AVON, Ohio — No. 4 Northern Illinois (33-17) outlasted No. 1 Miami (38-16) on Thursday in a 15-inning marathon, winning 6–5 at ForeFront Field in Avon, Ohio to remain undefeated at the 2026 MAC Baseball Championship.
The game remained tied until the top of the 15th inning when Ivan Dahlberg notched an RBI-single. Notably, The Huskies' pitching staff delivered 18 strikeouts over the extended innings, with a critical home run and triple contributing to its offensive efforts.
Gavin Baldwin emerged as a standout performer for Northern Illinois, showcasing his power with a home run and driving in two runs.
Baldwin's home run was his 10th of the season, setting a new personal single-season record. Nolan Sandee made a significant impact as well, contributing two RBIs and hitting a triple, demonstrating his ability to produce in crucial situations.
On the pitching side, Nick Bassi closed the game effectively, earning his second save with a scoreless inning and two strikeouts. Carter Cox was dominant on the mound, striking out 12 batters over 5.1 innings while allowing only two earned runs. Cox's 12 strikeouts were a career high for a single game.
Evan Appelwick led the Miami team offensively, hitting a home run and driving in two RBIs, while also drawing three walks. Appelwick's performance included a key moment in the 8th inning when his home run tied the game, sending it into extra innings. Dominic Krupinski matched Appelwick in hits, collecting three, and added a double to his tally, contributing one run scored. Marcus Dierks also had an impressive game, scoring two runs and securing three hits, showcasing his ability to get on base and create scoring opportunities. On the mound, Austin Berggren delivered a strong pitching performance, throwing two innings without allowing a run and striking out three batters. Berggren's effort marked his 10th consecutive scoreless appearance.
Postgame Quotes
Northern Illinois head coach Ryan Copeland
"I don't know that there's a college baseball game this year as good as that one. Two really good teams. Both teams pitched the heck out of it. Obviously, a pretty tough day to hit. Both teams hit some balls really hard. They got caught up in the wind there. Really excited to come out on top to talk about the momentum swings of a game. Having to bounce back tomorrow morning possibly. We got a bunch of guys that believe and when it comes down to it, that's what this thing is all about.
"Well, we've known for a couple of years now our pitching has got to be better. It's why we were brought here. To get the quality out of pitchers, starting with Carter Cox, Blake Askey and Cooper Cohen. Cooper Cohen wasn't even pitching two months ago. We converted him to a pitcher and it's electric out there. Nick Bassey's had an up and down year, a lot of downs, but you want to go make a run at this thing, you got to get help from guys like that. We made some really big pitches when it mattered most. That's about as good of an offense as we'll see all year and for our guys to do what they did. I just can't say enough about the pitching staff, Coach Peacock, and the job they're doing."
