BRIDGEWATER, Va. - The Bridgewater College baseball team turns its attention to the NCAA regionals which is set to begin on May 15 in a four-team regional pod at Washington & Jefferson at Ross Memorial Park in Washington, Pa.
The Eagles will begin the regional round facing Scranton Friday. Entering the matchup, the Eagles have never faced Scranton in recent history. Bridgewater (BC) holds an overall record of 33-13. Last time out, the Eagles fell short in the ODAC finals round. The Eagles last appeared in the NCAA tournament in 2014 before Ben Spotts had arrived as head coach. That season BC secured the most wins in program history with a 36-14 record including three wins in the regional round, which marked the first time a BC team had won more than one game at the regional tournament. The Eagles later fell to Emory in the south region title game at Piedmont.
This postseason, the Eagles have their sights set on paving another historic path after carving an already record-breaking season. In the national rankings, BC was ranked as high as No. 3 in NPI, No. 6 in ABCA, and No. 9 in D3baseball.com. They broke the record for the highest D3baseball.com ranking and NPI ranking in program history while also achieving a program-best start of 11-0 earlier in the season. The Eagles finished the regular season, ranked top 10 in all three national polls. As a team, BC ranks second in the nation in doubles and total hits, compiling 119 doubles and 540 hits. Zack Chadwell leads the way offensively for the squad with 69 RBIs, which ranks fourth in the nation. Evan Bert has held down the mound effectively with the highest strikeout total in the conference and 41st highest in the nation with 73.
The Scranton Royals have made two NCAA appearances in program history prior to 2026, earning bids in 2021 and 2024. The Royals recently won their conference championship in the Landmark Conference. Leading the way for Scranton offensively is Conor Campbell as he holds the team's best batting average with a .397 along with 73 hits and 37 RBIs. On the mound, Kieran Lodewick holds the team's best strikeout total of 36 punchouts and an ERA of 4.11 through 30.2 innings. As a team, the Royals are 28-15 overall. They rank 50th in the nation for walks with 216.
If the BC Eagles win or lose, they will then take on either Washington & Jefferson or Chicago in continued pod play with double elimination through May 17. The Washington & Jefferson Presidents are 32-11 heading into the regional round after securing a conference title in the PAC. The Eagles have not faced Washington & Jefferson in recent program history. The Presidents are led by Josh Dezenzo with a .420 batting average including team-highs of 49 runs scored and 58 hits. On the mound, Brendan Cruz boasts a 0.97 ERA through 68 innings pitched with a 10-0 win-loss record and 51 strikeouts. Cruz pitched one shutout with a one-hitter earlier this season. He leads the nation with the best ERA. As a team, W&J leads the nation with most sacrifice flies for a total of 46.
Washington & Jefferson have made NCAA appearances in 2023, 2019, and a national championship appearance in 2017 where it finished as runners-up.
The fourth team in the regional round is Chicago. Chicago holds a 27-13 record heading into pod play. The Maroons finished the season as title champions in the UAA. The Eagles have also never faced Chicago in recent program history. Erik Rindner leads the way offensively with 12 home runs and 47 RBIs. John Butka maintains a strong presence on the mound with a team-high 40 strikeouts through 50.2 innings pitched. Chicago last appeared in the NCAA tournament for the first time in program history in 2025 where it snapped a 113-year title drought in conference play for an automatic bid.
The Eagles are slated to face Scranton at 11 a.m. on Friday at Ross Memorial Park in Washington, Pa.
2026 Regional Tournament Schedule
Friday, May 15 – Day 1
Game 1 – 11 AM Bridgewater vs Scranton
Game 2 – 2:30 PM W&J vs Chicago
Saturday, May 16 – Day 2
Game 3 – 11 AM Game 1 Loser vs Game 2 Loser
Game 4 – 2:30 PM Game 1 Winner vs Game 2 Winner
Game 5 – 6:00 PM Game 3 Winner vs Game 4 Loser
Sunday, May 17 – Day 3
Game 6 – 11 AM Game 4 Winner vs Game 5 Winner
Game 7 – 2:30 PM Game 6 Teams Rematch If Necessary
