Being a Brookings native, Billy McMacken has loved South Dakota State University his entire life. Growing up, he attended many football, basketball, and baseball games.
After he graduated from Brookings High School in 1986, he received an offer to continue his baseball career at SDSU, where he played for four years (1987-1990).
As a pitcher and designated hitter, McMacken shines as a two-way player for the Jacks. He earned honors and awards such as third-team Division II All-America honors, first-team all-North Central Conference, and NCC Most Valuable Player in his final two seasons at SDSU.
McMacken still holds the school records for runs batted in (192) and slugging percentage (.713). He set a number of other records during his career as well, including home runs (42), hits (223), Doubles (49), and runs scored (223).
To honor is legacy, he was inducted into the Jackrabbits Sports Hall of Fame in 2020.
But for McMacken, playing baseball was about more than setting records and winning games. SDSU baseball gave him "some of the people who have become my best friends for the rest of my life.” He and some of his former teammates still text each other in a group chat.
After SDSU, he went on to play in and coach many Brookings amateur teams, and he was inducted into the South Dakota Amateur Hall of Fame in 2013.
Baseball gave McMacken the opportunity to travel the United States doing what he loved, but it also gave him something much more valuable.
"Baseball is about the friendships I developed along the way."
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