BRANDON — South Dakota’s two premier Class B amateur baseball leagues — the Cornbelt and Sunshine — will again be represented in the state championship on Sunday. 

The leagues have combined for the past 10 state titles, with the Cornbelt League claiming the past four championships. They’ve clashed in two of the past five state championships, each winning a title. 

But Sunday’s Cornbelt League vs. Sunshine League matchup will feature a pair of fresh title contenders — the Hartford/Humboldt Gamecocks and Parkston Devil Rays. Hartford/Humboldt and Parkston will play at 2 p.m. Sunday at First National Bank Field at Aspen Park. 

The Devil Rays, a third-year team, will play for the championship in their first-ever state tournament appearance. Humboldt last advanced to the state championship in 1961, a 9-5 win over Huron. 

Neither of the unexpected championship contenders were district champs this season. The Gamecocks were Rep. 4 from District 4B, while the Devil Rays were Rep. 2 from District 5B. 

For the Gamecocks, Sunday’s championship berth represents the sixth straight season a Cornbelt League team will play for the title. 

“Every year we compete in the Cornbelt,” Hartford/Humboldt manager Chad Morrison said. “We’re top 3-4 every year but we have not fared too well in the first round. We’ve gotten bumped the last three years before that, so for us it was let’s get that first one, take a deep breath and see what happens after that. We’ve just been building and building and the confidence has been there.”

For the Devil Rays, it continues their rise from Sunshine League doormat to championship contender. Parkston won five games in 2023 and nine in 2024, but new manager and long-time amateur baseball player Doug Sudbeck joined this season to help right the ship. 

“When I came in this year I didn’t know what to expect,” Sudbeck said. “I didn’t know how they would take me in. But they’ve been great. They took me in just like one of the guys, like I have been here all along.”

Sunday also marks another championship appearance for a Parkston baseball team this summer. Parkston won state championships in the 10U, 12U and junior Legion, while the 14U and Legion teams finished as state runners-up. 

“It’s been a great season for Parkston baseball in general,” Sudbeck said. “Baseball is alive in that town right now.”

Sunday’s championship matchup is the next meeting this season between the Devil Rays and Gamecocks. On May 9, the Gamecocks won a 16-7 decision in Parkston. 

“We played them the second game of the year and we knew what kind of talent they had,” Morrison said. “They have speed, they have good bats. They’re young, they’re aggressive. They got nothing to lose either.”