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| The Kean University pitching staff combined for 13 strikeouts helping the Cougars to a 4-3 opening day win over Arcadia University on Friday afternoon. Kean athletics photo |
No. 20 Adrian opened up the season on Friday night in Georgia against Berry College. The Bulldogs started the season strong defeating Berry 7-1 in the season opener. The Bulldogs struck early in the first inning after a bases loaded single by David Kedrow to score the first run of the game. It took until the fifth for the Bulldogs to score another run which came off an RBI single from Easton Rogers. The Bulldogs posted four in the sixth inning sparked by a Berry throwing error which was later followed by a sacrifice fly from Joe Casale, and an RBI single from Ryan Davis who later came around to score on a wild pitch. It took until the eighth inning for Berry to scratch across a run which came on a solo home run to left field. Adrian responded in the ninth on a sacrifice fly from Christian Oliver to lock up the 7-1 win.
Shenandoah University opened its 2025 season in dominant fashion, securing a two-game sweep, 5-3, 5-0, over the defending NCAA Division III National Champions, No. 4 Misericordia University. The Hornets tallied 10 hits in both games while holding the Cougars to just five total hits throughout the series. Strong pitching performances and timely hitting proved to be the difference as Shenandoah outscored Misericordia 10-0 following an early deficit in Game 1.
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| Hosting Hood College for two seven-innings games on Friday, Methodist collected back–to–back shutout victories to move to 3–1 on the season. While the pitching staff was on point, the Monarchs also did their job offensively, scoring 17 runs on the afternoon. d3photograpy.com photo by Dave Hilbert |
It was a cold and windy day at Fred Wann Field, as the Scots were able to secure the series split against William Woods University, losing game one 4-2 and winning the nightcap 4-3. The score in the openeer remained 2-2 until the 8th inning, where the Scots loaded the bases and walked in two runs, giving the Owls a 4-2 lead. The Scots were unable to score for the remainder of game one, and fell to the Owls by a final of 4-2. The Scots gained their first lead of the season in the bottom of the first inning of game two, when Ashton Compton hit a successful sacrifice bunt to score Hendrix from third base. In the bottom of the third, Kooper McCoy picked up another RBI single, scoring Hendrix and giving the Scots a 2-0 lead. Later in the inning, Compton reached on another brilliantly placed bunt, loading the bases for Eli Marcotte. During the at-bat, Slade Inman scored from third off a wild pitch by WWU's Max Benton to make it 3-0. Marcotte then hit a deep sacrifice fly to left-center field, scoring McCoy to give the Scots a 4-0 lead. The Owls battled back, scoring three runs in the sixth inning to cut Lyon College's lead to a single run. In relief of starting pitcher Blair Francis, freshman Nick Dennington pitched a two inning save to secure the win for the Scots.
The College of Wooster baseball team's pitching staff turned in two strong outings on opening day, as the Fighting Scots gave up just three runs in a Friday split with Centre College. Centre took game one 2-1, while Wooster bounced back for a 3-1 victory in the nightcap. First-year Dame Frayne, sophomore Michael Scarpelli, junior Patrick Wiggins, and senior Alex Gerdenich scattered eight hits in the game-two win over a team that was a NCAA Div. III regional runner-up in 2024. In the opener hits were hard to come by for both teams in the opening innings. Harrison Cowdrey got the start for Centre and induced a pair of double plays before leaving in the fifth with the score tied at 0-0. In the bottom of the fifth, Ayden Lohr and Ben Prather then drove in runs to give Centre a 2-0 lead. The Scots got a run back in the eighth after two walks and an error. Another walk and a hit by pitch loaded the bases, but Zach Heavern came through with a huge strikeout to keep it at 2-1. Aidan Christmas worked a 1-2-3 ninth for the save.
Hardin-Simmons won its season opener against St. Thomas, 16-15, in a wild 11-inning, four-hour contest to give head coach Mitch Wilson his first career win. The Cowboys received a bases-loaded infield single by Knox Wilson in the bottom of the 11th to win the game, which featured 31 runs, 36 hits and nine errors. It was Wilson's first start as a Cowboy and he finished the game with three hits. Sophomore transfer Justin Blancaflor was the all-around star of the game for the Cowboys as he hit a grand slam, a three-run home run and had a sacrifice fly to drive in eight runs. He also had a highlight reel diving catch in center field to save two runs. The Cowboys used six pitchers in the contest. Jace Martinez worked four innings and allowed just three hits. Caleb Smith worked an inning, Guy George pitched two innings, Johnny Follett worked an inning, Jackson Smith worked one-third of an inning.
Opening the 2025 baseball season in thrilling fashion, the nationally-ranked Christopher Newport carried a no-hit bid into the seventh inning in game one and scored seven runs over the final two innings in game two to earn a doubleheader sweep against Messiah University on Friday afternoon.The Captains (2-0) captured an 8-2 win in the opener before coming from behind in game two for a 9-5 victory. CNU recorded 22 hits in the twin bill including multi-hit games for Jake Benedict and his twin brother Sam Benedict in both contests. Aaron Maxie also added a three-hit game in the opener as the Captains pulled away from the Falcons for a season-opening victory.
Belhaven started its 2025 campaign on a strong note, rallying late to secure a 7-3 victory over Mount Saint Mary at Trustmark Park. In Game 2, Belhaven batted around and plated in six in the home half of the first before rain forced a suspension. The Blazers jumped out to an early lead with the visitors respond to even the game. The game remained deadlocked in the middle innings until Belhaven broke through in the seventh. Multiple walks and wild pitches allowed the Blazers to plate four runs and pull away for good. On the mound, starter Colton Sylvester pitched six solid innings, allowing just one earned run while striking out six. Freshman lefty Lane Alack came in for relief, shutting down the Knights over the final three innings to earn the win in his collegiate debut. Belhaven's discipline at the plate was a major factor in the win as the Blazers drew 16 walks while stealing four bags.
For its first doubleheader of the season, Covenant took care of business in the early game against Greenville, winning 9-3. In game two of the day and game three of the series, the Scots allowed the Panthers to hang around too long before falling 6-5 eliminating any hopes of a weekend sweep. Josh McCaskill put Covenant in front in the second inning with a 2-RBI double and by the fifth, the Scotts were up 9-0 and on their way to a win. In game two, Sam Cecil tied the game at five in the seventh inning but in the next inning Greenville scratched across what would be the winning run on an RBI groundout to first base.
Will Jennewein posted two hits and two RBIs and Blake Pou homered in the first game while Taj Donald tossed six strong innings in the second contest for Sewanee in 11-1 and 4-2 victories over Capital University at Montgomery Field. The Tigers (2-0) banged out 11 hits in the opener, with Sebastian Leinberger collected two hits and scoring twice while John Bagwell and Will Irvin both drove in a pair of runs. Sewanee scored four runs in the third, five in the sixth and Pou belted a two-run homer in the seventh in the win. Charlie Teel and Leinberger each collected two RBIs in the second contest, backing up Donald's six innings of work. The righthander (1-0) allowed two runs on four hits with seven strikeouts. Teel drove in single runs in the first and seventh innings and Leinberger's two-run single in the second was enough for complete the doubleheader sweep, both nine-inning games.
Redlands (4-1) continued their strong start to 2025 with a 10-8 win over Luther College Friday afternoon at The Yard. The day got off to a rough start after a two-run Norse home run in the first, but the Bulldog offense responded with a four-run bottom half of the inning. The Norse continued their strong offensive start in the second when they came back to tie and take the lead, 5-4. Mark Kirkland, though, came up and doubled off the wall in right center to tie the game at five. Jake Burgess then reclaimed the lead in the third with a single up the middle that ticked off the pitcher's glove as Nate Miller crossed the plate for a 6-5 lead. Addin late runs proved important because Luther scored two times in the ninth before Brett Edwards came on got a game-ending double play for the save.
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| Huntingdon took to Neal Posey Field for the first time this season, squaring off with the Owls of MUW. Boosted by 10 hits, the Hawks jumped ahead early and never looked back, taking their first victory of the season 8-0. Huntingdon athletics photo |
Brevard College (1-4) used a four-run sixth inning in game two of Friday's home opener at Gil Coan Field to secure its first win of the 2025 campaign, taking a 7-3 victory over Toccoa Falls (6-2). Interim Head Coach Vinny Carone earned the first collegiate coaching victory of his career with the triumph in game two. Earlier in the day, the visiting Screaming Eagles earned a 4-1 victory in a seven-inning game one that kicked off a scheduled three-game set between Brevard and Toccoa Falls. Brevard scored the first run of the 2025 home campaign in the bottom of the third inning when Nico Bartolotti pushed a single through the right side of the infield that brought Hayden Jennings around to score. However, that proved to be the lone run of the contest for the Tornados as TFC scored one in the fourth and three in the fifth to claim a 4-1 victory. The Tornados were hampered by missed opportunities in the contest, as Brevard left a total of 10 runners on base. in the nightcap Brevard cashed in heavy in the bottom of the sixth with four runs ballooning BC's lead to a 7-3 margin. The lead would prove too much for the Screaming Eagles to overcome, as BC took care of business for its first win of the season.
Texas Lutheran scored three runs in the fourth to pull away for a 7-4 win over Centenary in the first of two games on Opening Day for the Bulldogs at Shehee Stadium in Shreveport. Chase Bourgeois blasted a three-run home run in the fourth inning, the first of his career. The junior shortstop went 3-for-4 at the plate with four total RBIs and two runs scored. Garret Nedd got the Opening Day start in game one and pitched six innings, allowing two unearned runs on six hits and one walk and striking out one batter. Blinn College transfer Brayden Sprencel finished the game, picking up his first save as a Bulldog by tossing three innings in relief, allowing two runs on five hits. Kash Durkin went 3-for-4 with a double, an RBI, a walk, and a run scored, while Mason Goudeau went 3-for-4 with two runs scored. Freshman Cooper Jen made his first career start and went 1-for-3 with two runs scored. Brayden Sprencel, who started the game at third before taking the mound, went 1-for-4 with an RBI double.
Concordia Texas earned their fourth straight win to start the season with a 7-2 victory over McMurry in the series opener. The Tornados pulled away with four runs in the fourth at Walt Driggers Field. Colby Christian launched a two-out solo homerun to put the Tornados up in the first. McMurry tied the game up with a run scored in the second. The Tornados would do damage in the fourth as they loaded the bases with no outs. Kalen Clark would single to score Bo Dinscore. Logan Smith would then sac fly to centerfield to bring home Eric Garcia, before a Carson Riley RBI-single scored Clark to make it 5-1. Concordia's lead would extend to 7-1 thanks to a pair of runs by Landon Hyle in the sixth & seventh innings. The Warhawks would cross one run in the final inning, but Concordia would hold serve for the victory.
LaGrange walked off with its first win of the 2025 season, defeating Pfeiffer 6-5 in 10 innings Friday at Cleaveland Field in Williamson Stadium. The win stopped a three-game losing skid for the Panthers (1-3). The visiting Falcons were playing their season opener. Senior designated hitter Tray Owens was the hero for LaGrange. He had two hits, including a double, scored a run, and drove in three runs. Owens' sacrifice fly brought in the winning run in the 10th. Riley George, David Smigelski, Fletcher Hislop, and Jorge Fragoso all had two hits. The Panthers finished the game with 12 hits. In the 10th, Colby Zinser reached on a one out single to right field. Hislop followed with a double down the right field line as Zinser stopped at third. Fragoso was intentionally walked to load the bases to bring up Owens. Owens sent a fly ball deep enough to center field to easily score Zinser with the winning run.
After a successful weekend in Shreveport, Louisiana, Rhodes returned home to Stauffer field for a Friday doubleheader against two impressive opponents. In game one the Lynx defeated the Augustana College Vikings 6-3, followed by a game two 5-4 win over the Webster University Gorloks. Game 1 was a hard fought battle against the Vikings as both teams placed good pitchers on the mound. The scoreless tie was broken in the bottom of the 3rd when Ben Burkhart came around to score on a wild pitch, giving the Lynx the lead. After the Vikings quickly regained the lead, the Lynx offense went back to work behind the bat of Ben Burkhart who clobbered 2 home runs in the contest. The first of which was a solo shot in the bottom of the 5th, followed by a 3 run homer in the bottom of the 7th. Burkhart's home run total is now up to 3 on the young season. After winning the SAA pitcher of the week award last week, Mick Arney took the mound again in the top of the 4th. He would go on to deal 5.1 innings of 2 hit ball, not allowing any runs and striking out 2. Arney's dominant performance combined with Burkharts 2 homer game would be all the Lynx needed to conquer the Vikings by a final score of 6-3. Game 2 was equally as exciting with the game coming down to the very last pitch. Ben Burkhart had another huge game, recording 2 more hits and driving in the first Rhodes run of the game with an RBI double. Webster rallied late in the 8th inning, and after coming just one run shy of tying the game, Andrew Carron came on to close it out in the top of the 9th. Carron got into a jam early, but the sophomore showed his poise and was able to strand a bases loaded threat with just one out, sealing the 5-4 victory in favor of the Lynx. Augustana went 1-1 as they took down the Webster Gorloks with a final of 5-1. In game two vs. Webster, Ryan Coon led off the game with a base hit for the second straight contest, later coming around to score on an RBI by Kaileb Hackman. Two innings later, Hackman started the scoring for the Vikings with a leadoff walk before Alex Simon made it two runners on base with a single. Two batters later, a two-out double by Michael Aragon extended Augie's lead out to 3-0. Augustana manufactured two more runs in the eighth to push the advantage out to five. Webster added one in the bottom half to get on the board, but a three-up, three-down ninth from Cameron Miller closed out the 5-1 victory.
