Baseball

HCAC 2026 Baseball Notebook, Week 6

CARMEL, Ind. – The Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference (HCAC) baseball teams competed in week six of the 2026 season.
 
Around the League:
HCAC Baseball Schedule

Athletes of the Week:
Player of the Week:
Drew Helton (Whiteland, Ind.) Franklin College | First Base/Third Base | Sophomore - Drew Helton went 8-for-14 with six runs scored, eight RBI, two home runs, and two doubles in a three-game series against Earlham. The sophomore was 2-for-5 with a two-run double and three driven in overall during the series opener, then went 4-for-5 with a solo homer and an RBI single in game two. In Sunday's series finale, Helton was 2-for-4 and hit a three-run blast that got the Grizzlies back within one run.

Pitcher of the Week:
Drew Bowles (Lexington, Ky.) Transylvania University | Pitcher | Junior - Drew Bowles earned his fourth win of the season in a dominant outing against Anderson, tossing seven innings, while allowing just five hits and striking out 10. Bowles faced 26 batters in the start, limiting Anderson’s offense throughout the game. He now leads the conference with a 2.43 ERA and a .203 opponent batting average.

Notable Performances:
  • Rex Richter (Hebron, Ky.) Anderson University | Pitcher | Sophomore - Rex Richter locked up a complete game seven-inning win against Transylvania. Richter struck out five batters and allowed one run, five hits, and three walks. Richter turned in a 1.29 ERA, a .208 opponent batting average and a 1.14 WHIP.
  • Griffin Wolf (Carmel, Ind.) Anderson University | First Base | Senior - Griffin Wolf went 10-for-17 with six doubles, five RBI, and six runs as Anderson went 2-2 on the week. Wolf racked up a .588 batting average, a .611 on-base percentage, and a .941 slugging percentage.
  • Riley Reyna (Wellington, Ohio) Bluffton University | Pitcher | Junior - Riley Reyna was outstanding on the hill. He struck out 10 and allowed just two hits and one unearned run across six innings at Berea on Saturday.
  • Ty Palmgren (Hudson, Fla.) Berea College | Outfield/Pitcher | Junior - Ty Palmgren played a significant role in Berea's sweep of Bluffton. He started with a walk-off single that drove in the winning run in the 11th inning of Game 1. Over the weekend, he went 7-for-16 with five doubles, one home run, six runs scored, and seven RBI. He also secured the win on the mound in Game 3, pitching three innings and allowing only 2 runs.
  • Sam Archambeau (Maumee, Ohio) Bluffton University | Catcher/First Base | Junior - Sam Archambeau hit .412 with seven hits in 17 at-bats as Bluffton went 1-3 on the week. He drove in three runs and scored three times, while finishing the week with a .500 on-base percentage. Archambeau also stole two bases for the Beavers.
  • Dylan Rieck (West Chester, Ohio) Earlham College | Catcher | Sophomore - Dylar Rieck led Earlham in a series win at Franklin over the weekend. The backstop went 4-for-12 with two home runs, seven RBI, and four runs scored.
  • Lane Willoughby (Brookville, Ohio) Earlham College | Pitcher | Freshman - Lane Willoughby pitched five innings to earn a win in relief on Sunday at Franklin as Earlham improved to 5-1 in conference play. Willoughby held the Grizzlies scoreless with four hits and four strikeouts.
  • Chase Wagner (Zionsville, Ind.) Franklin College | Pitcher | Freshman - Chase Wagner picked up the victory in Franklin's series opener on the weekend, handing Earlham its lone HCAC loss thus far. He coasted through six scoreless innings before being lifted in the seventh. Wagner finished with six strikeouts, allowing three runs on three hits.
  • John Girard (Richmond, Ky.) Hanover College | Pitcher | Senior - John Girard pitched a gem as the Panthers claimed the three-game series against Mount St. Joseph, 2-1. The senior threw a complete game allowing just two earned runs with 13 strikeouts. He scattered six total hits over nine innings and allowed just one free pass.
  • Joel Kennedy (Mooreland, Ind.) Manchester University | Designated Hitter/First Base | Senior - Joel Kennedy found his stride this week for the Spartans. In three games this week, Kennedy went 9-for-14 with three RBI and one stolen base. Kennedy's most efficient day at the plate came in game two against Rose-Hulman on Saturday, where he was 4-for-5 with two RBI, one run scored, and one stolen base.
  • Brennan Martin (Cincinnati, Ohio) Mount St. Joseph University | First Base | Senior - Brennan Martin was 7-for-15 with two doubles, three runs scored, and two walks.
  • Carson Taulbee (Cincinnati, Ohio) Mount St. Joseph University | Pitcher | Junior - Carson Taulbee was outstanding in two outings out of the bullpen this week. He was 1-0, throwing five total innings, allowing only a single hit and no runs, while striking out three.
  • Tyler Orr (Newburgh, Ind.) Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology | Pitcher | Senior - Tyler Orr played a key role in Rose-Hulman's first shoutout of the season, a 4-0 win over Manchester. Orr pitched the final 3 1/3 innings of the game where he struck out three batters. He did not give up a hit, run, or walk, earning his first save of the season.
  • Jackson Harms (Irving, Texas) Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology | Outfield | Sophomore - Jackson Harms accounted for all four runs in Rose-Hulman's 4-0 victory over Manchester as he recorded a grand slam in the bottom of the fifth inning. He would add one hit and one RBI in Rose-Hulman's 8-5 loss to Manchester in game two.
  • Calvin Schubert (Louisville, Ky.) Transylvania University | Outfield | Senior - Calvin Schubert put together a strong three-game stretch against Anderson, contributing consistently at the plate and on the basepaths. In Game 1, Schubert went 1-for-4 with two runs scored, a double, two stolen bases, and was hit by a pitch. He followed with a 2-for-3 performance in Game 2, scoring two runs, driving in two RBI, drawing a walk, and adding two doubles. Schubert capped the series by going 2-for-3 with a run scored in Game 3.
Looking Forward:
HCAC Baseball Standings