AVON, Ohio — No. 4 Northern Illinois (34-17) defeated No. 3 Toledo (31-28) with a commanding 10–3 victory at ForeFront Field on Friday to advance to Saturday’s 2026 MAC Baseball Championship Game.
The Huskies will play for the tournament title against the winner of No. 2 Kent State and No. 3 Toledo. First pitch is TBD and will be broadcast live on ESPN+.
Northern Illinois broke open the game with a pivotal six-run seventh inning, capitalizing on three stolen bases and seven walks throughout the game. The pitching staff held Toledo to five hits, striking out seven over nine innings.
Wyatt Wawro stood out for Northern Illinois, scoring four runs and recording three hits. Cole Smith made a significant contribution with a home run and five RBIs, highlighting his effectiveness at the plate. Nolan Sandee demonstrated his speed and base-running skills by stealing two bases. Caden Robertson also had a strong performance, collecting three hits, two RBIs, and scoring two runs.
On the mound, Danny Cihocki delivered a solid pitching performance, securing a win with seven strikeouts over 7.2 innings, despite allowing three earned runs.
Charlie Scholvin stood out for Toledo with a powerful performance, contributing significantly to the team's scoring with two RBIs and a home run.
Cade Baker also made a notable impact, recording two hits in his appearance, demonstrating consistency in reaching base.
On the mound, Arturo Ormaza delivered two solid innings in relief, allowing just one run while striking out three batters.
Postgame Quotes
Head Coach Ryan Copeland
“Fifteen innings yesterday, I think we burned through seven arms. Win or lose, we knew that Danny was going to have to pitch deep into the game just to give us a chance tomorrow and get those guys a day off.
“7.2 innings — he was excellent. He started to wear down a little bit there at the end, but it takes those types of performances in order to get this thing done in a conference tournament setting, regional, or super regional. I was really happy with his performance. He’s the ultimate competitor, and he was outstanding tonight.”
“You’ve got to have your best players be your best players — defensively, on the mound, and offensively. Wyatt Wawro has been up in the leadoff spot for us for quite some time now. He hit a little low and started getting a little tired there as a freshman, but he’s had an outstanding season.
“The lineup construction with Wyatt up there at the top and Cole right behind him, alternating lefties and righties, just makes it tough on the pitching staff to get into a rhythm. Cole Smith with the dagger — the grand slam — really put the game away. A lot of pop for a little guy.
“They were just outstanding. We’ve got to have our best guys continue to be our best guys if we’re going to go win this thing.”
