Former Vikings help fuel Canaries' unforgettable playoff run

The last time the Sioux Falls Canaries reached the Miles Wolff Cup Championship, some of the team’s current stars were still in high school. 

For more than a decade, postseason baseball in Sioux Falls meant early exits and unmet expectations. This year, that all changed — and at the heart of the Canaries’ historic playoff run were four familiar faces to anyone who follows Augustana baseball.

Right-handed pitcher Seth Miller ‘23, shortstop Jordan Barth ‘22, left-handed pitcher Tanner Brown ‘22 and catcher Drey Dirksen ‘24 all cut their teeth in navy and gold before donning the Canaries’ royal blue. Now, reunited in the professional ranks, the quartet carried their Augustana pedigree into a season that brought Sioux Falls baseball back into the spotlight.

For Miller, a veteran arm who has spent the last several seasons carving out a role with the Canaries, the magic wasn’t just in the wins — it was in who he shared the field with. 

“Genuinely, the only reason I keep playing is because I get to share the field with Drey, Jordan and Tanner again,” Miller says. “It’s been an amazing ride with them for the last seven years. I wouldn’t trade it for the world.”

That bond, forged through countless hours on Ronken Field, carried into the Birdcage and it paid off in the postseason. Miller pointed to moments that felt like déjà vu — like Barth’s walk-off home run — as proof that the Augustana chemistry never left. 

“Seeing guys like Tanner and Jordan perform the way they did this postseason brought me right back to Augie,” he says.

Brown felt the same pride. 

“It meant a lot to me to see the Canaries make the championship for the first time in so long,” he says. “I remember going to those games as a kid, and it was really cool to see it come full circle.”

The Canaries’ run to the finals wasn’t just about talent: It was about building the kind of culture that sustains winning teams. Head coach Mike Meyer credited the Augustana alumni for bringing that mindset into the clubhouse. 

“With Jordan and Seth, right away, it was the passion and joy they played with,” Meyer says. “They show up every day like, ‘I get to play baseball with my best friends.’ That’s rare because pro ball can feel like a job. But those guys reminded everyone why we love this game.”

Brown, the steady right-hander from Harrisburg, quickly became Meyer’s go-to starter. 

“He’s an absolute bulldog,” Meyer says. “The moment is never too big or too bright for him. That’s why I’ve had him as my opening-day starter and our number-one guy in the playoffs. He doesn’t care who he’s facing — he’s going to compete.”

And then there’s Dirksen, the rookie catcher still finding his footing. For Meyer, his hunger stood out as much as his raw tools. 

“He’s a sponge, almost to a fault,” Meyer says. “He wants to soak up everything, works too much in the cages, but that work ethic is special. He’ll get there.”

Together, Barth and Dirksen gave Sioux Falls more than innings and at-bats. They gave the team an identity. Barth felt that connection early. 

“Even in spring training, just looking at our roster, I knew we had a ton of talent,” he says. “It would just come down to how well we’d gel together as a team.”

That lesson wasn’t new to him — it was learned at Augustana, where he arrived as a freshman in 2018 and immediately won a national championship. 

“We had a thing with winning at Augie,” Barth says. “Adversity plays a huge role in baseball, and I think having winning backgrounds coming into pro ball is huge. Everyone wanted to win rather than see how great their personal stats were.”

During the Canaries’ playoff run, Barth’s steady leadership at shortstop proved invaluable. 

“Sometimes that shortstop is referred to as the field general,” he says. “Just being able to shift guys around, make sure we’re in the right spots — that’s important for great defense.” 

His leadership didn’t go unnoticed. “I think just the leadership and the ‘lead by example’ mentality,” Barth says. “Keeping things loose but wanting to win at the same time. Helping my teammates relax in big moments.”

For Augustana head coach Tim Huber, watching four of his former players make history together at the professional level was a full-circle moment. 

“They weren’t largely recruited,” Huber says. "We took a chance on them, thought they had potential, and here they are — pro baseball players. It’s a testament to their development and how hard they worked.”

Huber has seen their journeys up close. He remembered Brown arriving as “a skinny, baby-faced kid” and leaving as the program’s all-time wins leader. He marveled at Barth’s elite hand-eye coordination, which made him a difference-maker both offensively and defensively. 

He also appreciated Miller’s ability to adapt to the mental side of the game, something that ultimately prepared him for professional baseball. 

“They fit, they belong,” Huber says. “And it’s cool to see them doing it right here in Sioux Falls.”

The Canaries ultimately fell short of the championship, but the season left its mark. For Miller, the biggest takeaway was the connection with the fans. 

“The crowds the last two nights were amazing,” he says. “They were in every pitch and the crowd pops after some important strikeouts were the loudest I’ve heard it get in my time here.”

For Barth, it was about setting a new standard. 

“I want this season to be remembered as one of the best in Sioux Falls history,” he says. “Making Augustana proud with four of us on the roster that made the championship in one of the best independent leagues is pretty cool.”

And for Meyer, it was a glimpse of what’s possible when culture and talent align. 

“It felt different,” he says. “It was stressful, exciting, and special. That’s what we all set out to do — play in meaningful, relevant games.”

At the center of it all was the Augustana connection — four players who once brought championships to campus now breathing life back into professional baseball in Sioux Falls. 

“Going on this finals run was such a joyride,” Miller says. “I’m just so happy to have been a small piece in that.”