RANTOUL, IL – The Beloit College Buccaneers opened their 2026 baseball campaign with a split doubleheader in Rantoul,Ill., showcasing a potent offense in a convincing win over Elmhurst University after falling to a tough UW-Platteville squad.
Game 1: Wis.-Platteville 11, Beloit 1
In the first half of the doubleheader, the Buccaneers ran into a buzzsaw against UW-Platteville. While the defense struggled with six errors, several Beloit players still managed to put together quality individual performances.
Beloit's lone run came in the bottom of the sixth inning. Drew Hanson (Edgerton, Wis.) sparked the offense with a lead-off double to right field. After advancing on a walk to Jordan Rosenberg (Leawood, KS) and a fielder's choice, Hanson showed great awareness on the basepaths, sprinting home to score on a wild pitch.
Despite the loss, Rosenberg remained a bright spot for the Buccaneers' lineup, reaching base three times with a single and two walks. Parker Krcmar (Waupaca, Wis.) and Seth Brankey (Salem, Wis.) also added hits to the Beloit tally.
Game 2: Beloit 8, Elmhurst 3
The Buccaneers finished the afternoon on a high note, riding a dominant early-inning offensive explosion and a stellar start from pitcher Erick Tiegs (Waukesha, Wis.) to defeat the Elmhurst Bluejays 8-3.
Beloit's bats came alive in the top of the second inning, where they hung four runs on the board. The rally began with discipline at the plate as Jacopo "JT" Tamburini (Bologna, Italy) drew a bases-loaded walk to bring home the first run of the season. Brankey immediately followed with a clutch two-RBI double to left field, and Nolan Tomsyck (Muskego, Wis) capped the surge with a two-RBI double of his own to right, giving the Bucs a commanding 4-0 lead.
In the fourth inning, Rosenberg extended the lead to 6-0 with a sharp two-RBI single that scored Brankey and Tamburini. The exclamation point came in the eighth inning when Tamburini, who reached base five times in the game, launched a solo home run to deep center field.
On the mound, Tiegs (1-0) was masterful. He earned the win by tossing 5.0 scoreless innings, surrendering only three hits while striking out four. Collin Wright (Longmont, CO.) entered in relief to secure a four-inning save, preserving the victory for Beloit.
The Buccaneers close out the weekend tomorrow morning against Wisconsin Lutheran College. First ptich is set for 11 am.
