By Grace Malec, Sports Editor
The Saints get ready to take the field against Defiance – Photo by Grace Malec
After finishing the 2025 season with a 19-9 conference record, the Saints were ready to hit the field hot for the 2026 baseball season.
“The team has been looking strong as a whole after the first two weekends of conference play,” Hudson Lubbers said. “Both our offense and defense made very good use of the first month or so of non-conference play to clean up certain mistakes and knock off the rust.”
Aquinas Baseball started conference play on March 14 against the Warriors of Indiana Tech, with two games in Fort Wayne, Ind. The Saints split the series, falling in the first game to the Warriors 4-10. The tough loss for the Saints brought a new sense of grit to the team, bouncing back in the second game to finish with a win and a final score of 4-3.
Joey Hysell led the Saints to their win over the Indiana Tech Warriors, tallying three hits. On the defensive, Travis Weide kept the Warriors from catching up to the Saints, earning his third save of the season and preventing Indiana Tech from taking game two.
Riding the high of their first conference win of the season, the Saints came into the series against the Lourdes University Gray Wolves strong. With another two game series, the Saints swept the Gray Wolves, taking the victory 14-6 in the first game and 14-3 in the second.
The Saints showed dominance in the two game series. Hysell returned to the field with force, with a three-run home that allowed the Saints to take a 5-0 lead and set the tone for the series.
#26 Ethan Bowen throws a pitch at Meijer Sports Complex – Photo by Grace Malec
Looking to their next conference opponent, the Saints hit the road to take on the Lawrence Tech Blue Devils, winning both games and adding another win to the conference record with a final score of 6-0 and 7-4.
Sam Pollack established excellence in the first game against the Blue Devils; earning a complete game shutout.
The Saints took to their home field against Defiance College for a two-game series to open their season at home. A newer conference opponent; only joining the Wolverine-Hoosier Athletic Conference in the summer of 2024, the teams had only met two times prior to the showdown on the home field of the Meijer Sports Complex.
Despite a chilly day, the Saints brought the heat with them, taking the two-game series with a final score of 6-5 and 8-2.
The Saints showed their resilience in game one, coming from behind to take the lead against Defiance. Ethan Bowen dominated in pitching through the first five innings of game two, while Hudson Lubbers led the team to their strong finish on the mound.
“Both our hitters and pitching staff really dialled things in coming back from Florida,” Lubbers said. “I think that the growing pains of the early season are the reason we have been able to start off 7-1 in conference play and be sitting at the top of the WHAC. Along with that, we just have a really great group of guys that are ready to pick each other up when things go south. There aren’t many rosters where you can look at every single guy and say they are great teammates, but I think you definitely can say that about ours.”
The Saints are back for even more conference play on March 28 and 29 in Lima, Ohio. Taking on the University of Northwestern Ohio Racers, the Saints will play two games on Saturday and two games on Sunday before returning home to take on the Cornerstone University Golden Eagles on April 3 and 4.
Saints show dominance throughout their two-game series against Defiance – Photo by Grace Malec
The Saint 