Contact: Nicholas Osterloo, Director of Athletics Communication, 630-637-5324
Mar. 21, 2026 - Honoring the Cardinal baseball senior class before first pitch, the North Central College baseball team scored 23 runs in a doubleheader to complete the three-game sweep of Calvin University at Zimmerman Stadium on Saturday.
Cardinal starter for game one, Chris Rogers, posted a scoreless top of the first inning, allowing just one hit. Luke Wallace led off for North Central with a hit by pitch and advanced to second on a passed ball. A Yuhki Yamada walk and Jackson Bland bunt single loaded the bases. Parker Wyatt drove in the game's first two runs with a single to left field. After Bland stole third, Payton Diaz and Caleb Smith walked to load the bases for the second time. Another Cardinal free pass added a third run as Andrew Medina drew an RBI walk.
Rogers took control, not allowing a hit for the rest of his outing. In the bottom of the fourth, Dennis Mandala walked and Yamada reached on an error. After a lengthy at-bat, Wyatt took advantage of a Knights error to plate both runners. Peyton Burgh singled through the left side before scoring on a wild pitch to give the Cardinals a 7-0 lead after four innings.
Calvin scored their first run of the game on two hits and a walk in the top of the sixth. The visitors added another in the seventh on a solo homerun to left field. North Central's pitching held strong, only allowing two unearned runs in the ninth to seal a 7-4 victory in game one.
Rogers earned his first win of the season, throwing five innings with seven punchouts and just one hit while not allowing a run. Colby Gaither and Jim Shortall did not allow a run with Elijah Hammond not allowing an earned run in their respective appearances. Wyatt drove in four runs with Bland, Burgh and Diaz each recording a pair of hits. Medina drew three walks in game one.
Two walks and a single for Calvin in the top half of the first inning gave the visitors a 1-0 lead in game two. Four straight singles and a double added four runs to the scoreboard in the second as the Knights jumped out to a 5-0 advantage.
North Central responded in the bottom of the second inning. Bland singled before Diaz doubled to put runners on the corners. Jacob Hoernschemeyer hit a two-run double to right field to cut into the Calvin lead. An Owen Ziaja sacrifice fly plated the Cardinals' third run of the game.
Ryan Gerdes settled the Knights' bats, holding them scoreless in the top of the third. Wyatt led off the bottom half of the frame with a double. Bland walked before a Diaz RBi single to bring North Central within one. Hoernschemeyer's single was the last straw for the Calvin starter. Drew Diehl entered the contest and was greeted with a Ryan Huskey RBI single to right field. Gavin Kleist put the Cardinals ahead on an RBI groundout. Ziaja tacked on two more runs on a singled up the middle to give North Central an 8-5 lead.
Gerdes did not allow a hit in the fourth. A Diaz single, Hoernschemeyer hit by pitch and a Huskey walk loaded the bases for Kleist to score Diaz on a sacrifice fly.
North Central's bats stayed hot in the bottom of the fifth. A Caleb Coberley double led to a Wyatt RBI single. He came around to score on a Bland double down the left field line. With the bases loaded, Kleist was hit by a pitch to plate Bland. Ziaja hit another RBI single as the Cardinals took a 14-5 advantage after five.
Shortall relieved Gerdes in the sixth and kept Calvin off the scoreboard. Coberley led off the sixth with a double before Wyatt walked. Bland scored Coberley on a single to right center field. Giving North Central a 16-5 lead, Bland scored on a wild pitch.
Senior Tyler Pritchard struck out the lone batter he faced before Ben Muhich sealed the win for North Central, 16-5.
Diaz went 4-for-5 in the game, scoring four times. Ziaja drove in five runs on two hits. Bland extended his reached base safely streak to 14 (18 dating back to last season) with a 3-for-4 performance in game two. Gerdes secured the win on the mound, throwing four innings without allowing a run. He struck out three and allowed just one hit.
The Cardinals host the Illinois Institute of Technology Sunday to finish off five games in four days. First pitch at Zimmerman Stadium is set for 1 p.m. North Central is 7-0 all-time against the Scarlet Hawks.
