VERO BEACH, Fla. – Baseball season has finally arrived. The University of Northwestern Baseball team saw its first action of 2026 on Friday in the Sunshine State, taking on Norwich University and Albright College in a doubleheader at the Jackie Robinson Training Complex. UNW came up short in both games, by varying margins, but saw senior flamethrower
Dreyer Homan (Clara City, Minn./MACCRAY) put together an all-time pitching performance in the season opener.
Game One: Norwich University Cadets
In Northwestern's season opener at Jackie Robinson Training Complex's Holman Stadium, the Eagles got off to a rip-roaring start. Homan, making his first-career start after being a reliable bullpen arm in his first three seasons, struck out the side in the top of the first to begin an historic, 17-strikeout day on the bump. UNW's offense gave the senior some immediate help as well, as freshman
Davis Winter (Wausau, Wis./Wausau East) led off the season with a single and came around to score (along with
Tony Greco (Janesville, Wis./Janesville Craig), who also singled) on a two-run double off the bat of
Alex Klein (Olathe, Kans./Olathe Northwest). Homan's gem continued, as he struck out three more in the second and fifth innings, and two in the third and fourth. Norwich finally was able to get a run in the board with a home run in the top of the sixth to make it 2-1.
A two-out double by
Ben Hixon (Yorkville, Ill./Yorkville) posed a brief threat in the bottom of the sixth, but a fielder's choice ended the inning. The Cadets tied the game in the seventh, but Homan was able to record three more strikeouts to end his day at a remarkable 17 through seven innings. A two-out, RBI double in the top of the eighth inning gave Norwich its first lead of the day at 3-2, and the Eagles were unable to get a runner on base the rest of the way as the Cadets held on for the win.
Homan's 17-strikeout gem included just five hits, no walks and two earned runs in seven innings.
Grant Lindholm (Ham Lake, Minn./Legacy Christian Academy) struck out three batters and gave up just three hits in his two relief innings, but gave up the game-deciding run, earning the sophomore the loss. Winter was the lone Eagle to record two hits, while Klein drove in UNW's only two runs on his double. Hixon and
Bryce Campbell (New Hope, Minn./Robbinsdale Armstrong) each logged a double as well.
Game Two: Albright College Lions
Northwestern's second and final game of the day got off to a rockier start than the first, and an even rockier finish. The Eagles got two runners into scoring position in the top of the first inning with two outs after freshman Winter led off with a single, but were unable to get them across. Fellow rookie
Solomon Kardell (Coon Rapids, Minn./Legacy Christian Academy) surrendered two earned runs and four total in the bottom half of his first career start, but his offense was able to pick him up in the top of the third. A walk and two hit batters brought home UNW's first run, then
Parker Huebsch (Woodbury, Minn./New Life Academy) drove home run No. 2 with a single to left field. Unfortunately, Northwestern would leave the bases full after a pair of strikeouts ended the inning.
The Eagles pulled within one when Winter hit a solo home run to left field in the top of the fourth inning, but Albright tacked on four more runs in the bottom of the frame to extend its lead to 8-3. Another three runs in the sixth made it 11-3, and two more in the seventh extended the margin to 10 at 13-3, which would end up being the final score. UNW's lone hit in the final four innings was a single by
AJ Kazel (Esko, Minn./Esko) in the seventh.
Winter once again led the Eagles with a pair of hits and added his first collegiate RBI. Greco and Huebsch added the other two RBI, with
Jack Burns (Plainfield, Ill./Aurora Christian), Kazel and Huebsch recording Northwestern's other three hits. Kardell took the loss on the mound, giving up eight runs (six earned) on eight hits in four innings, while striking out two.
Up Next
The Eagles will play another doubleheader on Saturday, taking on Kenyon at 9:00 AM CT and Susquehanna at 12:30 PM CT. Both games will be played on field 2 at the Lawnwood Baseball Complex in Fort Pierce, Florida.
