HENDERSON, Tenn. - The University of Saint Francis (Ind.) baseball team opened the 2026 season with four games against Midway University and Freed-Hardeman University in Tennessee on February 7-8. 

The Cougars won their first game against Midway on Saturday by a final score of 7-6 before falling to Freed-Hardeman 3-1. On Sunday, SF dropped both contests, first to Midway 4-2, then to Freed-Hardeman 16-5. 

SAINT FRANCIS 7, MIDWAY 6

• Saint Francis took a 4-0 lead after the first four innings of Saturday's first game, but Midway responded in the bottom of the fourth inning with three runs to cut SF's lead to 4-3. 
• The Eagles grabbed the lead in the bottom of the fifth inning and extended it to 6-4 in the sixth. 
• With two outs and bases loaded in the top of the seventh inning, Xavier Nolan hit a double deep to left field to score three runs, giving the Cougars back the lead with the score at 7-6. 
• Saint Francis kept Midway off the board in the seventh inning to secure their first win of the season. 
• The Cougars recorded five hits and 10 walks against the Eagles. Nolan went 3-3 at the plate, including two doubles, with 3 RBI and a run scored. Kasen Oribello hit 2-3 with an RBI and two walks. 
• On the mound, junior right-hander Perry Stow threw for 3.1 innings, striking out nine batters and giving up three hits. Micah Steury got the win after throwing 1.2 innings of relief with two strikeouts and one hit allowed. Nathan Bardwell got the save after holding Midway scoreless through 1.0 innings of work. 

FREED-HARDEMAN 3, SAINT FRANCIS 1

• After the Lions scored first in the bottom of the first inning to take the early 1-0 lead, Freed-Hardeman struck again in the second with a home run to extend their lead to 2-0. 
• Oribello led off the fourth inning with a home run to right-center to cut the Lions' lead to 2-1. 
• Freed-Hardeman scored again in the bottom of the seventh off a sacrifice bunt to make it a two-run game. 
• The Cougars were unable to plate another run in the eighth and ninth innings as Freed-Hardeman won 3-1.
• Tyler Bach and Oribello each recorded a hit against the Lions, with Oribello hitting his first homer of the season. 
• Luke Siren took the loss on the mound for SF after throwing 3.0 innings with six strikeouts and two earned runs. Andrew Onuegbu, Dawson French and Bryce Adams combined for 10 strikeouts and two hits in relief. 

MIDWAY 4, SAINT FRANCIS 2 (7 INNINGS)

• Midway brought in four runs in the first three innings of Sunday's first matchup for the early lead. 
• Cole Kintz hit an RBI single to center field to bring in a run for the Cougars, cutting the Eagles' lead to 4-1 in the bottom of the fourth inning.
• Jordan Davis followed with an RBI double in the sixth inning to make the score 4-2, but Saint Francis was unable to bring in another run as Midway won their first game of the season.
• Ayden Lichtensteiger went 2-3 at the plate with a double and a run scored. Davis also had an extra-base hit and an RBI. 
• Jayden Nuber got the start on the mound, striking out four batters, giving up two walks and four hits in 3.0 innings of work. Matthew Roettger held the Eagles to one hit and no runs in 4.0 innings of relief. 

FREED-HARDEMAN 16, SAINT FRANCIS 5 (7 INNINGS) 

• Freed-Hardeman was first to score with an RBI walk in the bottom of the second inning. Oribello and Xavier Gonsalves drove in two runs in the top of the third inning to give SF the 2-1 lead. 
• The Lions answered with 13 runs in the third, fourth and fifth innings to retake the lead, with the score at 14-2. 
• In the top of the seventh inning, Owen Zimmerman stepped into the box and hit a three-run home run to cut the Lions' lead to 14-5. 
• Freed-Hardeman used a two-run home run in the bottom of the seventh inning to secure the 16-5 win in seven innings. 
• Saint Francis recorded five hits and eight walks against the Lions. Zimmerman went 2-3 at the plate with a run scored. Cole Kintz drove in three runs in this game, while Oribello had a double and an RBI. 
• Andrew Zellers threw 3.0 innings as the starter for SF, striking out four batters and giving up three runs. Carson Hunter, Cameron Alford and Luke Wessell combined for five strikeouts in relief. 

Up next, Saint Francis baseball (1-3) will travel to Louisiana for four games on February 14-15. 

Founded in 1890 in the Catholic Franciscan tradition, the University of Saint Francis offers more than 60 undergraduate, graduate and doctoral programs through the College of Health Sciences and the College of Arts, Sciences, and Business. In addition to its traditional programs, Saint Francis designs focused curricula for working adults in Fort Wayne, Crown Point, Lafayette and online. Saint Francis Downtown houses the music technology program while offering enhanced internship and networking opportunities for students. The University of Saint Francis, recognized as an NAIA Five-Star Champion of Character institution, has 21 athletic programs boasting two individual and four team NAIA national championships. More than 1,900 students from a broad geographic region attend Saint Francis.