Happy Hour with John Gaskins

USD hires Shannon Pivovar to take over softball, plus the biggest takeaway from new Vikings GM Nolan Teasley's hiring and introductory presser

Yeah, Happy Hour went there again.
 
Despite the 0-2 result, which included a 17-0 undressing by baseball blueblood Arizona State, South Dakota State baseball's maiden voyage to an NCAA Baseball regional — playing baseball powerhouses in front of 8,000 people in the postseason — made the host and Sioux Falls Live sports editor Matt Zimmer think:
 
Is playing for FCS national championships really that much more meaningful or cool than moving to the FBS with a shot at tasting a College Football Playoff but with a near-zero shot at winning a national title?
 
You have to be on the stage or at least see it to believe it.
 
Zim was in Lincoln to soak in the Jackrabbits' horn-locking with the Huskers in the Sea of Red, then watched the Sun Devils' skewering the next day. As any sharp reporter would, he observed the players' pregame and in-game body language and postgame remarks.
 
The topic leads to a bigger picture observation Zim has made while covering local high school and college athletes in South Dakota for over 20 years: What most athletes truly want when choosing the college they'll attend. "Play" provides a big play on words here. 
 
Speaking of the FBS jump, how intriguing and superior is North Dakota State's position, considering the Bison will play in nine nationally televised games in their FBS maiden voyage?
 
Other topics from this Tuesday afternoon breeze shooting-of-the-breeze from Gateway Lounge:
 
* What were Zim's takeaways from last week's Happy Hour conversation with Kalen DeBoer and Kurtiss Riggs?
 
* Should the Minnesota Twins consider trading Joe Ryan?
 
* How compelling is this year's NBA Finals?

In part 2 of a 72-minute conversation with the SDSU and Summit League all-time leading scorer and rebounder and No. 9 all-time NCAA scorer, Daum regales with stories of mischief on the family farm in the Nebraska panhandle.
How did he blossom into a regional force and what was it like having to drive three hours round trip at least twice a week to practice and play club and AAU ball in Colorado?
What kind of looks from major Div. I schools did Daum get? Why did he choose SDSU? How does he look back on Scott Nagy and T.J. Otzelberger as head coaches?
Then, the really good stuff. All that winning, including "The Michael Orris Shot" game to beat USD in the Summit League Tournament and the 51-point game against Fort Wayne, which still fell two points shy of Nate Wolters' school record.

In part one of a 72-minute interview with the Summit League's all-time leading scorer and rebounder and the No. 9 scorer in NCAA basketball history, the Kimball, Nebraska, native describes his globe-traveling ventures in Spain, Italy, Turkey, Serbia, and Japan.
Plus, the story of how he met and courted his pro volleyball-playing wife is all at once strange, hilarious, and a sign of the times.

the Happy Hour host describes why going Div. I was such the crystal clear right move for South Dakota State 22 years ago, with the baseball team's trip to Lincoln for the NCAA Baseball Tournament being the latest example. 
 
This occurred despite the Jackrabbits' 17-0 loss to Arizona State, a brutal end to the season that highlighted the harsh reality of the gap between Power Four clubs and a northern mid-major.
 
Now what?