It kind of feels like the summer just started.
And it has. But Devils Lake is already off to Sioux Falls, S.D., for the annual Dakota Classic.
The Storm went to this tournament each of the last two years, which could not have gone more differently. In 2024, they were quickly eliminated from contention of winning the pool, losing their first three games before salvaging the final one on Sunday morning. In 2025, they won their pool, then upset the No. 1 seed to advance to the semifinals.
On paper, both those Devils Lake teams had similar amounts of talent.
So it’s hard to know exactly what to expect this weekend. Especially when the competition is comprised of unfamiliar teams from South Dakota, Nebraska and Minnesota.
But this Devils Lake team is definitely another good one. Super-seniors Hunter Remmick, Ben Larson and Fausten Olson are back. Nelson County’s Brody Rainsberry, Landon Sundeen and Lakin Ronningen are also on the team for the second consecutive summer. Plus, compared to last year, players like Will Heilman, Cayden McCarthy and Easton Kraft have a lot more experience.
This roster is loaded. The Storm almost have more players than they know what to do with.
But that’s a good problem to have. Even without Mason and Max Palmer, Devils Lake has come out hot with the bats this summer.
The pitching, though, hasn’t been there yet.
Through a 2-2 start, Devils Lake is hitting .344 as a team with 36 runs scored. The Storm batters are walking 12.67% of the time while only striking out 6% percent of the time. They’ve hit nine doubles, one home run and one triple, giving them a .459 slugging percentage. Their team OBP is .453. All of that is good for a .912 team OPS.
It’s a small sample size, but the offense has been a juggernaut. It’s worth noting that the competition level isn’t quite as high as it was during the spring, since Devils Lake is in the middle of three classes for Legion ball. Still, the numbers are impressive.
It hasn’t been so smooth on the pitching side.
Again, it’s too early with too small of a sample size to make much out of. But Devils Lake pitchers have allowed 33 runs (24 earned) in 26 innings. That’s an 8.31 ERA.
They’ve collected 23 strikeouts (7.96 per nine innings) with 19 walks (6.58 per nine innings). Along with 37 hits allowed, Devils Lake’s team WHIP is an ugly 2.15.
The control numbers are reflected in the team’s strike percentage. Devils Lake pitchers, so far, are throwing just 58.8% of their pitches for strikes.
These numbers are quite contrary to what Devils Lake did in the spring. Facing Eastern Dakota Conference competition, the Firebirds had a strike rate above 63%, a strikeout rate above 9 and a walk rate around 4.
For what it’s worth, Larson and Remmick both threw about 65% strikes in their summer debuts. They each got hit around more than usual, though. Pitchers like Rainsberry, Heilman, Ben Brodina and Taydon Triepke, who are usually good strike throwers, have come into the hot summer months a little more erratically.
It’s still so early, though. Devils Lake’s initial week of games almost felt like warmup more than anything. The schedule has been sparse so far, but it’s about to pick up in a hurry with the Dakota Classic in the Sioux Falls, S.D., area from June 12 to 15. Devils Lake is guaranteed at least four games in three days, with potentially more. The Storm then have five different home slates scheduled for the rest of June.
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