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| Webster is poised to be the best team in Region 8 with expereience with the bat and on the mound. Webster athletics photo |
By Matthew Nicol (X: @D3region8base) D3sports.com
There is a clear favorite in our canvassing of regional coaches and that is Webster. The Gorloks made the final round four times last decade but has yet to return. Many think this is about to change. Washington University has reloaded and will once again be counted as one of the top national teams. After the Bears and Gorloks there is less consensus.
Aurora, Illinois Wesleyan and Spalding are expected to be back in the Regional round after missing out last year. One playoff participant from last year that has been on the verge of making a splash is MSOE. The Raiders have made their only two regional appearances over the last four years and has been playing at a consistent high level. Come the end of May, we might be talking about this team in our list of World Series rookies.
New Faces
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| Tyler Rubasky, the new head coach for ther Anderson Ravens, started his coaching career with Waynesburg. Anderson athletics photo |
Tyler Rubasky, Anderson: Anderson promoted Rubasky to head coach. Rubasky completed his first season on the Anderson staff last season as the top assistant coach. He served as the recruiting coordinator, offensive coach and catchers coach. Rubasky began his coaching career at Waynesburg University as an assistant coach during the 2017 and 2018 seasons. He then began a two-year stint as an assistant coach at Franklin College in 2019. After Franklin, Rubasky was selected as the top assistant coach at Davis & Elkins College for two years. He then served as the top assistant coach for Trine University for two years, beginning in 2023. "I would also like to thank all of the coaches I've played for and worked for, and the players I've coached that have helped me prepare me for this next chapter in my coaching career," Tyler Rubasky said." I'm very excited to be head coach here at AU. I've had the privilege of building relationships with our current and incoming guys this past year being in the assistant role that will allow an easy transition and the ability for us to get to work right away."
Dalton Fisher, Blackburn: Blackburn has elevated Dalton Fisher to head coach. Fisher will assume the head coach role again after serving as an interim co-head coach for the 2024 season. Dalton Fisher enters his sixth season coaching within the baseball program at Blackburn. Fisher has spent four years as an assistant coach after playing at Blackburn College. he spent the 2025 season as the team's top assistant and played a key role in the team improving in nearly all offensive categories.
John Lequia, Carthage: When coaching legend Augie Schmidt IV announced that the 2025 season would be his last, the school announced that Lequia will move from the assistant ranks to head coach, the 16th head coach in Carthage baseball history. Lequia has been on the coaching staff since joining the program in 2009 as a part-time assistant, John has split his time at Carthage with Hitters Baseball in Racine as a coach and instructor for players ranging from 12 to 22 years old, focusing on hitting and high-level athletic performance. Of his successor, who will start the 2026 season as head coach, Schmidt said, "I'm really excited to turn the baseball program over to John Lequia. He's a Carthage guy through and through, played and coached here for the last 15 years. He's going to do a great job and I look forward to supporting him in the coming years."
Mith Rogers, Concordia (Wisc.): Concordia (Wisc.) announced the appointment of Mitch Rogers as interim head coach of the baseball program. Rogers is in his second season with Concordia Wisconsin. During his first year with the Falcons, two pitchers earned All-Conference honors under his guidance. He replaces Eddy Morgan, who has accepted a position with the Milwaukee Brewers organization. Rogers joined CUW with two years of prior coaching experience, bringing a strong background in player development and pitching strategy. Prior to arriving in Mequon, he served as the Interim Head Coach of the Lakeshore Chinooks of the Northwoods League during the summer of 2024. "First and foremost, I would like to thank Coach Morgan for being a significant mentor in my young coaching career," said Mitch Rogers. "I wish him the best as he starts this new chapter with the Milwaukee Brewers. I am honored and grateful for this opportunity presented by Dr. Barnhill and Concordia University Wisconsin to serve as the Interim Head Baseball Coach. I look forward to leading this team with energy, passion, and purpose every single day. I'm fired up because our guys are fired up!"
Matt Smith, Concordia-Chicago: Concordia-Chicago announced the hiring of Smith as the 17th head baseball coach. Smith initially joined the Cougar staff in the fall of 2021 and has been instrumental in developing some of the most competitive and record-setting pitching staffs in recent program history, while helping to guide the Cougars to three NACC Tournament appearances (2022, 2023, 2025). He began his coaching journey at Concordia-Chicago as the graduate assistant from 2008-2010 before expanding his coaching resume at several high school programs across Illinois, including Streamwood, Maine West, Notre Dame College Prep, Loyola Academy, St. Francis, and IC Catholic prep before rejoining the CUC staff as the head assistant and pitching coach in July of 2021. "It's truly an honor and I'm looking forward to leading these young men, not just on the field, but in life," Smith noted of the promotion. "My goal is to build strong, lasting relationships that extend well beyond their four years at Concordia. Serving as the full-time assistant for the past four seasons has shown me that God's plan for me to lead this program is real. I'm grateful for the opportunity to give back to a university and program that has given me so much."
Key Games
CCIW In-Conference: Pick any series between North Central (Ill.), Illinois Wesleyan, Carthage and Augustana - they typically bring fireworks. IWU vs NCC could very well determine the regular season championship.
Non-Conference: There is a slate of Region 8 matchups to pay attention to: Millikin at Webster, Illinois Wesleyan/ Millikin plays WashU, Carthage/IWU play Spalding, North Central (Ill.) vs Denison University, NCC vs MSOE, Millikin/NCC/IWU play Benedictine.
SLIAC In-Conference: Spalding will have the upper hand as they host the 3-game series in Louisville, KY, versus Webster in April. If Spalding is looking to challenge Webster for the conference championship, they will likely need to take this series.
Non-Conference: Webster and MSOE will run it back at Arsenal BG Ballpark in Sauget, IL in March. Last yer MSOE won the last meeting 4-2 in the regional playoffs avenging two earlier season losses to Webster.
HCAC In-Conference: Manchester, Anderson, and Transylvania are all scheduled early in-conference play which could be a leading indicator to who could be atop the HCAC come May.
Non-Conference: Manchester will travel to the MIAA to take on Adrian College, another 2025 playoff team. Transylvania has one of the toughest non-conf schedules in the HCAC as they have seven playoff caliber teams scheduled: Webster, Baldwin Wallace, Denison, MSOE, Spalding, WashU, and Centre. A strong showing early in the season could land them well inside the Top 25.
NACC In-Conference: Aurora will travel to MSOE mid-season and will need to take both games if they look to return to the top of the conference. Concordia Chicago could make the regular season interesting early on with a 2-game series verse Aurora and will look to play conference spoiler taking on MSOE in their second to last regular season series.
Non-Conference: MSOE will have an early 3-game series versus Transylvania which will test whether they can continue the momentum into this year. Benedictine opens the season at the Babe Howard Classic against WashU, Webster, and Millikin. All Top 10 Regional teams.
UAA: WashU Bears have one of the more intriguing off-season schedules as they have loaded up to play Benedictine, Webster, Millikin, Illinois Wesleyan, Rose-Hulman, Coe, Transylvania and Gustavus Adolphus. All key games that could help land them well inside the Top 25 with a strong showing and assist with another playoff appearance in 2026.
Conference Previews
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| North Central (Ill.) outfielder Parker Wyatt reached base at a .419 clip in his forst year for the Cardinals. North Central athletics photo |
College Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin: North Central (14-6, 26-19) is consistently one of the top teams over the past 10+ years. They are returning 28 players (7 starters and 5 pitchers) with some key names to note. Outfielder Parker Wyatt (.344, 35 RBI) and second baseman, Jackson Bland (.322, 26 RBI) stand out in the offensive lineup. Pitcher Payton Diaz (3-1, 8 Saves, 3.09 ERA, 24K), will provide consistent relief. In the offseason, Yacoub Rayan competed in the 31st Asian Baseball Championships starting in all 5-games and will bring his experience to the team going forward. The coaching staff found that last year’s young team turned the corner to go into the NCAA regionals and ended the season on a 23-6 run after a 3-11 start.
Illinois Wesleyan (16-4, 28-15) won their first regular season championship since 2013 outright going 5-0, including a 3-game sweep of Carthage, earning the rights to host the conference tournament, but falling to North Central in the championship game. Michael Keller was the CCIW Coach of the Year and the Titans landed eight on the All-CCIW team with half returning in 2026. The Titans had the hottest bats leading the conference in numerous categories: .331 BA, 348 runs, 509 hits, 98 2B, 331 RBI, .417 OB% with only 231 SO in 2026 and this level of production will be a target to reach this season. They have some holes to fill in their batting lineup (2, 3, 4, and 6 spots) which includes D3baseball.com’s Third Team All-American SS Justin Gadomski but will be leaning on lead-off man Matt Hudik (.338, 20 RBI) who was second in the conference in OBP (.475). Expect the Titans to continue their consistency in this area as they lean on their fielding, second best at .969 in 2025, while allowing a league low of 38 stolen bases.
Carthage (14-6, 30-14) marked their first 30-win season and winning conference record since 2018. Eight Firebirds made the conference team but they said goodbye to the CCIW Pitcher of the Year and CCIW Player of the Year. Zander Tubbs (.330, 10 HR, 52 RBI) is the sole returner from this group of eight. The Firebirds got it done in all facets of the game in 2025 but 2026 will see a lot of new faces with the expectation of doing it again. Head coach Augie Schmidt IV, made his final curtain call as he was named D3baseball.com Region 8 Coach of the Year. John Lequia, a 2009 Carthage grad that has served as a part-time assistant since 2009, will now lead the Firebirds.
Millikin (11-9, 23-20), Wheaton (Ill.) (8-12, 16-25), and North Park (8-12, 13-26) all made the tournament, but neither Wheaton nor North Park made it past the tournament's first round. Millikin’s Caleb Akins (5-3, 3.68 ERA, 59K) was the First-Year Student-Athlete of the Year and Sam Bushur (.402) was All-CCIW First Team. North Park’s Reyn Matsuzaki (.350, 9 HR, 42 RBI) was named to the All-CCIW First Team. According to Region 8 coaches, Millikin has the potential to be a Top 10 Regional team in 2026. Consider them an under the radar team.
This also marked the first time since 2015 that Augustana (8-12, 20-19) did not make the conference tournament after losing game two of a must-win game in a doubleheader at home to Elmhurst in extra innings. The coaching staff, however, is extremely excited about the efforts and competitiveness of this 2026 group. Returning two all-conference players with a strong supporting cast. Their younger players are looking forward to their opportunities and taking another step forward this year. Kaileb Hackman (.338, 41 RBI) earned Player of the Year honors in the Kernels Collegiate League this summer, hitting .486. Keep an eye on him.
Carroll (7-13, 16-21) and Elmhurst (4-16, 10-30) rounded out the bottom of the conference. Carroll will play with an experienced team in 2026 with core of 2025 team returning. Joey Appino (.315, 33 RBI, 22 SB) led the Pioneers with 1.024 OPS and will want to see that rise in his senior year. They will need to develop pitching depth to make a move up the standings.
Predicted Champion: North Central
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| Webster starting pitcher was 12-3 in 92 innings with two complete games for the Gorloks last season. Webster athletics photo |
St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference: Webster (17-1, 37-9) who finished last season #22 on the final D3Baseball.com poll enters the season as the team to beat in the SLIAC. The Gorloks have been a powerhouse, winning or sharing 18 of the last 20 regular season conference championships, and capturing 13 of the past 20 SLIAC Tournament titles. Last season, Webster secured the conference’s automatic NCAA tournament bid but finished 1-2 in postseason play after tough losses to Bellhaven and Rhodes. The team will feel the loss of some key leaders, including Second Team All-American pitcher Joel Arsenault. However, the mound will still be in excellent hands with last year’s Fourtrh Team All-American Ryan Greifelt (12-3, 2.74 ERA, 89 K). Greifelt D3baseball.com Preseason All-American is widely regarded as one of the nation’s top Division III pitchers and will be joined on the mound by Carter Hunt (Second Team Preseason All-American). The coaching staff is enthusiastic about Greifelt’s continued growth: “Ryan was an All-American last year, and we expect him to build on that success this season. He’s a fierce competitor and stands as our frontline pitcher,” they said. Easton Kretzer spent his summer in the Power Summer Collegiate League hitting .400, 1 HR and 13 RBI in 40 at-bats. Webster’s strength will continue to be pitching, bolstered by solid defense and a fast, athletic offense. Outfielder James Theodore is another key player to watch. The senior showed his speed and skill by stealing 38 bases on 40 attempts last season and hitting .346. He’s poised to be a strong contender for Conference Player of the Year honors.
MUW (14-4, 21-17) lost in the SLIAC Championship game to top seeded Webster to end their season. Of the Owl’s five All-Conference players, 3x will be returning - Zach Johnson (INF, First Team All-Conf and Third Team Region 8), Campbell McCluney (P, 2nd Team), Baron Brack (OF, 2nd Team). The Owls will lean on Johnson (.386, 64 H, 8 HR, 50 RBI) and Graduate Senior Brack (.321, 42 H, 31 RBI) to provide offensive production with Landon Clark (Fifth Team D3baseball.com All-American, 2nd team ABCA) and Avery Benson having graduated. Clark became the first Owls’ All-American - in any sport - since the university became a full NCAA III member in 2023-2024.
Spalding (14-4, 28-14) finished 3rd in regular season and lost in the SLIAC tournament to MUW. However, they sported the D3baseball.com Region 8 Player of the Year and SLIAC Athlete of the Year, Ethan Tuttle (.494, 75R, 49 RBI, 28 SB on 30 att). The Senior SS set the SLIAC single season record with 88 hits. Another gap the Golden Eagles will need to fill is behind the dish in Senior Hunter Strong (.452, 1.404 OPS, 61 RBI) who was also named to D3baseball.com preseason All-American First Team, but it is expected Senior Jesse Walter should fill that spot. Spalding who led the conference with .342 BAvg, 110 2B, 496 H and .447 OB% will boast all new names in the top 4x spots in the batting lineup including an entirely new Infield, LF and RF. They will get a major uplift with the hiring of Larry Owens who brings coaching experience from the major league level where he previously served as a minor league pitching coach for the Chicago White Sox, coach for D2 Bellarmine and most recently Assistant Coach for the Johnson City Doughboys in the Appalachian League, a summer collegiate baseball league
Lyon (9-9, 20-19) finished #4 in both batting (.290) and pitching (6.68 ERA) in the conference. In their contest vs Hendrix, they had conference team highs in putouts (36), Triples (4). Westminster (9-9, 19-22) will be returning a potential Conference Player of the Year candidate in Troy Romero (.361, 26 RBI, 37 SB) and will do without D3baseball.com Region 8 Third Team OF Keli’i Price who has graduated and is now playing in Japan. Greenville (8-10, 15-24), Eureka (8-10, 13-25), and Fontbonne (6-12, 7-22) outlined the middle of the pack. Blackburn (4-14, 7-30) has elevated one of their own, Dalton Fisher to head coach. Fisher was a former Beaver player and will enter his 6th year on staff.
Predicted Champion: Webster
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| Manchester is one of five teams that has represented the HCAC in the NCAA Playoffs in the last five years. Only Bluffton and Berea has not reached the NCAA Regional round this centrury. Manchester athletics photo |
Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference: Manchester (15-7, 29-13) shared the regular-season title with Anderson, won the HCAC tournament and represented the conference in the playoffs but went 0-2, losing to Regional winner Denison in the opening round and Penn St.-Behrand in elimination. Rocco Hanes (51.1 IP, 54 K) was named HCAC Player of the Year, and Rick Espeset earned HCAC Coach of the Year honors. Joel Kennedy (.453, 8 HR, 46 RBI) was D3baseball.com Fourth Team All-American and is a Preseason All-American favorite for the upcoming season. Manchester led the conference with a .335 batting average in 2025 but aim to avoid the typical every-other-year dip that has pushed them to the middle or bottom of the conference at the plate.
Anderson (15-7, 26-16) entered the conference tournament as the #2 seed, sharing the HCAC regular-season title with Manchester. The Ravens won their first-round game but suffered their first tournament loss to Manchester, falling 16-11 after an 8-run rally in the final two innings. Their season ended with a 15-6 loss to Transylvania. Seven Ravens earned All-HCAC honors, and four made the D3baseball.com All-Region team: Zac Stawski (First Team, .435 BA, .526 OBP, .717 SLG), Landen Southern and Brendan Tabor (Second Team), and Griffin Wilf (Third Team). Stawski, a consistent offensive threat, was also a D3Baseball.com Preseason All-American (Third Team) and will be someone to watch as a potential HCAC Player of the Year. Tyler Rubasky will now lead the Ravens in his second year as head coach, following Mathew Bair’s move to Indiana Wesleyan University.
Rose-Hulman (14-8, 23-19) qualified for the conference tournament but finished 1-2 to end their season. The Fightin’ Engineers landed three players on the All-Conference teams and one Honorable Mention. One of those players, Connor O'Connell (.363, 40 RBI, 168 AB) was All-Region and one of the top hitters in the conference. From the staff “Physical left-handed bat that can play both 1B and 3B.” However, they lost a big threat on the bags in Senior Peter Rogers who stole 23 bases on 28 attempts. Over the last two seasons, the program has been consistently in the top half of the conference in all three phases of the game (pitching, batting, fielding).
Transylvania (13-9, 22-19) earned the #4 seed in the HCAC tournament. Although they fell just short in a tight 6-7 opening round loss, they bounced back with three consecutive wins, including a commanding 15-6 victory over Anderson, before their season ended with a 3-7 loss to Manchester. Sophomore pitcher Drew Bowles (5-3, 3.47 ERA, 72 K) stood out as the HCAC Pitcher of the Year. First-year pitcher Giancarlo Gonzalez (4-1, 2.08 ERA, .237 B/Avg) and Matt Armstrong (4.96 ERA across 19 appearances) earned First-Team All-HCAC honors, highlighting a bullpen that was collectively the best in the conference. Looking ahead, the team remains athletically strong with promising young talent. The return of Calvin Schubert will add further depth and energy. Despite last season’s setbacks—losing their best player to injury and the departure of a key senior—the Pioneers’ ability to reach the conference championship game is a strong indicator of positive momentum. The coaching staff is particularly excited about the continued development of their young pitching staff, which they will rely heavily on this season. Transy are returning seven position players and 4 starting pitchers, but lost Austin Taylor (single season 2B record holder) and Henry Mitcham (career RBI leader) both to graduation. From the coaching staff “We really like our team as it's presently constructed. We feel like we're very athletic, with proven young guys. Adding Calvin Schubert back to the mix will really help us.” Schubert is looking to become the 5th player in the program’s history to eclipse 200 career hits.Ethan Dillon hit .403 including 16 RBI and 2 HR in 77 AB this summer for Southern Collegiate Baseball League.
Mount St. Joseph (12-10, 26-16) and Franklin (12-10, 21-20) both qualified for the conference tournament. MSJ going 2-2 and Franklin 0-2. MSJ will look to move forward despite losing First Team outfielders Anton Mere and Jake Sanders. However, their pitching staff remains strong with juniors Jackson Bucks (3-0, 4.21 ERA, 42 K) and Nolan Miller (6-2, 5.09 ERA, 61 K) expected to lead the rotation. Franklin’s coaching staff reported a positive fall season. With a young roster last year—losing only one starting position player to graduation, they are optimistic about the added experience contributing to the team’s development this year. Sophomore Josh Girvan is quickly closing in on the program’s career stolen bases (59, needs 12 to tie). As a club, they stole 139 bases (6th in the nation) last spring with four players with double-digit steals returning this season.
Earlham (10-12, 17-21), Hanover (10-12, 15-24) Bluffton (6-16, 9-29-1) and Berea (3-19, 8-29) did not make the conference tournament. Earlam’s HC Steve Sakosits is five wins away from 300 and Mitchel Roether will look to tie the club’s career HR record this season (9 away from 26).They will be looking to improve base running this year with NAC All-Conference player Evan Duncan transferring in from NVU-Lyndon who was perfect on all 25 stolen base attempts last season for the Hornets.
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MSOE's Christian Bosque made all the All-Region |
Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference: MSOE (18-6, 29-18) for the second year in a row was the regular season conference champion and did so in great fashion bouncing back from a 4-8 non-conference start by going 18-6 in NACC play including an 8-game conference win streak. The Raiders had their winningest season in program history along with a record 9 All-NACC conference players. They were the first team not named Aurora or Concordia Chicago to win both the regular season and conference tournament. Last year also marked the club’s first playoff victory in regional play over Webster before falling to Belhaven in the regional final 7-4. MSOE was the best team in all of Division 3 90-feet at a time averaging 4.36 stolen bases per game (205 in total). First-year head coach Adrian Santiago was named Region 8 Coach of the Year by the American Baseball Coaches Association (ABCA). The Raiders are returning the core position players and have added some much-needed depth including Christian Bosque, who battled a hamstring injury last year. If he remains healthy this season, the coaching staff believes he has All-American potential.
Aurora (16-8, 24-20) finished second in the regular season earning the #2 seed in the conference tournament. Losing their first game to Edgewood 10-9, before bouncing back to beat Marian 2-1 (10 Inn.) then Benedictine 11-6 in a rematch against Edgewood but ending their season in an 8-6 loss. The Spartans made the most of their conference leading at bats (1586) leading in batting average (.321), hits (509), 3B (21), RBIs (341) and the lowest total number of strikeouts (206). They will miss their Senior Justin ZImmerman (9-2, 2.66 ERA, 110 Ks - a single season program record) to graduation who was named a First-Team All-Region pitcher by both ABCA and D3Baseball.com, and crowned NACC Pitcher of the Year and First-Team All-Conference. Connor Hogan was named to the First Team by D3baseball.com and Second Team by ABCA, and the Junior was named to this year’s D3baseball.com Preseason All-American (Second Team). The coaching staff, “I really like this group. We return some guys that have had a lot of success, and we are also returning some guys that were injured for big portions of last year…really like our newcomers. They are talented and fit in well. We are excited to get going.”
Concordia Chicago (16-8, 26-16) found a lot of success last season including a seven-game win streak which was their longest since 2019. They also picked up their most combined runs since 2023 and a non-conference win over University of Chicago that would later secure an at-large bid. Kolin Conner resigned but not before earning his 100th win as a head coach, taking the head coaching role at Indiana University Kokomo. New at the helm is Jack Murphy who comes to CU after helping guide Oakland City University to record setting seasons in ‘22, ‘23, and ‘24 (including NCCAA World Series 2nd place finish). Coach Murphy looks to restore the years of 2013-2019 when the Cougars reigned supreme in the NACC.
Benedictine (15-9, 26-17) entered the NACC tournament as the 4 seed just one year after entering the tournament and winning it all as the #3 seed. However last year, they went 1-2 after being eliminated 11-6 by Aurora. Benedictine got it done throughout the season though with a strong bat (.302 BAvg), second in RBI (331), and drawing a conference leading number of walks (216). The Eagles lost three First Team All-Conference players in JT Adams (SP), Brennan Risher (1B), and 3rd Team ABCA All-American George Betevis (OF) plus two Honorable Mentions in Kyle Campbell (OF) and Zach Fell (SS). Honorable Mentions Nic Castrovillari (Jr, 3B and Mike Budorick (Sr, DH) will be potential conference all-team players this season. Nate Buehrer spent the summer in the Metropolitan Collegiate Summer Baseball League throwing 22.1 innings posting 2-0 record and 1.61 ERA in 12 appearances. According to Region 8 coaches, MSOE, Aurora and Benedictine are amongst the Top 10 Regional teams for 2026.
Marian (14-10, 22-21), Edgewood (13-11, 23-22), Rockford (13-11, 24-17) and Concordia Wisconsin (12-12, 20-20) rounded out the bottom of the tournament seeds. However, it was Edgewood that came alive in the tournament defeating No. 7 Rockford 9-8 (12 Inn.) in a play-in game, then No 3. Concordia Chicago and No 2. Aurora on Day 2. They fell to MSOE in Day 3, doubled down against Aurora beating them again in Day 4, but couldn’t get revenge in the tournament championship losing to MSOE in 7 Inn. Rockford’s Stagowski voted D3Baseball.com Second Team All-American. Concordia-Wisconsin’s Morgan Tran and Jason Valdez look to provide some success after their recent performance over the summer. Tran (.421 BAvg, 6 RBI, 38 at-bats) played in the Power Summer Collegiate League while Valdez (.431 BAvg, 18 RBI, 16 stolen bases) played in the Metropolitan Collegiate Summer Baseball League.
Predicted Champion: MSOE
University Athletic Association: WashU (10-10, 26-17) entered last year’s postseason receiving votes in the ABCA Coaches Poll. The regional seeding, however, placed them at Adrian which included the eventual National Champion UW-Whitewater. The Bears won their first game 10-9 over Ohio Northern before taking Whitewater to 11-innings and losing 3-4. They were eliminated later that day by Adrian 7-3. Noah Reichman (Gr.) and Brandon Buday (Sr.) earned First Team UAA honors, with Buday hitting a career-high .399 and recording a cycle on April 18. Reichman started nearly every game, batting .403 with 52 hits, 14 doubles, and eight home runs. Junior Isaac Zhang (3-1, 1.82 ERA) also made First Team, while Senior Hank Weiss (3-2, 1.84 ERA) earned Second Team All-UAA. All four joined the D3Baseball.com regional team. The coaching staff highlighted a focus on pitching (led by Townsend Stevenson) and defense to sustain a Top 10 national ERA and defense ranking, with a young, athletic offense marking their strongest lineup since the 2021 World Series. WashU is receiving votes in this season’s coaches’ rankings.
Independent: Maranatha Baptist (5-24) won their most games since posting a 7-27 record in 2017. Prior to 2025, the Sabercats went 3-135 from 2018-2024. With wins at Principia, Viterbo, Knox, Martin Luther, and Blackburn, the Sabercats only kept it within 4-runs a handful of times last season. A highlight for the program, Junior Teddy Haugen pitched the first no-hitter in 20 years in the Viterbo 6-0 win. They will look to build on last year through commitment and have added improved competition to their schedule such as St. Norbert, Wisconsin-Platteville and Monmouth.