Andy Kampsen
northern State university |
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South Dakota is state filled with a number
of distinctive and prodigious places to visit that are unmatched
anywhere in the country. There’s Mount Rushmore of course,
the granite tribute to presidents past, the one-of-a-kind
infamous Wild West town of Deadwood, the sprawling Wall Drug
shopping center whose presence is declared and reminded to
travelers by sign continuously across the state and the world’s
only Corn Palace in Mitchell, just to name a few.  Increasingly
popular to tourists on South Dakota must see lists is Aberdeen,
South Dakota, not just because of Story Book Land, an ode
to famous fairytales, but because it is also home to one of
DII’s most prolific players, Northern State University’s
Andy Kampsen.
Hop on Highway 12 and head for Fossum Field,
grab a Wolfdog and soda and enjoy watching #5 in the NSU’s
distinctive maroon and gold. Kampsen, the Wolves shortstop,
entered the 2008 season being voted as the Northern Sun Intercollegiate
Conference Preseason Baseball Player of the Year for the second
straight season. The voters have to be spot on with Nostrodamus
like accuracy as the senior from of Paynesville, Minnesota
is currently batting .410 with nine home runs and 42 RBI.
He leads the Wolves in virtually every offensive category
with the only exception being triples (in which he is tied
for second with two). In addition to the before mentioned
triple crown categories, Kampsen has 15 doubles, seven stolen
bases in eight attempts and twice as many walks as strikeouts
(24 to 12). His slugging percentage is a Paul Bunyan-esque
.870 and has a .523 on base percentage.
Kampsen has been named the Northern Sun Conference
Baseball Player of the Week twice this season. His latest
accomplishment also earned him the Ping!Baseball Spotlight
Performance of the Week after he batted .500 to lead NSU to
a 3-3 record for the week which included going 6-for-8 with
a grand slam and three homeruns in the Wolves' sweep over
NSIC foe Minnesota-Crookston early in the week. He also had
a pair of infield singles in the Wolves’ 4-2 win over
Bemidji State. Kampsen finished the week with four homers,
12 RBIs and six runs scored in six games played.
 Last
season Kampsen was a first team Northern Sun all-conference
selection after starting all 48 games and batting .392 with
65 hits in 166 at bats. He drove in 31 runs and scored 30.
He also had twenty extra base hits, powering five homeruns,
13 doubles and 2 triples.
Over the summer Kampsen continued to excel
while playing for the St. Cloud of the Northwoods League.
He was named to the Northwoods League All-Star Team and helped
the River Bats win the league title while batting .301 (second
on the team behind Indiana State’s David Brumagin who
hit .307) with 14 extra base hits and 26 RBI.
Unfortunately Kampsen’s prolific success
of a season hasn’t translated to the rest of the Wolves.
Northern State is currently at 10-26 in the back of the NSIC.
However NSU has had their moments. Their last game was a 25-5
six inning mercy rule victory in which Valley City State which
avenged a close 5-6 loss earlier in the afternoon. The Wolves
have seven games left on their schedule, including a pair
of doubleheaders against a stout Concordia-St. Paul Golden
Bear team the last weekend of the season in which the Wolves
hope to be a successful cap to the season and launching pad
for future success next year.
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