Contact: Nicholas Osterloo, Director of Athletics Communication, 630-637-5324
Apr. 14, 2026 - In its most convincing College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin victory of the season, the North Central College baseball team used an 11-run fourth inning to overwhelm North Park University, 21-8, in seven innings Tuesday afternoon at Zimmerman Stadium.
The Vikings capitalized on a leadoff walk to score the first run before Chris Rogers induced a double play to limit the damage.
Yuhki Yamada drew a leadoff walk and advanced to second on a failed pickoff attempt. After stealing third, he scored on a wild pitch. Luke Wallace, Jackson Bland and Parker Wyatt each reached to load the bases. Payton Diaz drew an RBI walk to give the Cardinals the lead. Caleb Coberley followed with a sacrifice fly to score Bland, and Wyatt came home as Peyton Burgh reached on a North Park error for a 4-1 advantage.
North Park responded with four runs on four hits to retake the lead, 5-4. Jim Shortall entered in relief and escaped the inning down one.
Yamada and Wallace each walked in the third before Wyatt lifted his fourth home run in the past six games over the left-center fence to put North Central back in front, 7-5. Shortall followed with the Vikings' first scoreless frame of the day.
In the fourth, Coberley and Burgh were hit by pitches and Andre Medina walked to load the bases. Caleb Smith drove in Coberley with an RBI single. Yamada and Wallace each drew an RBI hit by pitch before Bland singled to score Smith. Diaz cleared the bases with a three-run double to score Yamada, Wallace and Bland, then scored on a passed ball. After a Vikings pitching change, Smith singled home Coberley, Yamada scored on an error, and Wallace walked to bring in Medina to complete the 11-run inning and extend the lead to 18-5.
North Central added three runs in the fifth, scoring twice on an error before Medina doubled in another for a 21-5 lead.
North Park pushed across three runs in the seventh, but North Central closed out the 21-8 win to improve to 6-5 in CCIW play.
The Cardinals drew 13 walks and were hit by five pitches while collecting 12 hits. Yamada, Wallace, Wyatt and Coberley each scored three times, and Diaz drove in four. Shortall earned the win, throwing five scoreless innings and allowing three hits.
North Central steps out of CCIW play Thursday to complete the season series with Benedictine University. First pitch at Zimmerman Stadium is set for 5 p.m.
