FARGO — When Minnesota Crookston pitcher Jake Dykhoff tossed a complete game against Minot State in the first round of the NSIC tournament, he wasn't thinking about pro baseball. Three days later, his senior year ended with a loss to Augustana. Three days after that loss, he took the mound as the Fargo-Moorhead RedHawks starting pitcher.
"(RedHawks manager Chris Coste) called me at 7 p.m. Sunday night. We were having a grill out celebrating the end of the season with the guys. He called and said he wanted me to come down the next day and watch a game. Then he told me I was pitching on Tuesday and I couldn't believe it," Dykhoff said. "It all happened so fast."
Dykhoff played his prep baseball at Wadena-Deer Creek and went on to pitch at Minnesota State Community and Technical College in Fergus Falls, meaning Tuesday's pro debut was pro debut just 90 miles from his hometown.
"I had 20-plus teammates from Crookston here. I had six or seven of my junior college buddies come. Pretty much my entire family," Dykhoff said. "It was pretty incredible. To be an hour and a half from home, you couldn't ask for much more, getting paid to play the game you love."
The Wadena native struck out nine batters over 5.1 innings in his professional debut. Dykhoff hopes that was just the start.
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"If I end up going to the next level, that would be great as well, but first of all I'm here to win ballgames," Dykhoff said. "Growing up it's always been a dream to play pro baseball and this is the first step to get to the next level and I know coach Coste will do whatever he can to get me to the next level."
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