Next Up in Valpo Baseball: The Valparaiso University baseball team will have its first hotel stay in nearly a month this weekend as the Beacons pack up and head to Normal, Ill. to begin a three-game Missouri Valley Conference series at Illinois State on Friday. 
 
Last Time Out: The Beacons dropped a pair of close calls despite strong starting pitching performances to start last weekend's home series against Belmont, losing 8-7 and 2-0 on Friday and Saturday. It came together on Sunday for the Brown & Gold in a 5-2 victory that saw Nick Baffa pick up the win with six solid innings before Dalton Swinehart nailed down the save with three scoreless frames. Case Sullivan homered and had the go-ahead, two-run single in the series finale. Valpo then fell 11-5 on Tuesday at Northern Illinois despite Bryan Hatch's first career home run.
 
Following the Beacons: All three games this weekend will air on ESPN+ with John Fitzgerald and Matt Sosler on the call. Links to live video and stats will be available on ValpoAthletics.com. For in-game updates, follow @ValpoBaseball on X.
 
Head Coach Brian Schmack: Brian Schmack (222-301) is in his 13th season in charge of the program and his 20^th overall at Valpo including seven seasons as an assistant coach. He ranks third in program history in seasons coached and games coached as he coached his 500^th game on March 17, 2024 at Campbell. On April 19, 2024 vs. Missouri State, he became the third head coach in program history to secure his 200^th win. Schmack, a member of the 2003 Detroit Tigers, served as pitching coach/associate head coach at Valpo for seven seasons prior to his promotion.
 
Series Notes: Valpo is 17-32-1 all-time against Illinois State in a series that dates all the way back to 1969. The Redbirds took two of three at Emory G. Bauer Field last season, with Valpo salvaging the finale thanks to a 3-2, 10-inning victory. Valpo picked up a road series win in Normal in 2022, but the Redbirds have held the upper hand in each of the last three seasons. Valpo is 10-13 against Illinois State since joining the Missouri Valley Conference.
 
Bullpen Break Time

• We're not sure how Valpo relief pitchers pass the time on days where Connor Lockwood gets the start, but we know that it usually isn't by warming up.
• Lockwood went the distance for the third time this season on April 25 vs. Belmont, covering all nine innings while allowing no earned runs (two total runs) on seven hits with no walks and six strikeouts.
• Lockwood became just the fourth player nationally this season with at least three complete games. He is tied for second in the nation with Justin DeCastro (LIU) and Andrew Hermann (Louisiana), behind only Jaden Wywoda (Holy Cross), who has four CGs.
• Lockwood became the first Valpo pitcher with three complete games in a season since Trevor Haas had three in 2016.
• Lockwood tossed his sixth career complete game, making him one of four active pitchers nationally with at least six in his career. He is tied for second among active pitchers, alongside Brady Bendik (Navy) and Vincent Borghese (Rutgers), behind only Wywoda, who has eight.
• Lockwood ranks fourth in the MVC in ERA (3.39), second in strikeout-to-walk ratio (6.71, 16^th nationally), and first in walks allowed per nine innings (0.88, fifth nationally).
• Lockwood has allowed multiple walks in a start just once this season (two on March 29 vs. Indiana State).
• The fifth-year senior righty ranks ninth in program history in career strikeouts and fifth in innings pitched.

Rank   Player                         Years              Strikeouts
1          Tim Juran                    1969-1972       371
2          Jon Robisch                1961-1964       294
3          Dalton Lundeen          2013-2016       275
4          Jon Gulbransen           2008-2011       264
5          Colin Fields                2019-2022       260
6          Shawn Barker             1987-1990       253
7          Bryce Shafer               2008-2010       250
8          Jon Tieman                 2017-2021       244
9          Connor Lockwood      2022-pres.       239
10        Tom Starck                 2001-2004       222
 
Rank   Player                         Years              Innings
1          Dalton Lundeen          2013-2016       347.1
2          Jon Gulbransen           2008-2011       327.1
3          Harvey Yergin             2004-2007       314.2
4          Tyler Deetjen              2009-2012       311.1
5          Connor Lockwood      2022-pres.       307.2
6          Tim Holmes                1984-1987       291.2
7          John Grippi                 1984-1988       286.0
8          Jon Tieman                 2017-2021       283.1
9          Shawn Barker             1987-1990       281.2
10        Mario Losi                  2014-2017       281.1
 
More on the Weekend Rotation

• Lockwood isn't the only member of the weekend pitching rotation that has been in the zone of late. Sunday starter Nick Baffa allowed two runs on six hits while walking one and striking out four over six innings to earn the win with a quality start on April 26 vs. Belmont.
• Baffa has allowed one walk or fewer in three straight starts. Three of his last four starts have seen him go at least five innings and allow two runs or fewer.
• Friday starter Adam Guazzo has transitioned into more of a traditional starting role after beginning the season as an opener. Over his two starts since that transition, he has covered 13 1/3 innings while striking out 13 and walking none. Over his last three starts, Guazzo has 14 Ks against no walks.  
• Both Guazzo and Lockwood will reach a bit of a milestone this weekend. Friday will be Guazzo's 50^th career appearance, and Saturday will be Lockwood's 50^th career start.

25 Straight and Counting

• Valpo catcher Eli Riley has reached base in 25 consecutive games.
• This marks Valpo's longest on-base streak since Kaleb Hannahs reached in 26 straight during the 2024 season.
• The last Beacon to get to 30 was Brady Renfro in 2023, and no Valpo player has reached safely in 35 straight games since John Loeffler in 2012.

Heartbreak City

• It's not a far leap to think that Valpo's record could be quite a bit better with a bounce here and a bounce there. The team is 1-10 this season and 2-19 over the last two seasons in one-run games.
• Of Valpo's 12 conference losses, seven have been decided by two runs or fewer. Valpo is 0-7 in league games decided by two runs or fewer this season.
• All 10 Valpo wins this season have come in games where Valpo has scored first. The Beacons are 0-18 in games where the opponent strikes first.

In the Other Dugout – Illinois State

• On a five-game winning streak including Big Ten wins over Illinois and Iowa.
• Currently in sixth place in the Missouri Valley Conference standings with the top six teams making the conference tournament.
• This is a huge weekend for the Redbirds as they attempt to fend off Belmont for the sixth MVC Tournament slot.
• Illinois State's bye weekend is the final weekend of the season (they will play a nonconference series at Michigan State), so they will close league play at UIC next weekend. This marks their final home weekend series of the season.
• Brayden Bakes leads the team with a .386 average, 12 home runs, 43 RBIs and a .701 slugging percentage.
• Picked to finish fourth in the MVC preseason poll.
• Led by eighth-year head coach Steve Holm.

Notes Wrapping Up April 28 – Northern Illinois 11, Valpo 5

• Bryan Hatch's home run, a tape-measure job that traveled 450 feet, was the first of his collegiate career.
• Redshirt sophomore Case Sullivan had two hits to lead the Beacons.
• LHP Christian Hack has been charged with no runs in seven of his last eight outings and seven of nine this season. He pitched an inning of scoreless relief against the Huskies.
• Valpo head coach Brian Schmack played at Northern Illinois from 1992 to 1995 before going on to play professionally including time in the big leagues with the Detroit Tigers.

Notes Wrapping Up Belmont (April 24-26) – L 8-7, L 2-0, W 5-2

• Louie Kegerreis hit the 15^th home run of his collegiate career and his first in a Valpo uniform in Friday's series opener.
• Javin Gauthier and Cal Schembra each smacked their sixth home run of the season on Friday, tied for second on the team. Gauthier homered for the second consecutive game.
• As a team, Valpo tied a season high for home runs with its fourth three-homer game of the season in Friday's series opener.
• The Beacons owned a 10-9 edge in the hit column on Friday, but they stranded eight on base while Belmont left just three on base.
• Valpo pitching issued just one walk while recording nine strikeouts on Friday.
• Friday starter Adam Guazzo worked a career-high seven innings while tying a career high with seven strikeouts, equaling his high from May 12, 2024 at Murray State.
• Zane Brown threw eight innings of shutout relief for the Bruins on Saturday, striking out six and walking one while yielding two hits. There was only one combined walk in the game between the two teams.
• Thomas Cooper's double on Saturday was Valpo's only extra-base knock and one of the team's three hits on the day.
• Saturday's game required only two hours, five minutes to complete all nine innings.
• Nick Baffa allowed two runs on six hits while walking one and striking out four over six innings to earn the win with the quality start on Sunday. 
• Reliever Dalton Swinehart has come on strong over his last two outings, as he has combined for 7 1/3 innings without allowing an earned run while permitting just four hits, two walks and eight strikeouts. He went three shutout innings while striking out two, walking none and allowing just one hit in Sunday's save.
• Swinehart's save was the 10^th of his collegiate career and his first in a Valpo uniform.
• Valpo pitchers issued only two walks in the entire three-game series against Belmont.
• Case Sullivan's home run on Sunday was his fifth of the season and the 12^th of his two-year Valpo career. It was his third home run in a nine-game span.
• Thanks to Sunday's victory, Valpo tied last season's overall win total with a dozen regular-season games to spare.

Taking The Dub from U Dub

• The Beacons finished off a three-game series at Big Ten foe Washington on a high note, capturing the series finale 4-2 on Saturday, April 4.
• This marked Valpo's third win over Big Ten competition in the last two seasons, as they beat Illinois and Ohio State last season. In Brian Schmack's time as head coach, the team has wins over five different Big Ten opponents – Ohio State, Michigan State, Illinois, Purdue and now Washington.
• The victory came over a Washington team that earlier in the week beat the No. 9 team in the country – Oregon State – 18-2 just two days prior to the start of the series with Valpo. 

Turning Three

• Valpo turned the program's first triple play since 2015 on April 2 in the series opener at Washington.
• The triple play was just the seventh nationally this season.
• With the bases loaded and nobody out, Washington's Blake Wilson bounced one back to the mound, and pitcher Adam Guazzo threw home for the force, then catcher Eli Riley fired on to first for the second out. A Washington runner tried to score from second on the throw to first, and the return throw from first baseman Cal Schembra to Riley easily cut down the runner to complete the triple play.
• The triple play was Valpo's first since April 12, 2015, when pitcher Ben Mahar came in with two on and nobody out and Valpo leading by six in the top of the seventh against Oakland. As the legend goes, head coach Brian Schmack gave the ball to Mahar and said, "Might as well turn the first triple play in program history." Two pitches later, Schmack's tongue-in-cheek remark became a reality as shortstop Spencer Mahoney let the ball bounce on a soft line drive, gloved it on a short hop, fed Jeff Edwards for the force at second, then Edwards tagged future big leaguer Michael Brosseau for the second out and then threw to first for the triple play.

#SCTop10

• Valpo was featured on SportsCenter's Top 10 plays earlier this week, as left fielder Brayden Pleau made a sprawling catch in Monday's game against Indiana State that checked in at No. 7 on the popular daily countdown that evening.
• The athletic department continued to generate significant exposure for the University through appearances on SportsCenter, as this marked the 20^th time spanning six sports that Valpo has been featured on SportsCenter's Top 10 plays since joining the Missouri Valley Conference.
• Last season, Beacon baseball boasted a pair of Top-10 plays. Connor Giusti came in at No. 6 on May 17 after a diving catch and glove flip to second for a double play in the ninth inning of a win over Southern Illinois, while Aidan Thaxton appeared at No. 3 for an impressive tag on April 6 vs. Illinois State.

Top 100: For the third time this season, Valpo had a hitter in D1Baseball's Top 100 Hitters of the Week, as Thomas Cooper checked in at No. 53 for Week 5 after hitting .417 including two home runs and five RBIs in the three-game series at OVC preseason favorite SIUE.
 
Immaculate

• Connor Lockwood completed one of baseball's rarest feats on Feb. 28 at Alabama State.
• The redshirt senior right-hander threw an immaculate second inning, striking out the side on just nine pitches.
• Fellow Libertyville, Ill. native Colin Fields threw Valpo's previous immaculate inning, doing so as part of his no-hitter on March 13, 2021 at Middle Tennessee.
• Lockwood reached the 200-strikeout milestone for his collegiate career in the game against Alabama State as well.
• Lockwood's 11 strikeouts were the most by a Beacon since he had a career-high 11 on Feb. 22 at Memphis.
• This marked Valpo's first shutout since Bryce Konitzer on April 28, 2024 in a seven-inning game. It was Valpo's first nine-inning shutout since Ellis Foreman on April 23, 2017.
• This was Valpo's first complete game since Harry Deliyannis on April 26, 2025 at Belmont.
• In addition to yielding only three hits and striking out 11 in his shutout, Lockwood did not issue any walks.

2026 Awards, Honors and Recognition 

• For his Feb. 28 shutout at Alabama State, Connor Lockwood received significant recognition.
• The redshirt senior right-hander posted a "game score" of 92 according to D1Baseball.com, the second best in the nation that day. In addition, he was No. 2 on D1Baseball's Top 100 Pitchers for Week 3.
• Lockwood was named the Missouri Valley Conference Pitcher of the Week, making it the third straight week a Valpo player received a league honor. Cal Schembra (Freshman of the Week, Week 1) and Javin Gauthier (Player of the Week, Week 2) preceded Lockwood's Week-3 accolade.
• This marked the fourth time that Lockwood has been named MVC Pitcher of the Week in his career, the most of any Valpo player since joining the league.
• Valpo has captured the award 11 total times since joining The Valley. Lockwood is joined by Colin Fields (twice), Bryce Konitzer, Jacob Rosenkranz, Jake Miller, Bobby Nowak and Easton Rhodehouse.
• Redshirt freshman Javin Gauthier posted a slash line of .667/.765/1.083 in three games in South Carolina, earning Missouri Valley Conference Player of the Week honors following his big performance.
• Gauthier racked up eight hits including three for extra bases and his first collegiate home run to help Valpo take two of three in South Carolina. He totaled 13 bases, scored six runs and drove in eight while also drawing five walks and posting a perfect fielding percentage on the left side of Valpo's infield, splitting time between third and short.
• The left-handed hitting infielder had multiple hits in all three games over the weekend, and was listed at No. 33 on D1Baseball.com's Top 100 hitters of the week, the second straight week a Beacon earned a place on that list.
• Gauthier became Valpo's first MVC Player of the Week since Jake Skrine on April 17, 2023. He joined Skrine, Sam Shaikin, Kaleb Hannahs and Nolan Tucker as Valpo players who have won MVC Player of the Week awards since the team joined the MVC.
• Freshman first baseman Cal Schembra was named the Missouri Valley Conference Freshman of the Week for his opening-weekend performance at Gardner-Webb. He became the first-ever player to earn that award as the league added a Freshman of the Week Award to its arsenal of honors this season.

• Schembra batted .500 with a double, home run, five RBIs and four runs scored. He reached at a .533 clip and slugged .786 over the four games.
• The Valpo rookie also had a diving catch in foul territory and doubled up the runner who was trying to tag and score from third. The impressive play was featured as the No. 2 Play of the Week by D1Baseball.
• Schembra, who had multiple hits in each of the first three games of his collegiate career, was ranked the No. 77 hitter nationally in Week 1 of the season by D1Baseball.

MVC Preseason Watch List

• Rather than preseason all-conference teams, the Missouri Valley Conference released a Preseason Watch List prior to the 2026 campaign.
• Valpo players to watch include redshirt senior right-handed pitcher Spencer Boynton, redshirt junior right-handed pitcher Adam Guazzo, redshirt senior right-handed pitcher Connor Lockwood, redshirt senior catcher Eli Riley and redshirt sophomore infielder Case Sullivan.
• The Valley did not release the full preseason poll this season, but did release the top five teams in the voting. Murray State is the preseason favorite, followed by Southern Illinois and UIC.

 
The Roster Rundown

• Valpo has 18 newcomers joining forces with 15 returning players for the 2026 season.
• The top six pitchers from last season in terms of earned run average are back for 2026.
• On the flip side, the position player group has received a bit of a makeover. Of the 11 position players who started on a fairly regular basis last season, only three return in 2026 – redshirt junior Thomas Cooper, senior Austin Amburgey and redshirt sophomore Case Sullivan.
• This year's roster features 10 freshmen, six sophomores, five juniors and 12 seniors.
• Illinois (11) and Indiana (eight) are the home states most represented on the Valpo roster. Wisconsin (four), Ohio (two) and Florida (two) also produced multiple members of this year's Beacons. Kentucky, Tennessee, Nebraska, Minnesota, Pennsylvania and Michigan round out the 11 states represented on this year's team.
• There are 16 pitchers and 18 position players (including one two-way player counted in both groups) on this year's roster.

Starting Pitching Probables

• #24 Adam Guazzo, R-So. (Huntley, Ill. / Huntley) – Was sidelined and did not see action during his first season on campus in 2023... Two-time all-conference performer in basketball in addition to earning all-conference on the diamond as a senior in high school... Set his high school's record for rebounds in a single season on the hardwood with 320 in 2021-22... Favorite TV shows are Breaking Bad and Ozarks… Pitched in 15 games and made nine starts in 2024 before making 17 appearances, all in relief, in 2025… Nailed down his first collegiate save with 1 2/3 scoreless inning on Feb. 23 at Memphis… Tossed a shutout frame on March 7, 2025 at Ohio State to earn his second save… Allowed one run on one hit over two frames of relief on March 15, 2025 at Illinois… Entered the March 25, 2025 game at Purdue with the Beacons in a jam in the bottom of the eighth and limited the damage as he was not charged with a run while allowing no hits, striking out two and recording all three outs in the inning… Earned his first collegiate win with three shutout innings of two-hit ball in the 3-2, 10-inning victory over Illinois State on April 6, 2025… Worked two scoreless innings on April 19, 2025 vs. Murray State… Did not allow a hit or a run in his inning of relief on May 3, 2025 in the second game of a doubleheader vs. UIC… Made his first start of the season on Feb. 20, 2026 at Wofford and allowed just one unearned run on one hit over two innings, but took the loss… Started and went two shutout innings on Feb. 27 at Alabama State… Started and went three shutout innings on March 6 at Jax State, stretching his scoreless inning streak to five… Continued his scoreless innings streak on March 13 at SIUE by starting and going two scoreless frames… Stretched his scoreless innings streak to nine before eventually allowing a solo home run on a tough day to pitch on March 15 at SIUE, earning the victory in relief on his birthday by going three innings and permitting just the one run… Started and went two shutout innings on March 20 at Murray State, his fourth straight start in which he worked scoreless ball… Pitched shutout ball for the fifth time in his last six outings with 1 1/3 innings of scoreless relief in the March 22 series finale at Murray State… Started as an opener and picked up the win with three shutout innings on April 10 vs. Bradley… Started and logged one inning on April 14 at Notre Dame… Delivered the best start of his career to date on April 17 at UIC, when he tossed 6 1/3 shutout innings, the longest outing of his career while striking out six (one shy of a career high) and walking none… At one point sent down 11 straight batters in a game where he worked a career-high seven innings while tying a career high with seven strikeouts and walking none in a no decision on April 24 vs. Belmont.
• #11 RHP Connor Lockwood, (R-Sr.), (Libertyville, Ill. / Libertyville) – Named conference co-player of the year as a high school senior in 2021 and received all-state accolades... Interested in a career in elementary education... Favorite food is deep dish pizza... Made his first appearance since April 2, 2023 vs. Murray State on March 1, 2024 at Elon as after that game he underwent season-ending Tommy John surgery. In his return to the rubber, he started and went three innings, allowing three runs (two earned) on three hits and one walk while striking out four... Threw a complete game to earn the win while scattering eight hits, striking out nine and walking none on March 30, 2024 vs. Bradley. He became the first Valpo hurler to toss a nine-inning complete game in five years and was named MVC Pitcher of the Week on April 1, 2024, becoming the second Valpo pitcher since the team joined the MVC to become a multi-time winner of that award… Started the 2025 season opener on Feb. 14 and tossed an eight-inning complete game, striking out seven and walking none while taking the tough-luck loss after allowing four runs (three earned) on seven hits at Samford… Named the MVC Pitcher of the Week on March 24, 2025 after pitching Valpo to its first win over Indiana State since 2007 on March 21, ending a 25-game head-to-head losing streak. He allowed no earned runs (three total runs) on five hits and one walk while striking out 10 over seven innings against the defending Missouri Valley Conference regular-season champions… Threw his second complete game of the season and the third of his career on April 4, 2025 vs. Illinois State, scattering seven hits while allowing two runs, walking one and striking out six. Valpo fell 2-1 as Lockwood took the tough-luck loss… In 2025, led the MVC in strikeouts (80) and innings pitched (95 2/3), becoming the first Valpo player to lead the league in innings since 2018 and strikeouts since 2022… Had the team's highest innings total since 2019 and highest strikeout total since 2022… Named 2025 All-MVC Honorable Mention… Allowed four runs in six innings and had no decision on Opening Day 2026 at Gardner-Webb… Did not allow an earned run (three total runs) over seven strong innings while scattering six hits and walking none to pick up the win on Feb. 21 at USC Upstate, helping Valpo beat a 36-win, NCAA Regional team from last season… Had an immaculate second inning in a nine-inning shutout on Feb. 28 at Alabama State, scattering three hits, walking none and striking out 11. He was ranked No. 2 on D1Baseball.com's Top 100 pitchers for Week 3 of the season and earned his fourth career MVC Pitcher of the Week nod. Also reached the 200-career strikeout threshold by tying a career high against the Hornets… Went 7 2/3 innings and yielded three runs on seven hits while striking out five and walking none in a tough-luck loss on March 14 at SIUE… Moved into the program's all-time top 10 for both strikeouts and innings pitched while tossing his second complete game of the season and the fifth of his career in a 3-1 loss on March 21 at Murray State… Threw seven innings of one-run ball while scattering six hits, walking two and striking out six to pick up the victory on March 29 vs. Indiana State… Went five innings and allowed five runs but only one was earned on April 3 at Washington… Permitted a season-high 12 hits on April 11 at Bradley, but walked only one in five innings, the eighth time in his nine starts that he issued one walk or fewer… Had a rare rough outing on April 20 at UIC when he allowed nine runs (only four earned) on 14 hits in five innings… Fired his third complete game of the season and the sixth of his career while allowing no earned runs (two total runs) with six strikeouts and no walks on April 25 in a tough-luck loss vs. Belmont.
• #32 RHP Nick Baffa, So. (Glenview, Ill. / Notre Dame College Prep) – Made 14 appearances including five starts while striking out 23 and walking 17 in 26 innings as a freshman in 2025… Loves to take naps almost every day… Favorite TV show is SpongeBob SquarePants… Played for Athletic Barn Baseball, Future Games and WWBA Jupiter Florida Chicago Scouts Association… Made his collegiate debut with a scoreless inning on Feb. 22, 2025 at Memphis… Also hurled a shutout frame in his second outing on March 8, 2025 at Ohio State… Entered the March 25, 2025 game at Purdue with two on and nobody out in the seventh and worked out of the jam, ending the inning with consecutive strikeouts… Worked two shutout innings in Valpo's April 1, 2025 victory over Milwaukee… Made his first collegiate start on April 15, 2025 at Notre Dame, pitching shutout ball over the first three innings but running out of steam in the fourth, when he allowed five runs and did not record an out… Started and allowed one unearned run on three hits while walking none and striking out three over three innings on April 22, 2025 vs. Northern Illinois… Picked up the win on March 1, 2026 after going five innings of one-run, five-hit ball with six strikeouts and one walk at Alabama State. The five innings and six strikeouts both marked career highs as he achieved his first collegiate victory… Allowed just two earned runs (six total runs) on six hits in 4 2/3 innings with the wind blowing out on March 15 at SIUE… Pitched in relief and was charged with no runs in 1 1/3 innings on March 24 at Purdue… Was the winning pitcher on April 4 at Big Ten foe Washington thanks to a stellar outing in which he covered five shutout innings, tying the longest outing of his career. He was one shy of matching a career high in the strikeout department by fanning five Huskies… Started on a hitter-friendly day on April 12 vs. Bradley with the wind blowing out and put up zeros in the second, third and fourth innings but was tagged with six runs in four frames while receiving no decision… Went seven innings of one-run ball while scattering seven hits, striking out six and walking one on April 19 at UIC. It was a career high for innings pitched and tied a career high for strikeouts… Allowed two runs on six hits while walking one and striking out four over six innings to earn the win with a quality start on April 26 vs. Belmont.

 
Pitching Profiles – Bullpen Bits

• #2 RHP Cayden Ray, Fr. (Owensboro, Ky. / Owensboro) – Three-year all-region and three-time all-district choice in high school… Also played three years of football… 2025 District Player of the Year… Pitched a scoreless inning out of the bullpen on March 13 at SIUE.
• #10 LHP Christian Hack, R-Sr. (Oak Forest, Ill. / Tinley Park) – In his fourth year in Valpo's program in 2026… Missed most of the 2025 season with an injury… Has logged 27 innings over 24 games in his first four collegiate seasons… Won $10,000 at a Valpo basketball game on Feb.7, 2026, winning the Lakeshore Bone & Joint Institute Series Shootout promotion by making a layup, free throw, 3-pointer and halfcourt shot within 25 seconds, all while wearing an Illinois Fighting Illini jersey from Valpo men's basketball head coach Roger Powell Jr.'s playing days… Flipped a scoreless inning on March 24 at Purdue… Was not charged with any runs in 1 1/3 innings of relief on March 30 vs. Indiana State… Was not charged with any runs in 1 1/3 innings of relief on April 2 at Washington… Logged a scoreless inning of relief on April 12 vs. Bradley… Did not allow any runs in 1 1/3 innings of relief on April 14 at Notre Dame… Was charged with two runs on April 19 at UIC, snapping a streak of six straight scoreless outings as he had not been charged with any runs in 6 1/3 innings over his previous six games before Sunday… Retired the side in order in his lone inning of work on April 28 at Northern Illinois.
• #16 RHP Justin Bultemeier, R-Sr. (Decatur, Ind. / Adams Central) – Finished 13^th nationally in NJCAA DII in ERA while pitching at Ivy Tech CC… Spent the 2024 and 2025 seasons at IU Kokomo… Was a Great Lakes Summer Collegiate League All-Star… Graduated with a bachelor's in health and exercise science and is pursuing his graduate public health certificate at Valpo… Picked up the win in relief in his Valpo debut on Feb. 14, allowing one run on three hits in 2 1/3 innings… Flipped two scoreless frames on a tough day to pitch with the wind howling out on Feb. 22 at Presbyterian… Worked two scoreless innings in the March 1 victory at Alabama State…. Worked a shutout inning on March 6 at Jax State… Allowed only one run in 3 1/3 innings of relief on April 2 at Washington… Allowed one run on three hits in four innings on April 10 vs. Bradley… Fired a scoreless inning on April 14 at Notre Dame.
• #17 LHP Luke Albrecht, Fr. (Brownsburg, Ind. / Brownsburg) – Won a regional championship as a high school sophomore… Favorite TV show is Impractical Jokers.
• #18 RHP Joey Kafka, Fr. (Mundelein, Ill. / Mundelein) – Two-time all-conference and all-area choice in high school… Favorite MLB team is the Cubs and player is Shota Imanaga… Hobbies include fly fishing, camping and music… Threw two shutout innings in the Feb. 27 series opener at Alabama State… Fired a scoreless frame on April 3 at Washington… Worked a shutout inning on April 14 at Notre Dame… Worked 1 1/3 shutout innings of relief on April 21 vs. Western Michigan.
• #20 RHP Hunter Frost, Sr. (Farmington, Minn. / Farmington) – Went 4-2 with a 4.50 ERA while appearing in 14 games and making 11 starts for Iowa Central Community College in 2024… 2021 4A Minnesota state champion and 2022 4A Minnesota state runner-up… Also competed in wrestling in high school… Majoring in elementary education… Favorite pro baseball team is the Minnesota Twins… Favorite food is steak stir fry… Did not allow a run in 1 2/3 innings of relief on April 29, 2025 at Western Michigan… Pitched two shutout innings in the second game of a May 3, 2025 doubleheader vs. UIC… Fired a season-high 2 2/3 innings and did not allow a run on May 10, 2025 vs. Bradley… Tossed a shutout inning on March 24, 2026 at Purdue… Worked two scoreless frames on April 28 at Northern Illinois.
• #22 LHP Colton Rerick, Fr. (South Bend, Ind.) – First team all-conference honoree as a senior in high school… Is ambidextrous… Favorite food is crab… Enjoys golfing and going to the lake.
• #26 RHP Ryan Kruse, R-Jr. (Detroit, Mich. / U of D Jesuit) – In his third season in the program after redshirting at Northern Kentucky in 2023… Enjoys golfing, swimming, snowboarding, working out and tennis… Favorite movie is The Dark Knight… Made 21 relief appearances in 2025, including nine where he heaved scoreless ball… Worked a scoreless inning in the series finale at Samford on Feb. 16, 2025, his first action of the season… Did not allow a run in an inning of work on March 9, 2025 at Ohio State… Pitched two scoreless, hitless innings to finish out Valpo's victory at Indiana State on March 21, 2025, helping the Beacons snap a 25-game head-to-head losing streak… Nailed down his first collegiate save on April 1, 2025 vs. Milwaukee with a 1-2-3 ninth… Pitched three shutout innings of one-hit, no-walk ball that played a crucial role in a 3-2 victory over Illinois State on April 6, 2025… Tossed two scoreless innings on April 19, 2025 vs. Murray State… Pitched scoreless ball for the second straight outing and the fourth time in his last six appearances, logging two innings out of the pen on April 27, 2025 at Belmont… Pitched scoreless ball for the third straight outing and fifth time in his last six games with a shutout inning on May 2, 2025 vs. UIC… Entered the game amidst a ninth-inning jam and struck out three of the four men he faced to preserve the 10-5 win at USC Upstate on Feb. 21… Pitched two scoreless innings to nail down the save on March 1, 2026 at Alabama State… Cruised through 2 2/3 innings of scoreless relief while allowing three hits and one walk on March 20 at Murray State… Fired two shutout innings on March 29 to help Valpo to a win over Indiana State… Worked back-to-back days in the series at Washington, tossing a scoreless inning on April 3 before securing his second save of the season with a scoreless ninth on April 4.
• ­­­#27 RHP Dylan Swinehart, R-Sr. (Elkhart, Ind. / Concord) – Previously played at Indiana Tech (2022) and Taylor (2023-2025)… While at Taylor, posted a 14-8 record, nine saves, 150 strikeouts and 39 walks over 136 2/3 innings in 63 career games spanning three seasons… Favorite MLB player is Randy Johnson… Worked a scoreless ninth inning on a tough day to pitch with the wind howling out on Feb. 22 at Presbyterian… Threw one pitch and went a 1/3 of an inning on March 14 at SIUE, getting out of the inning thanks to a caught stealing… Crafted two scoreless innings of relief in the April 4 win at Washington… Fired 4 1/3 innings of three-hit ball while striking out six and walking two while allowing no earned runs (one total run) in a tough-luck loss in the April 19 extra-inning game at UIC… Nailed down his first save of the season with three shutout innings of one-hit ball to preserve a 5-2 victory over Belmont on April 26.
• #29 RHP Spencer Boynton, R-Sr. (Tampa, Fla. / Seffner Christian) – Was an all-conference honoree at Eastern Nazarene College, where he spent two seasons before joining the Beacons prior to the 2024 campaign, which he missed due to an injury… Hobbies include golf, tennis, ping pong and video games… Favorite movie is The Usual Suspects, food is pizza, pro baseball team is the San Francisco Giants and MLB players are Buster Posey and Kevin Gausman… Garnered his first collegiate victory with a bounce-back outing on Feb. 23 at Memphis. He was perfect through four innings and totaled five frames of two-hit, no-walk ball while striking out five…. Went five scoreless innings in his April 27, 2025 start at Belmont, receiving no decision in a game the team lost 1-0. He pitched shutout ball for the first time in the 2025 season, marking his best start of the year… Allowed one unearned run in two innings of relief on March 20 at Murray State… Started and went two shutout innings on March 24 at Purdue… Worked a scoreless eighth inning on April 7 at Western Michigan… Allowed no earned runs on three hits in two innings to preserve a victory over Bradley on April 10… Tossed two scoreless frames on April 12 vs. Bradley while striking out two, walking none and allowing no hits.
• #31 RHP Joe Seiber, R-Sr. (Homer Glen, Ill. / Lockport) – Third team junior college All-American at College of DuPage… Favorite MLB team is the Chicago White Sox… Favorite movie is Billy Madison… Joined the program prior to the 2024 season as a junior college transfer… Worked in 33 games and totaled 48 1/3 innings over his first two seasons at Valpo in 2024 and 2025… Was charged with no runs on two hits and no walks in two innings of work in the March 14, 2025 series opener at Illinois… Made his first Valpo start on March 25, 2025 vs. Ball State and allowed two runs on two hits and no walks in two innings… Pitched a shutout inning on April 15, 2025 at Notre Dame, seeing his first action since March 28 at Evansville after missing time with an injury… Pitched a shutout inning on April 15 at Notre Dame, seeing his first action since March 28 at Evansville after missing time with an injury… Pitched 1 1/3 innings without allowing a run on April 14 vs. Notre Dame.
• #33 RHP Dylan Immel, R-Sr. (Brownsville, Wis.) – Started his collegiate career with two junior college years and was an All-American at Century College… Pitched in 27 games and made 10 starts over two seasons at Sioux Falls… Favorite pro baseball team is the Milwaukee Brewers… Threw a scoreless inning in his Valpo debut on Feb. 13 at Gardner-Webb… Threw a scoreless inning on March 28 vs. Indiana State.

Position Player Profiles – Projected Lineup (Based on Recent Games)

• #3 Michael Kuska, RF, So. (Pontiac, Ill. / Pontiac Township) – Played in 11 games and made one start for the Beacons last season… Enjoys golfing and watching the Chicago Blackhawks… Had four hits, four runs scored, two walks, six RBIs and two triples on Feb. 22 at Presbyterian… Went 3-for-3 plus a walk on March 20 at Murray State and followed with two more hits in Game 2 of the series on March 21… Had two of the team's four hits on April 3 at Washington.
• #6 Eli Riley, C, R-Sr. (Zanesville, Ind. / Norwell) – Played at Saint Francis (Ind.) for the last four years and totaled 22 home runs, 100 RBIs and 148 hits while posting a .289 average in 192 career games… Earned first team all-conference honors in 2024 and 2025 while also achieving a spot on the league's gold glove team in each of those seasons… Favorite musical group is All-American Rejects… Graduated from Saint Francis with a degree in management in 2025 and is pursuing an MBA at Valpo… Led the team with three hits in a March 15 victory at SIUE… Went 3-for-4 with two runs scored while doubling twice on March 22 at Murray State. He had his second two-double game and second three-hit game of the season… Collected three hits on April 7 at Western Michigan, his third three-hit game of the year… Doubled and was hit by a pitch on April 14 at Notre Dame, extending his on-base streak to 17… Reached base safely in all three games at UIC (April 17-19), extending his on-base streak to 20… Hit Valpo's first grand slam of the season and his first home run in a Valpo uniform on April 21 vs. Western Michigan… Extended his on-base streak to 25 on April 28 at Northern Illinois.
• #12 Thomas Cooper, SS, R-Jr. (Brentwood, Tenn. / Ravenwood) – Appeared in 15 games and made eight starts in 2023 before redshirting in 2024… Was a state runner-up in football in high school… Has a Lego collection… Favorite food is ice cream… Favorite MLB team is the Atlanta Braves… Had his first collegiate extra-base hit with a double on Feb. 16, 2025 at Samford, the team's lone extra-base knock in that game… Hit his first career home run in Game 2 of a Feb. 22, 2025 doubleheader at Memphis… Missed seven games with an injury before returning to action on March 18, 2025 at Ball State… Hit a grand slam on April 29, 2025 at Western Michigan, the team's first of the season… Had two hits on May 6 vs. Western Michigan… Launched his first home run of the season, one that traveled 447 feet, on March 14 at SIUE, part of a two-hit game… Homered for the second straight game on March 15 at SIUE… Hit his third home run of the season, all in a five-game span, on March 22 at Murray State… Lifted his fourth home run of the season, all in an eight-game span, on March 29 vs. Indiana State. That was part of a career-high-tying four-RBI performance… Crushed a 423-foot home run on March 31 at Northwestern, his ninth career blast… Homered on April 11 and April 12 vs. Bradley, lifting his season total to seven and career total to 11… Enjoyed a multi-hit game on April 17 at UIC.
• #25 Louie Kegerreis, DH, Jr. (Murrysville, Pa. / Franklin Regional) – Hit .380 while playing in 66 games and making 62 starts over the last two seasons at Lackawanna College… Hobbies include watching UFC and comedy… Had multiple hits in back-to-back games vs. Bradley on April 10 and April 11… Collected two hits on April 14 at Notre Dame, his third multi-hit game in the last four contests… Hit his 15^th collegiate home run and first in a Valpo uniform on April 24 vs. Belmont.
• #9 Cal Schembra, CF, Fr. (Greenwood, Ill. / Center Grove) – Hit .340 with four home runs as a high school senior… Hit a walk-off double to win the 2025 sectional title… Has six siblings… Is ambidextrous and does everything right-handed other than baseball… Had three hits in his collegiate debut on Feb. 13 at Gardner Webb and had multi-hit games in each of his first three collegiate contests… Made a diving catch in foul territory and doubled up the runner trying to tag and score on Feb. 13 Gardner-Webb, a play that was No. 2 in D1Baseball's Plays of the Week… Smoked his first collegiate home run in a Feb. 14 victory at Gardner-Webb… Hit .500 with a home run, five RBIs and four runs scored in the first week of his collegiate career, earning MVC Freshman of the Week honors and checking in as the No. 77 hitter nationally in the first week of the season according to D1Baseball… Had his first collegiate triple on Feb. 20 at Wofford… Hit his second home run of the season in the Feb. 27 series opener at Alabama State… Tripled on March 1 at Alabama State, his second triple of the season… Hit his third home run of the season and first in the month of March on March 22 at Murray State… Had a pair of extra-base hits with a double and home run in the April 2 series opener at Washington… Hit his fifth home run of the season on April 17 at UIC… Lifted his sixth home run of the season on April 24 vs. Belmont.
• #7 Javin Gauthier, 3B, R-Fr. (De Pere, Wis. / De Pere) – Saw limited action in three games before missing the rest of the 2025 season with an injury… Hobbies include lifting, adventures, pickleball, listening to music and ping pong… Favorite TV Show is Stranger Things… Was named MVC Player of the Week on Feb. 24 after posting a .667/.765/1.083 slash line over three games in South Carolina, totaling 13 bases, six runs scored, eight RBIs and five walks in three games. He was No. 33 on D1Baseball.com's Top 100 Hitters that weekend, which included his first collegiate home run on Feb. 21 at USC Upstate. He became Valpo's first MVC Player of the Week since 2023… Hit his second home run of the season on March 1 at Alabama State… Had two hits in the series opener on March 6 at Jax State before notching his first collegiate triple on March 7 against the Gamecocks… Led the team with two hits in the March 13 series opener at SIUE… Hit his third home run of the season in the March 20 series opener at Murray State… Ripped his fourth home run of the season and second of the series on March 22 at Murray State… Had two of the team's four hits on April 3 at Washington, including a double for the squad's only extra-base knock… Tied a season high with four RBIs including a three-run homer on April 21 vs. Western Michigan… Homered for a second straight game on April 24 vs. Belmont.
• #42 Brayden Pleau, LF, Jr. (Appleton, Wis. / Kimberly) – Played two junior college seasons at Bryant & Stratton, where he set the program single-season and career records for hits… Favorite movie is The Sandlot… Had a multi-hit game on Feb. 28 at Alabama State with a season-high three hits… Went 4-for-4, accounting for four of the team's seven hits, on March 24 vs. Indiana State… Checked in at No. 7 on SportsCenter's Top 10 plays for his sprawling grab in left field on March 29 vs. Indiana State… Was the team's top offensive performer in the April 4 win at Washington with a double and home run, his first longball since Feb. 22… Doubled twice on April 7 at Western Michigan, his second straight game with multiple extra-base knocks… Homered in the April 12 game vs. Bradley… Had his first triple in a Valpo uniform on April 19 at UIC.
• #15 Gavin Bennett, 1B, R-Sr. (Libertyville, Ill. / Libertyville) – Played in three games over four seasons at Illinois… Hit his first collegiate home run on March 31, 2023 vs. Michigan… Lashed out two hits on March 14 at SIUE… Extended his on-base streak to 12 by reaching in all three games vs. Indiana State (March 28-30), then pushed it to 13 on March 31 at Northwestern… Had a pair of hits and scored a season-high three runs on April 10 vs. Bradley… Led the team with two hits on April 17 at UIC.

• #34 Case Sullivan, 2B, R-So. (Carmel, Ind. / Carmel) – Joined the program after redshirting at Marshall in 2024, where he was a member of the president's list with a perfect 4.0 GPA… Is a triplet with his two siblings, Colin and Lily… Lily plays softball at the University of Akron and Colin is an engineering student at Purdue… Favorite pro baseball team is the Boston Red Sox and player is Mookie Betts… Had four hits on his first day in a Valpo uniform on Feb. 14, 2025 at Samford, going 3-for-3 with a walk in Game 2 of the season-opening doubleheader… Homered in the first game of the series at Memphis on Feb. 22, 2025, the first of his collegiate career… Played solid shortstop in addition to going 3-for-5 with two doubles on Feb. 23, 2025 at Memphis… Reached base five times with a double, homer and three walks on April 17, 2025 vs. Murray State… Homered on his birthday on April 22, 2025 vs. Northern Illinois… Collected a season-high four hits and a season-high four runs scored on May 16, 2025 vs. Southern Illinois while driving in six, the highest RBI total by a Beacon in over four full years… Homered in each of the final two games of the 2025 season, helping Valpo to wins over SIU on May 16 and 17… Named the Brooks Wallace Award National Shortstop of the Week by the College Baseball Foundation following the final week of the season, during which he hit .500, reached at a .526 clip and slugged 1.125… Batted .257 while starting all 50 games in his first year at Valpo… Had his first collegiate triple and his second career game with at least four RBIs on Feb. 14 as the triple drove in two and gave Valpo the lead in the final inning of an 11-10 victory over Gardner-Webb… Went 3-for-4 with four RBIs and two runs scored with two doubles and a triple on March 22 at Murray State, enjoying his first three-hit game of the season… Hit his first home run of the season (after seven last year) on March 31 at Northwestern… After not homering in the first 21 games of the season, he homered for the second straight game on April 2 at Washington… Went 3-for-3 to match a season high in the hit column on April 10 vs. Bradley… Notched his third home run of the season on April 12 vs. Bradley… Tied a season high with three hits including a solo homer for the lone Valpo run on April 14 at Notre Dame… Homered and had the go-ahead, two-run single in the April 26 victory over Belmont.

Inside the Assistants

• Adam Brian is in his third season on Valpo's staff after graduating from Bradley. He works with the team's catchers, assists with pitching and leads recruiting efforts. Brian's father Braden Brian played college baseball at Eastern Kentucky and was selected in the 30^th round of the 1986 Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft by the Montreal Expos.
• Chase Hetzel has joined the staff for the 2026 season as Valpo's hitting coach. Hetzel arrived at Valpo after having served as the Director of Hitting for X2 Baseball, a player development and training facility in North Carolina, since 2022. He graduated from Queens University of Charlotte in Charlotte, N.C. in 2021.
• Brady Nowicki joined the coaching staff in 2025 after playing for the team each of the previous three seasons. He is in his second season as a volunteer assistant coach.
• Cole Pletcher is in his first season as a volunteer assistant coach at Valpo after playing at King University.