2026 South Dakota High School Team Preview: Rapid City Stevens
February 7, 2026
The 2026 high school baseball season is quickly approaching and as usual, excitement is present throughout South Dakota. Players and coaches have been working in preparation for the upcoming season and, as is the case each year, there are some very talented players and teams across South Dakota.
Teams across the state have goals and aspirations to finish their seasons in Sioux Falls or Brooking at the SDHSBA Class A and B State championship games, but there is plenty of work to be done before that becomes reality. We hope to shine a spotlight on all teams across the state as we preview individual teams across South Dakota.
Please keep checking back throughout the season as we will be your one-stop shop for everything related to high school baseball across the state.
Each week we will be releasing our Diamond Notes, covering all the bases across the state of South Dakota.
RAPID CITY STEVENS: TEAM PREVIEW
High School: Rapid City Stevens
Head Coach: Tyson Waddell
Class: Class A
2025 Record (Finish): 15-9 (State Tournament Round 1)
UPCOMING DAKOTAS EVENTS
| EVENT | DATE | LOCATION |
| South Dakota Preseason ID | 02/21/2026 | Avera Dome, Sioux Falls, SD |
| South Dakota Rising Stars ID | 02/21/2026 | Avera Dome, Sioux Falls, SD |
| North Dakota Preseason ID | 03/07/2026 | Rustad Center, West Fargo, ND |
| North Dakota Rising Stars ID | 03/07/2026 | Rustad Center, West Fargo, ND |
TOP RETURNING PLAYERS
+ Brady Waddell: .313 BA , 7 XBH, 6 Games Pitched, 4 ER
+ Austin Flohr: .460 BA, 5 Games Pitched, 1 ER
+ Ben Thompson: .419 Batting average - Gustavus commit
TOP UNDERCLASSMEN
ALUMNI IN COLLEGE
+ Jackson Dial - Iowa Western CC
+ Brody Thompson - Dakota State
TEAM OUTLOOK
“The Raiders varsity provides a great group of younger players with leadership and hunger from the entire roster. The underclassmen from past seasons have pushed in the off season and performed last year when they got the chance. The team looks forward to taking the field this spring with a really strong group of pitchers, and a strong aggressive group of hitters. The Raiders varsity should be able to match up well against any team we take the field with.” –Tyson Waddell , head coach
Find more information on the 2026 Rapid City Stevens program below:
+ Follow them on Instagram: @stevensraiders.baseball
+ Visit the Prep Baseball Dakotas, 2026 HS Team Previews
FOLLOW PREP BASEBALL DAKOTAS THROUGHOUT THE SPRING
+ Prep Baseball Dakotas on X
+ Prep Baseball Dakotas on Instagram
+ Prep Baseball Dakotas on Facebook
