifice fly that plated the winning run.
Though his season ended in disappointment, the Sardis secondary school grad played a huge role in getting the Jackrabbits to the tournament in the first place. He started the final game of the Summit League tournament, pitching South Dakota to a 1-0 win over North Dakota and the school’s first ever Summit League title.
The Chilliwack kid didn’t allow a hit through his first three-and-a-third innings.
He got into some trouble in the fifth, but worked through it to strand runners on first and third base. Kraemer left with two out and two on in the sixth, with reliever Stephen Bougher inducing a double-play to end the threat.
Kraemer joined the Jacks in 2010, splitting the last four seasons between starting and the bullpen.
He went 2-2 in six starts this season, allowing 38 hits through 27.1 innings while walking 10 and striking out 23.
Kraemer went 2-1 in 15.1 innings of relief, allowing 23 hits and six walks while striking out 16.
He’s majoring in political science.
