RAPID CITY, S.D. – Coming off one of their best wins in program history, South Dakota Mines Football is set for its home opener against Southwest Baptist on Saturday at 1 p.m.

Series History

South Dakota Mines and Southwest Baptist have squared off one time in history, with the Bearcats winning 54-50 on Nov. 8, 2014, in Rapid City. Former Hardrocker quarterback Trenton McKinney had five touchdowns with 424 passing yards in that game.

About the Bearcats

Last week, Southwest Baptist picked up a dominant 63-6 win over William Woods at home. The Bearcats ran for 326 total yards with four rushing touchdowns. Quarterback Jaron Saunders picked up 178 passing yards with three touchdowns through the air. Defensively, the Bearcats had five interceptions in the game.

Chucky Sutton was named the GLVC Defensive Player of the Week after he had 11 tackles, 2.5 tackles for loss, an interception returned for a touchdown and one sack. Last season, Southwest Baptist went 3-7 overall and 2-6 in the GLVC. Their three wins came against Roosevelt, William Jewell and Lincoln.

About the Hardrockers

South Dakota Mines is coming off a 38-35 victory at Drake last Thursday night. It was their first NCAA DI win in program history. Dawson Dunbar led the Hardrockers with 120 rushing yards and 94 receiving yards. He had three total touchdowns in the game. Gage Baker was 19-for-31 with 306 yards and three touchdowns. Charlie Johnson picked up 12 tackles, one tackle for loss, one forced fumble, one pass defended and the game-sealing interception.

After picking up Honorable Mention All-RMAC honors last season, Dawson Dunbar was named to the 2026 Preseason All-RMAC team. Quarterback Gage Baker ranked 13^th in NCAA Division II last year after averaging 21.8 completions per game. Charlie Johnson returns for his senior season after recording 77 tackles for the Rockers in 2025. Head coach Charlie Flohr enters his seventh year with South Dakota Mines.

Game Information

South Dakota Mines Hardrockers (1-0, 0-0 RMAC) vs. Southwest Baptist Bearcats (1-0, 0-0 GLVC)
Date & Time: September 5, 2026 • 1 p.m.
Location: O'Harra Stadium
Live Coverage: Livestream | Radio | Live Stats | Tickets

What's Next

The Hardrockers will open RMAC play with Colorado Mesa at O'Harra Stadium on Sept. 12 at 1 p.m. Following that game, they will go on the road to take on Adams State on Sept. 19.