Whether hitting baseballs for the Redfield Clay Kiser Post 92 squad or hitting ballcarriers for the Hitchcock-Tulare football team, Erik Salmen knows how to make his presence felt.

The Hitchcock-Tulare senior, who also participates in basketball, and track and field, has performed on the state’s biggest stages in football and baseball.

He helped lead the Patriots to the Class 9B state football championship last fall, and has played in multiple state baseball tournaments for Redfield.

While Salmen has experienced success in both sports, he says enjoys one more than the other.

“I’d say football is my favorite just because I enjoy it more,” Salmen said. “I just enjoy running into people and tackling and all that.”

Salmen has also enjoyed being able to play two sports for three different communities.

“It’s fun (because of) all the different people that you meet and the support you get from all those different people in the things that you do,” Salmen said.

Of course, switching teams and teammates has also produced a few learning curves.

“Just knowing what it takes,” Salmen said, “and all the talent and ability and the work ethic that you have to put in to succeed in sports,” Salmen said.

While Salmen lives in Tulare, he has enjoyed getting to play baseball in Redfield.

“They’ve got a really good program,” Salmen said. “We have gone to state every year, and they’re a fun group of guys to be with.”

Redfield baseball coach Tommy Gregg said Salmen fit into the team’s lineup almost perfectly.

“He’s been a guy that we’ve been able to put into the middle of the lineup, and his bat plays very well for us,” Gregg said. “So, for what we needed, kind of a power guy in the middle of the lineup, he fit that profile to a tee.”

Gregg described Salmen as “even-keeled” when he is on the baseball field.

“He never gets too high or too low. He’s always just right there, very calm demeanor, lead by example-type kid,” Gregg said. “As he’s gotten older, the moment hasn’t gotten too big for him. He’s kind of a coach’s dream of where we just know he’s going to produce for you, do his job, and not get too high or too low.”

Even when Salmen is not on the field, Gregg said he is enjoyable to be around.

“He’s a little bit of a quiet kid, but he’s definitely opened up to his baseball family over the years,” Gregg said. “I think the biggest thing you could say about Erik is I think he’s a good teammate. He’s nice and kind to others. That’s what I see in him.”

Overall, Gregg says Salmen is a has a skill set that has allowed him to excel in multiple areas.

“He’s a good small-town athlete that’s good at multiple sports,” Gregg said. “I think God gave him a lot of tools, and I think especially in football and baseball, he’s really taken advantage of them and had success.”

Last season as a junior, Salmen was the starting running back and linebacker on the Patriots 12-0 state championship team that defeated Herreid-Selby Area in the Class 9B championship game, 50-28. Hitchcock-Tulare graduated seven seniors from that title run, and Salmen said winning the state title with those seniors brought a lot of enjoyment and satisfaction to him and the team.

“It was fun. We put in a bunch of work. We won every single game leading up to that and it was just good to finish on top,” Salmen said. “You could trust them that they’d do their job, so it just lowered the pressure on me playing because you could trust that they’d do their jobs so I could complete mine.”

Salmen also enjoyed playing with one senior in particular. His older brother, T.J., played tight end and defensive end for the Patriots the past few seasons, and Salmen’s father, Tom, has been the head coach. Salmen has appreciated the family affair on the gridiron.

“It’s been really nice because you could get done with a practice and a game and then we could talk about it the entire night and see what you could work on,” Salmen said. “My brother T.J. was really good, so it was fun to play with him and watch him play.”

Salmen said it is not quite the same with his brother not on the field with him this season.

“You miss him a little bit just because he was so good and not being able to talk with him on stuff that I need to work on and stuff that he could do better at,” Salmen said. “I just miss him being a part of it.”

Entering the 2023 season, many pointed to Salmen as one of the best running backs and linebackers in the state, something he does not take lightly.

“I need to perform to their standards, but just to hopefully put together a team good enough to go back-to-back, and working hard and doing my best,” Salmen said.

At 6-foot, 215 pounds, Salmen has become the workhorse for the Patriots on both sides of the ball. Now that he is a senior, Salmen knew it was his turn to step into the leadership role on the team, guiding his teammates just like the class ahead of him did a season ago.

“I try to lead more by example than my voice mainly, but when they need to get going, I try to be an inspiration for them to keep working harder and to do better,” Salmen said.

Hitchcock-Tulare is 4-2 so far this season, with setbacks against 9B foes Faulkton Area and Avon. Salmen said the team has learned a lot from the pair of losses that can help them prepare for another postseason push.

“Doing the little things right. We haven’t done our job to the point to where they aren’t scoring, or like missing a block, or not finishing through an entire play,” Salmen said. “We’ve just got to complete a full game.”

This week, the Patriots are on their bye week preparing for next week’s contest against second-rated De Smet, a team they defeated twice last year, including a 48-0 win in the Class 9B semifinals en route to the state title. Salmen is hoping for yet another win against the Bulldogs.

“We’ve watched film and just do our practices,” Salmen said. “They’re almost the same (team), so we’ve just gotta come together as a team with new people and stop them again.”

With the playoffs just around the corner, Salmen is hoping the team can make another run at a state championship. But he knows it will take a full team effort to do so.

“It’s going to take us coming together as a team and doing the little things right,” Salmen said, “completing all of our jobs to the best of our abilities.”