May 1, 2026

DICKINSON, N.D. - No. 2 seed Valley City State (N.D.) handed top seed and NAIA's No. 2 Bellevue (Neb.) a rare loss late Friday afternoon, beating the Bruins 9-7 in the 2026 Frontier Conference Baseball Championship at Dakota Community Bank & Trust Ballpark. The victory ended Bellevue's 33-game winning streak and sent the Vikings to Sunday's championship game.

Valley City State (26-22-1 overall record) finished with nine runs on 11 hits and built its lead in stages.

Alexis Velasco opened the scoring in the third inning with a sacrifice fly that brought home Connor Hoyt, and Nick Senn followed later in the inning with a solo home run to left for a 2-0 lead.

Bellevue answered with single runs in the third, fourth and fifth innings, but Valley City State kept control. Kaden Rozdeba's two-run homer in the sixth pushed the lead to 4-1 and gave the Vikings more breathing room.

The decisive stretch came in the seventh. VCSU scored four times to move in front 8-2, with Hunter Logan's ball to the catcher turning into a two-run error that produced two unearned runs. Rozdeba then struck again, homering later in the inning to make it 9-2.

Bellevue made its run in the bottom half, scoring four times and cutting the margin with Ayden Makarus' three-run homer. The Bruins got as close as 9-7, but they could not finish the comeback.

Rozdeba led Valley City State's offense by going 3 for 4 with two home runs, three RBIs and two runs scored. Velasco added two hits and an RBI, while Senn supplied the early power with his third-inning shot.

Bellevue was paced by Nick Gravel, who went 4 for 5 with a double and two runs, and Makarus, who drove in three runs on his seventh-inning homer.

Grady Shipman earned the win for the Vikings after working six innings. He allowed six hits and four earned runs, walked one and struck out one on 86 pitches.

Brayden Andersen took the loss for BU. VCSU's Jarrett Faue closed it out for the save, covering the final innings as Bellevue's late push fell short.

Bellevue (45-4 overall record) finished with 10 hits but also left 10 runners on base, while Valley City State took advantage of its chances and benefited from three home runs.

Saturday Loser's Out schedule:
11 a.m.: Dakota State vs. Bismarck State
2:30 p.m.: 11 a.m. winner vs. Bellevue