Monmouth College

Monmouth Baseball Drops Pair on Opening Day

by Nathan Baliva

MONMOUTH, Ill. (02/22/2026) — The Monmouth College baseball team started the 2026 season with a pair of losses in a double header at Blackburn on Saturday. The Fighting Scots (0-2) dropped the first game 5-3 and the second game 5-1.

GAME ONE

The game was scoreless into the bottom of the second. Blackburn took the lead against starter Ethan Zaayenga (Tremont, Illinois) with an unearned run after an error loaded the bases and a fielders' choice brought home a run.

Blackburn added on in the fourth with three straight singles to load the bases. A pair of walks forced in two runs for a 3-0 game and a sacrifice fly added another. The Beavers made it 5-0 against reliever Brandon Coats (Mapleton, Illinois) in the fifth with an unearned run.

The Scots were hitless after the first seven innings. Aiden Scott (Carrollton, Texas) walked with one out in the eighth and Jacob Blunck (Forsyth, Illinois) singled to end the no-no. Both runners moved up on a balk and Scott scored on a sacrifice fly by Zach Almaguer (Monmouth, Illinois).

Gabriel Zeigler-Harris (East Peoria, Illinois) started the ninth with a walk and with one out, Eric Campen (Washington, Illinois) walked. Clayton Matkovic (Sherrard, Illinois) walked to load the bases and with two strikes, Jase Wilkerson (East Peoria, Illinois) lined a single into center. Zeigler-Harris and Campen both scored as the Scots put the tying run on base. However, a strikeout and a fly out ended the game.

Zaayenga (0-1) took the loss with three earned runs allowed on five walks and five hits over four innings. He struck out three and Coats struck out four while allowing an unearned run on three hits over four innings.

GAME TWO

In game two, Blackburn started the bottom of the first with a single off Roy Ralston (Macon, Illinois) and an error put two on base. With one out, a single brought in a run and a hit batter loaded the bases. With two down, a pair of unearned runs came home on a single for a 3-0 lead.

The Scots got on the board in the fifth. Will Baumgartner (Sycamore, Illinois) reached on a fielders; choice and moved up on a single by Zeigler-Harris. With two down, Campen singled home Baumgartner and put the tying run on base. With runners on the corners, a groundout ended the inning.

Caleb Ochs (Royal, Illinois) took over on the mound in the sixth and an error to start the inning led to two runs being scored. Down 5-1, Monmouth put two on base in the seventh. Baumgartner walked and with two down, Aidan Parkins (Monmouth, Illinois) singled but the Scots left both on base.

Monmouth left two more on base in the eighth as Matkovic led off with a single and Blunck reached on an error. Parkins singled with two outs in the ninth and stole second, but was left in scoring position as the game ended.

Ralston (0-1) took the loss with one earned run allowed over five innings. He struck out five, walked two and allowed four hits. Dane Keeven (Edwardsville, Illinois) struck out one over two shutout innings in his college debut.

MONMOUTH MOMENTS: The Feb, 21 start is the earliest in Monmouth baseball historyWilkerson and Baumgartner both made their Monmouth debuts in the opener while Keeven did so in game twoParkins had two hits, both in game twoHe is the active steals leader with 11All seven hits on the day were singlesMonmouth drew eight walks on the day, two by ParkinsThe Scots lead the all-time series 11-4 with a 6-4 mark under Coach BetourneBlackburn has won three of the last fiveLast year the Scots won 10-4 at home against the BeaversMonmouth is 5-6 in season openers under Coach BetourneThe Scots are scheduled to play three games in Lafayette, Indiana next weekend against Wasbah with a DH on Saturday and a single game on SundayAfter nine games in Florida for spring break, the Scots play the home opener on Monday, March 16 against Maranatha Baptist.