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Vincennes University

Trailblazers Split Final Two Games, Close Regular Season

Trailblazers Split Final Two Games, Close Regular Season
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May 1, 2026

FAIRFIELD, Ill. / VINCENNES, Ind. — Vincennes University Baseball wrapped up the 2026 regular season with a split against Frontier Community College, falling on the road April 30 before earning a walk-off victory at home in the finale. The Trailblazers finish the regular season at 20-36 overall.

Head Coach Chris Barney, in his 18th season, emphasized both the challenges of the stretch run and the response his team showed to close the regular season. "We competed in stretches and battled, but consistency was the difference for us," Barney said. "To finish the regular season the way we did at home, finding a way late, says a lot about the group. That's something we can build on heading into the tournament."

Game One — Frontier 10, Vincennes 2

VU dropped the road matchup 10–2, as Frontier built an early lead and steadily added on throughout. Frontier plated two runs in each of the first two innings to take control, then added runs in the sixth, seventh, and eighth innings to extend the margin. The Trailblazers broke through in the fifth inning with two runs but were unable to generate sustained offense the rest of the way.

Freshman Lucas Frack led the offense, going 2-for-4 with a double, while sophomore Evan Doran went 1-for-3 and scored a run. Freshman Deacon Lewis added a hit, going 1-for-2, and freshman Carson Reed contributed off the bench with a 1-for-1 performance. Freshman Palmer Schiff also went 1-for-1 with a double and a walk as VU totaled six hits.

Freshman Kaagen Kendall (2-3) took the loss, allowing four runs over three innings. Freshman Talan Meyers provided three innings of relief, allowing two runs, while freshman Elijah Papalios and freshman Tyler Singleton also saw time on the mound as Frontier capitalized late.

Barney noted the difficulty of slowing Frontier's momentum early and the inability to respond consistently. "We put ourselves in a tough spot early and couldn't recover," Barney said. "We had some opportunities, but we didn't string enough together to really put pressure on them."

Game Two — Vincennes 6, Frontier 5

VU responded in the regular season finale with a 6–5 walk-off victory at Jerry Blemker Field, using late execution to secure the win. After three scoreless innings, the Trailblazers broke through with four runs in the fourth to take control. Frontier answered with two runs in the fifth and two more in the sixth to tie the game, then added a run in the eighth to take a 5–4 lead. VU responded in the bottom of the ninth, rallying to score and complete the comeback.

Freshman Carson Reed delivered the game-winning hit in the bottom of the ninth, finishing 2-for-5 with an RBI. Freshman Ethan Papalios went 2-for-4 and scored a run, while sophomore Maddox Ray went 2-for-3 with two RBIs. Sophomore Brady Cloyd added an RBI, and sophomore Carter Gricius contributed a run-scoring hit as the Trailblazers totaled 11 hits.

On the mound, sophomore Jacob Allen started and allowed two runs over four innings. Sophomore Grayson Reichert added two innings in relief, while redshirt sophomore Alex Wandersee (2-0) earned the win with three strong innings, allowing one unearned run and striking out three to close it out.

"Carson came through with a big hit in the bottom of the ninth, and it was a really good team win," Barney said. "Hopefully this gives us some momentum heading into the tournament."

VU now turns its attention to postseason play, awaiting final seeding and location for the MWAC/Region 24 Tournament as conference play wraps up across the league.

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