(followSATURDAY, APRIL 3 | 3 PM
Wartburg vs Nebraska Wesleyan
Harms Stadium at Hertel Field
WATCH | LIVE STATS
 
SUNDAY, APRIL 4 | 3 PM & 6 PM
(DH) Wartburg vs Nebraska Wesleyan
Harms Stadium at Hertel Field
*Due to the Easter holiday, there will not be a live stream or live stats on Sunday (follow @WartburgBB on X for in-game updates)
 
The Wartburg College baseball team (12-7 overall, 3-4 A-R-C) returns to Harms Stadium at Hertel Field this weekend to host Nebraska Wesleyan University (5-15 overall, 0-4 A-R-C) in an American Rivers Conference series that has been adjusted due to weather.

The Knights and Prairie Wolves are slated to open the series with a single game on Saturday, April 3 at 3 p.m., before concluding with a doubleheader on Sunday beginning at 3 p.m.
 
SERIES HISTORY
Nebraska Wesleyan
 
All-time series: Wartburg leads 15-12 with a 7-5 record at home (L3)
Last matchup: NWU has taken the last three games from Wartburg, with its last defeat coming in the conference tournament last season (L, 8-3).

During the regular season, the Prairie Wolves took the series with victories in the final two games.
 
ABOUT THE PRAIRIE WOLVES
After finishing the 2025 season at 25-21 and as the conference tournament runner-up, Nebraska Wesleyan has opened the 2026 campaign with a 5-15 overall record and remains winless in A-R-C play. The Prairie Wolves split their season-opening series with Grinnell College before being swept by Luther College in their conference-opening series on March 20-21.

NWU posted a 27-12 victory over Howard Payne University last weekend but has dropped nine of its last 10 contests.
 
QUICK HITS

• The trio of Griffin Troha, Jayden Scott and Keegan Schmitt have started each of Wartburg's 19 games this season.
• Andrew Gallegos has sent a team-best five longballs over the fence, as well as leading the Knights with 19 RBI on the season.
• Jayden Scott has tallied team-high 26 hits including three doubles, two triples and a homerun.
• Keegan Schmitt is a perfect 8-for-8 in stolen base attempts, as that records as half of Wartburg's stolen bases on the season.
• Andrew Robinson sits No. 5 in the nation with 16 hit by pitches, which also leads the conference – Wartburg ranks second in the league with 50 total HBPs, trails Luther's 57.
• Emerson Alberhasky (1-1) ranks No. 8 in Division III with 48 strikeouts to his ledger – leads the A-R-C. Alberhasky has made six starts with a 3.66 ERA in 32.0 innings pitched.
• Conner Funk (2-1) has made eight total appearances out of the bullpen, recording a team-high three saves with a 3.68 ERA in 7.1 innings pitched.
• Wartburg outscores the opposition 26-12 in the second inning, 20-16 in the sixth, and 15-9 in the seventh – outscores opponents 127-123 total.

 
CURRENT A-R-C STANDINGS
Coe: 14-7, 5-2 A-R-C
Central: 10-11, 5-2 A-R-C
Luther: 15-7, 5-3 A-R-C
Loras: 10-8, 4-3 A-R-C
Dubuque: 7-12, 4-3 A-R-C
Simpson: 11-8, 2-2 A-R-C
Wartburg: 12-7, 3-4 A-R-C
Buena Vista: 5-16, 1-6 A-R-C
Nebraska Wesleyan: 5-15, 0-4 A-R-C
 
2026 SEASON OUTLOOK
The Wartburg College baseball team has been selected to finish third in the 2026 American Rivers Conference Preseason Coaches' Poll, the league announced today.

The Knights earned 41 points, marking their highest preseason ranking since tying for third prior to the 2021 season. Wartburg finished fourth in last year's conference tournament.

Head coach Casey Klunder, entering his third season at the helm, has compiled a 56-47 overall record and has taken the Knights to the conference tournament in each of his two seasons. During the 2025 season, Klunder guided the team to four All-Conference honorees and saw four players recognized as College Sports Communicators (CSC) Academic All-District. Over his three seasons, Klunder has coached eight All-Conference players, two All-Region selections, and one All-American.

The Knights return a blend of experience with 15 freshmen, 18 sophomores, 10 juniors, eight seniors, and one fifth-year player. Wartburg ranked among the program's best in several statistical categories last season, including second in hit-by-pitches (62), fifth in home runs (38), seventh in strikeouts (304), and tied for eighth in runners picked off (6).
 
Wartburg leads the American Rivers Conference with 23 league championships, with its most recent title coming in 2017.
 
2026 A-R-C BASEBALL PRESEASON COACHES' POLL
1. Coe - 64 (8)
2. Buena Vista - 57 (1)
3. Wartburg - 41
4. Luther - 38
5. Nebraska Wesleyan - 33
6. Loras - 30
7. Central - 23
8. Univ. of Dubuque - 20
9. Simpson - 18