Denison Stuns Late, DePauw Dominates to Reach NCAA Baseball Regional Finals

GRANVILLE, OH/ADRIAN, MI -- North Coast Athletic Conference action in day two of the 2026 NCAA Division III Baseball Regionals was highlighted by Denison (42-1) earning a 4-3 walk-off win over Cortland (30-11-1) in Game 4 of the Granville regional and DePauw (30-13) defeating Webster (31-15) 11-2 in Game 4 of the Adrian regional. Wittenberg (31-13) was handed an 8-2 loss by Adrian (32-11) in Game 3 of the Adrian regional and eliminated from the tournament.
 
The undefeated Big Red and Tigers of Indiana advance into their regional championship games, Game 6, which will be played on Sunday at 11:00 a.m. Denison will face the winner of the elimination game between Cortland and Kalamazoo and DePauw will take on the winner of the elimination game between Webster and Adrian. The if necessary game at both regional sites will begin 45 minutes following the completion of Game 6.
 
GRANVILLE GAME 4: Denison 4, Cortland 3
  • The Denison Big Red walked off Cortland in dramatic fashion Saturday, scoring in the bottom of the ninth inning for a 4-3 victory in NCAA Regional play.
  • After Cortland grabbed a 1-0 lead in the opening inning, Erik Sundgren (Pittsburgh, PA/North Allegheny) answered immediately for Denison with a solo home run to left field in the bottom half, tying the game at 1-1 and setting the tone for a tightly contested afternoon.
  • The Big Red moved in front in the second inning when Nate Lloyd (Oakwood, OH/Oakwood) singled, stole second and later scored on Bobby Haarde’s (Sudbury, MA/Lincoln-Sudbury Regional) RBI single down the right-field line. That 2-1 advantage held for much of the game thanks to a strong performance from Denison’s pitching staff and steady defense in several key moments.
  • Starter Robbie Lee (Washington, DC/Landon School) worked through early traffic before Ryan Paganelis (Batavia, IL/Marmion Academy) entered in the sixth and escaped a major threat with runners on the corners. Denison’s defense also came through with several momentum-changing outs, including an interference double play in the third inning and multiple fly-ball outs with runners aboard.
  • Denison added an important insurance run in the seventh. Cade Nowik (Lake Forest, IL/Lake Forest) opened the inning with a single and later moved to third before Jack Lutte (Venetia, PA/Peters Township) delivered a sacrifice fly to right field, extending the lead to 3-1.
  • Cortland mounted its biggest rally in the ninth inning, using a solo home run and taking advantage of an error and a hit batter to tie the game at 3-3 with the bases loaded. Denison turned to Max Mullen (Hilliard, OH/Hilliard Darby), who recorded the final out and prevented further damage.
  • The Big Red answered immediately in the bottom of the ninth. Max Fishbein (Atlanta, GA/Druid Hills) sparked the rally with a leadoff double to left field before Brady Olsen (Hudson, OH/Gilmour Academy) entered as a pinch runner and advanced to third on a sacrifice bunt by Nowik. Pinch hitter Jack Rollo (Chesterfield, MO/Mary Institute and Saint Louis Country Day School) then delivered the game-winning moment, lining a single to center field to bring home Olsen and send Denison to the walk-off win.
  • Sundgren finished with the game-tying homer, while Haarde collected two hits and an RBI. Fishbein’s late double proved critical, and Rollo delivered the decisive hit in his lone at-bat. Denison pitchers combined to allow just two earned runs while striking out seven.
ADRIAN GAME 3: Adrian 8, Wittenberg 2
  • Wittenberg's season came to an end on Saturday as Adrian erased an early two-run deficit and pulled away for an 8-2 win in elimination play at the NCAA Division III Regionals at Nicolay Field.
  • The Tigers struck first in the top of the first. With runners on, Tommy Chilicki (Lewis Center, OH/Olentangy) delivered an RBI single to right field to plate Alex Nemunaitis (Perrysburg, OH/Ottawa Hills), and Corbin Marshall (Doylestown, OH/Chippewa) followed with a fielder's choice RBI to score Xander Rodriguez (Salinas, PR/Franklin County) for a 2-0 lead.
  • Adrian erased the deficit with two runs in the second, pushed ahead with three runs in the third, and added three more in the fourth to take an 8-2 lead it would not relinquish.
  • Wittenberg got an outstanding relief effort from Mikey Eickhoff (Akron, OH/St. Vincent-St. Mary), who entered with runners on and tossed 5.2 innings of one-hit ball, walking one and striking out two to keep things steady the rest of the way. Wade Thewes (Parker, CO/Lutheran) took the loss after going 3.1 innings.
  • At the plate, Charlie Marando (Dublin, OH/Scioto) finished 2-for-4 with a double, while Rodriguez added two hits and Chilicki tallied a hit, a walk, a stolen base and an RBI. Marshall, Nemunaitis, Quintin Applegate (Delaware, OH/Olentangy Berlin) and Daniel Gladden (Galena, OH/Olentangy Berlin) each chipped in a hit, with Marshall driving in the other Wittenberg run. 
ADRIAN GAME 4: DePauw 11, Webster 4
  • Behind a seven-run second inning and another strong outing from its pitching staff, DePauw rolled to an 11-2 victory over Webster on Saturday afternoon in NCAA Regional action in Adrian, Michigan.
  • After leaving the bases loaded in the first inning, DePauw wasted little time taking control in the second. Bryson Dorsey (Westfield, IN/Guerin Catholic) started the rally with a single before Aidan Howard (Portland, OR/Tualatin) worked a two-out walk to keep the inning alive. From there, the Tigers strung together clutch hit after clutch hit.
  • Max Bond (Zionsville, IN/Zionsville) drove in the game’s first run on a fielder’s choice before Grady Johnson (Lexington, KY/Sayre) followed with an RBI single. Louis Florida (Wilmette, IL/New Trier) then delivered the biggest swing of the inning, lining a two-run single to right field to stretch the lead to 4-0. Cuinn Morrow (Carmel, IN/Guerin Catholic) added an RBI double down the left-field line and Nolan Osterling (Zionsville, IN/Zionsville) capped the outburst with a two-run double as DePauw erupted for seven runs on six hits in the frame.
  • Florida led the offensive attack with a four-hit afternoon and two RBI, while Dorsey added two hits and scored twice. Osterling drove in two runs, Howard doubled and scored, and Morrow crossed the plate twice while adding an RBI double. Zach O’Connell (Montgomery, OH/Cincinnati Hills Christian) reached base three times and collected a pair of hits.
  • On the mound, Pearse Riendeau (Richmond, VA/Collegiate) settled in after the early offensive explosion and gave the Tigers six innings. Webster managed 11 hits overall, but DePauw’s defense consistently erased threats with four double plays behind Riendeau and reliever Jaylen Windmiller (Coatesville, IN/North Putnam).
  • Webster broke through in the fourth inning, but a rally was cut short by a double play turned by the left side of the infield. In the sixth, Webster added its second run on a solo home run, trimming the deficit to 7-2.
  • DePauw answered immediately in the seventh to put the game away. Morrow and Osterling drew walks to begin the inning before Dorsey ripped an RBI single through the left side. Tyler Walkey (Carmel, IN/Carmel) followed with an RBI single of his own, Howard doubled into the gap to bring home another run, and Bond added an RBI groundout as the Tigers pushed the lead to 11-2.
  • Windmiller closed out the final three innings without allowing a run, helping DePauw advance after combining with Riendeau for just three strikeouts but repeatedly generating key outs when Webster threatened.

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