Wabash baseball experienced a week of extremes, highlighted by a dramatic comeback victory and a lopsided road loss that underscored ongoing inconsistency.
The Little Giants opened the stretch of games on April 11 at Goodrich Ballpark in a competitive doubleheader sweep against Ohio Wesleyan University (OWU), where Wabash also celebrated their new artificial turf infield. The team could not have been happier to get to play at home on the new Birdzell Field, thanks to a generous gift from JoAnn and John Birdzell ’61.
“It felt great,” said Caleb Everson ’26. “We’re super thankful to be able to play on the new field, and we’re so grateful for the Birdzells and their contribution to the program. Playing at home is special at Wabash, and the energy that the fans bring, especially on the hill, fuels our energy as a team.”
In the first game against OWU, Everson became the star of the day, limiting the Battling Bishops to three runs over nine innings of play and delivering a complete-game performance. Both teams had a slow start, but in the fifth inning, Wabash took a 1–0 lead thanks to a Will Fremion ’27 double that allowed DJ Mendez ’28 to come home. In the sixth inning, the Little Giants delivered the final blow, ignited by a Landon Basey ’29 triple that helped create a four-run surge to take a 5–0 lead. The Battling Bishops tried to respond, scoring three runs in the last inning, but it was not enough as Wabash won 5–3.
The second game got off to a hot start with OWU striking in the top of the first inning with two runs, but Wabash quickly responded with a run of their own before going on a tear in the third inning thanks to a four-run outburst sparked by Ryan Williams ’28. The Battling Bishops attempted to respond, but the Little Giants kept piling it on to eventually take the game by a final score of 7–4.
“The two wins are huge for us,” said Everson. “We’ve been working really hard and playing really hard, so it’s nice to get the ball rolling with some wins. Hopefully we build on them and continue with some momentum.”
That momentum carried the team into their game on April 13 at Goodrich Ballpark against the Eureka College Red Devils. Early on, Wabash put themselves in quite the hole, falling behind 0–8 in the top of the sixth inning.
The team did not back down, however, scoring 12 runs in the bottom of the inning. Mendez played a central role in the rally, finishing four-for-five with two doubles, three RBIs and two runs scored. His two-run double in the bottom of the sixth inning pulled Wabash within one and helped set the stage for the decisive blow.
That blow came from Bradley Gilliam ’27 later on in the sixth inning with a three-run home run to left field, giving the Little Giants their first lead of the game at 12–8. Gilliam finished the day four-for-four at the plate with four RBIs while Ben Henke ’26 added five hits. The Red Devils attempted to battle back but came up just short in the top of the ninth inning, giving Wabash the 12–11 victory.
“From here we probably just need consistency,” said Everson. “There have been flashes of success, and these past few games were the first time we’ve put everything together. Hopefully we can stay consistent in that success.”
Things went differently, however, on April 14, in Richmond, Indiana, where the team faced Earlham College. What looked to be a hot start with a Caleb Ellspermann ’27 double and 3–0 lead turned into a slugfest. The Quakers came firing back with five runs of their own in the second inning and did not stop there. Thanks to several home runs in the third and fourth innings, Earlham went on a 14-run surge that was answered with only one Wabash run. The team could not rekindle the magic from the Eureka game and lost 4–14.
“Earlham is a good team,” said Ellspermann. “I thought they had some decent arms, but we just fell flat defensively on the mound. Our bats couldn’t play complimentary to our pitching.”
The team will return to action on April 18 in Gambier, Ohio to take on Kenyon College in North Coast Athletic Conference doubleheader.