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Vincennes University

Trailblazers Drop MWAC Series at Heartland

Trailblazers Drop MWAC Series at Heartland
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April 11, 2026

NORMAL, Ill. — Vincennes University Baseball dropped all four games of a Midwest Athletic Conference series at NJCAA No. 17 Heartland Community College on April 10–11. The Trailblazers move to 14-30 overall and 8-16 in Region 24/MWAC play.

Head Coach Chris Barney, in his 18th season leading the club, pointed to both the level of competition and roster challenges as key factors throughout the weekend.

"We ran into a buzz saw in Heartland, and when you don't play your best it's really hard to compete," Barney said. "We've had our share of injuries with four starters out, and it put us in a bind on the pitching staff. We hope to get healthy and rebound this week."

Game One — Heartland 11, Vincennes 1

Heartland took control early in the series opener, scoring seven runs in the second inning on the way to an 11–1 victory.

Freshman Ethan Papalios went 2-for-3 and scored the Trailblazers' lone run, while freshman Dillon Warnick and freshman Matthew Everroad each went 1-for-3, with Everroad driving in the only RBI.

Sophomore Grayson Reichert (0-1) took the loss after allowing eight runs over 1.2 innings. Redshirt sophomore Alex Wandersee added 2.1 innings of relief, allowing three runs.

Game Two — Heartland 11, Vincennes 5

The Trailblazers showed offensive life in game two but could not overcome an early deficit in an 11–5 loss.

Freshman Ethan Papalios went 2-for-4 with a double and a home run, driving in two runs to lead the offense. Freshman Dillon Warnick went 1-for-4, while freshman Matthew Everroad went 1-for-4. Sophomore Carter Gricius went 1-for-3 with an RBI, and freshman Deacon Lewis added a hit and an RBI, going 1-for-1 in a pinch appearance. Freshman Braden Casebier contributed with a 2-for-3 performance as Vincennes totaled nine hits.

Sophomore Jacob Allen (0-1) took the loss after allowing five runs in the first inning. Freshman Tyler Singleton and freshman Carter Williams combined for 4.2 innings in relief, with freshman Jacob Tenbarge adding a scoreless inning.

Game Three — Heartland 11, Vincennes 2

Heartland carried momentum into Saturday's opener, taking an 11–2 win.

Freshman Carter Gricius accounted for the Trailblazers' scoring, going 1-for-3 with a home run and two RBIs. Freshman Ethan Papalios, freshman Dillon Warnick, freshman Matthew Everroad, and freshman Braden Casebier each added a hit as VU finished with five hits.

Freshman Talan Meyers (0-1) took the loss after allowing six runs over 4.2 innings. Freshman Elijah Papalios and freshman Aiden Leonard also saw time in relief.

Game Four — Heartland 13, Vincennes 3

VU jumped out early 3-1 lead in the series finale but could not hold off Heartland, falling 13–3.

The Trailblazers plated three runs in the first inning, highlighted by freshman Matthew Everroad, who went 1-for-1 with a home run and two RBIs. Freshman Carson Reed added a strong performance, going 2-for-3 with a double, while sophomore Evan Doran and freshman Ethan Papalios both went 1-for-3, with Doran finishing with an RBI.

Freshman Kaagen Kendall (0-1) took the loss after allowing eight runs over 3.1 innings. Freshman Palmer Schiff and freshman Drake Hoffa combined for the final 0.2 innings in relief.

Vincennes returns to action April 16 with a non-conference home game against Kaskaskia College. First pitch is scheduled for 6 p.m. EST.

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