Happy Hour with John Gaskins

Sioux Falls Live sportswriter Trent Singer joins the Happy Hour host for a Thirsty Thursday at Orion Pub, where they discuss:   * South Dakota State's baseball matchup with Nebraska in the NCAA Regional   * Recently announced national TV games for SDSU and USD football this season, plus what nine nationally televised games could do for NDSU   * How one legendary Minnesota sportswriter reacted to t...

There was a lot that went into the Sioux Falls Stampede capturing the Clark Cup on Saturday night. Who the Herd brought in to skate with them and coach them is at the top of the list.   Ryan Cruthers was the coach who created the rare "family" culture in modern sports that many coaches and teams strive to have, but few actually attain. Linards Feldbergs is the Finnish phenom at goalie who saved hi...

There was a lot that went into the Sioux Falls Stampede capturing the Clark Cup on Saturday night. Who the Herd brought in to skate with them and coach them is at the top of the list.   Ryan Cruthers was the coach who created the rare "family" culture in modern sports that many coaches and teams strive to have, but few actually attain. Linards Feldbergs is the Finnish phenom at goalie who saved hi...

It is about time South Dakota State's baseball team added to the abundant Summit League and Missouri Valley Football Conference trophies other Jackrabbit athletic squads have been piling up over the last 10 years.   That is how long Rob Bishop has been the Jacks skipper. A day after  Bishop's 40-minute chat with the Happy Hour host about why and how this was the team to finally pull it off,  Sioux...

Another weekend in May. Another couple of championships for our local South Dakota sports teams.   Two weeks ago, USD softball, Augustana softball and Augie baseball won their conference tournaments to clinch an NCAA Tourney berth.   Over Memorial Day weekend, SDSU's baseball won its Summit League Tournament title in 13 years and its second all-time.   That's a sweep of the four diamond sports tou...

The Happy Hour host tells the story of how the Stampede lived up to their "tough guy" image that head coach and Long Island native Ryan Cruthers crafted with several players who were cut from other teams. The Herd were 4-0 in elimination games in the playoffs. In all three series, they lost Game 3 in crushing fashion and came back to win Game 4. This time, it happened in double overtime after blow...

SDSU baseball coach Rob Bishop on winning the Summit League championship, drawing Nebraska in NCAA Tournament

Happy Hour with John Gaskins: USD associate softball coach Shannon Pivovar, who became a viral social media celebrity with her "I'm so proud of you" moment with a player during an NCAA Tournament game last weekend to cap off the Coyotes' most decorated postseason in the program's 48-year history.   Hot Mic with Dom Izzo: Sam Herder of Hero Sports and the MonDak Football Show podcast. This fall, se...

How does a college basketball coach who had known nothing but winning big handle a losing season in his first year at a school that previously had six consecutive 20-win seasons?   Eric Henderson blazed through the Summit League, achieving an 80 percent win rate in his six years leading South Dakota State, which followed three banner-hanging seasons as an assistant in Brookings under T.J. Otzelber...

No team in the American Association has won more games over the last three seasons than the Sioux Falls Canaries. No team had lost more in the several years before that.   The Birds have seen an uptick not just in wins, but also in ticket sales and revenue. That has a lot to do with owners Brian Slipka and Anthony Albanese, who bought the club in April 2021, kept manager Mike Meyer, and poured the...

If there has actually been a busier or more compelling three days of softball news in South Dakota history, it has been a while.   Two days after the shocking removal of 10-year head coach Robert Wagner from USD softball, Augustana's 20-year legend Gretta Melsted became the new head coach at Minnesota.   Yeah, the Gophers. Big Ten. From Division II.   Melsted led Augustana to the 2019 national cha...

Eric Henderson on his first year at Drake, his time at SDSU, bringing Jacks with him, and navigating NIL & transfer portal 

Few sports topics are as compelling as a title chase, if any.   But coaching moves are near the top of the list, and there is no shortage of interest — and some commotion in some USD fan circles — around the "change in leadership" in the Coyote softball program that was announced Tuesday.   So, yeah, Sioux Falls Live sports editor Matt Zimmer and the Happy Hour host went deep sea change diving on...

USD softball went from "Wow! What a wonderful weekend! to "Whoa! Wait, what just happened?"   Head coach Robert Wagner and the school parted ways on Tuesday , abruptly ending his 10-year tenure.   This, just a few days after the Coyotes first-ever NCAA Tournament trip (and win) in the program's 48-year history, two days after a  clip of Associate Head Coach Shannon Pivovar's uplifting "I'm so prou...

USD softball went from "Wow! What a wonderful weekend! to "Whoa! Wait, what just happened?"   Head coach Robert Wagner and the school parted ways on Tuesday , abruptly ending his 10-year tenure.   This, just a few days after the Coyotes first-ever NCAA Tournament trip (and win) in the program's 48-year history, two days after a  clip of Associate Head Coach Shannon Pivovar's uplifting "I'm so prou...

All this talk about "moods." We know who Jaden and Naz are talking about. It is Julius Randle, who may as well have not showed up for the Spurs series.  What roster moves would make sense for Tim Conley to make to narrow the gap between the Timberwolves and the two titans of the West, San Antonio and Oklahoma City? Die-hards Chris Johnson (USF baskeball coach and Twin Cities native) and Jon Oppold...

YES, Sioux Falls will bid to host new NCAA men's basketbal "opening round" (play-in) tournament games in '26 and beyond, opposite Dayton. Sioux Falls Sports Authority project director Jerry Palleschi joined us with PLENTY of details on how bidding works.

Cliches become cliches for a reason.   They're usually true.   In sports, two of the oldest cliches are "never give up" and the underdog story.   Both the University of South Dakota softball team and the Sioux Falls Stampede are living those cliches after performances over the weekend that their players, coaches, and fans will never forget.   The Coyotes played in the NCAA Tournament for the first...

The Sioux Falls Stampede have been writing their own underdog history in the USHL Playoffs.   A team full of "dawgs" as labeled by coach Ryan Cruthers, the Herd have several players who were cut by other teams. They have used that as fuel to march through the regular season with the second-most wins in the league and then go 4-0 in elimination games in the playoffs.   They took a 2-0 series lead o...

USD's "Coach Piv" — Softball Associate Head Coach Shannon Pivovar on her viral moment and Yotes' inspirational showing in NCAA Tournament

At first, a small town the size of Brookings is not what a Minnesota "Mr. Football" finalist from just outside of Minneapolis had in mind for college football. Then Jake Wieneke met South Dakota State coach John Stiegelmeier on his recruiting visit in January 2013, and everything changed on a dime. All Wieneke's decision to become a Jackrabbit led to was catching more dimes for more yards and more...

No, things are not entering the "sleepy summer" phase in our South Dakota sports scene.  These days, there really isn't one. The Stampede are playing for the Clark Cup (USHL title). USD softball and both Augustana softball and baseball won league tournaments last weekend and are dancing in the NCAA Tournament this week. The Sioux Falls Canaries open their 2026 "run it back to the championship seri...

Fool's gold for mid-major teams?   That is certainly how some college basketball fans and experts see the recently-announced NCAA Tournament expansion to 76 teams in both men's and women's basketball.    While the four new "play-in games" potentially offer a second school from a mid-major conference like the Summit League to take part in "The Big Dance," some view those games as battles for the ri...

Fool's gold for mid-major teams?   That is certainly how some college basketball fans and experts see the recently-announced NCAA Tournament expansion to 76 teams in both men's and women's basketball.    While the four new "play-in games" potentially offer a second school from a mid-major conference like the Summit League to take part in "The Big Dance," some view those games as battles for the ri...

The last time the Sioux Falls Canaries were on The Birdcage field, they had a nearly-full stadium rocking on the precipice of the squad's first American Association title in 17 years.  But the Lake Country Dockhounds ripped the trophy away and broke Birdcage hearts — two nights in a row.  Now what? Manager Mike Meyer is back and so is the Canaries' all-time most prolific (and likely most popular)...