MINNEAPOLIS (Interstat) — The Summit League Baseball Championship brings together two teams with losing records but a season’s worth of volatile history when South Dakota State (18-30) faces Northern Colorado (17-36) on Thursday at the championship site in Minneapolis.

The Jackrabbits and Bears split their regular-season series, with each team winning two of five meetings. The most recent head-to-head contest, April 25, was a lopsided 19-2 Northern Colorado victory. But the teams have traded blowouts: South Dakota State won 21-2 on March 29, and 21-10 the previous day.

South Dakota State enters the tournament having won its last game, 7-3 at Oral Roberts on Wednesday. Right-hander Sam Schlecht delivered a dominant start in that victory, logging 7 1/3 innings, allowing no hits and three earned runs with eight strikeouts. Schlecht has been inconsistent this season — he allowed 12 hits and eight earned runs in a start against Saint Thomas on May 8, and gave up four earned runs in 3 1/3 innings at Omaha on May 14. But he also struck out eight in a complete-game effort against North Dakota State on May 1, and earned a win against Northern Colorado on April 24, allowing four earned runs and four hits over five innings.

The Jackrabbits’ lineup features designated hitter Luke Luskey, who went 2-for-5 with a home run and two RBIs in the win over Oral Roberts. Reliever Ty Madison also contributed 1 2/3 scoreless innings in that game.

Northern Colorado counters with right-hander Reece Wagner, who has won each of his last four starts. On Wednesday against Omaha, Wagner threw seven innings, allowing no hits and three earned runs while striking out six. He has been a workhorse, logging at least five innings in three of his last four outings. Wagner’s only loss in recent weeks came against South Dakota State on April 24, when he lasted just two-thirds of an inning and was tagged for four earned runs.

The Bears’ win at Omaha on Wednesday also featured key contributions from second baseman Brett Barber (3-for-4) and reliever Logan Borboa, who pitched 1 1/3 scoreless innings.

Northern Colorado has lost four of its last six games overall but has shown resilience, including a 10-4 win at North Dakota State on May 8 and a 7-6 walk-off victory over Oral Roberts on May 14.

The game carries extra weight for both programs: a win extends their season in the double-elimination tournament; a loss sends them to the elimination bracket. First pitch is scheduled for 7 p.m. ET.