DECATUR, Ill. – The Wartburg College baseball team (28-16 overall) advanced to the 2026 NCAA Division III Decatur Regional final after earning a pair of one-run victories over Millikin University and University of Wisconsin–La Crosse on Saturday.
The Knights rallied past the Big Blue behind a late go-ahead RBI single from
Keegan Schmitt before
Griffin Troha ignited a two-run eighth inning to lift Wartburg past the Eagles in the nightcap.
Wartburg will face Baldwin Wallace University at 12 p.m. Sunday in the regional championship game. The Knights must defeat the Yellow Jackets twice to secure a berth in the NCAA Super Regional round.
WARTBURG 2, MILLIKIN 1
After heavy rain and lightning in the Decatur area suspended the original start time, Wartburg and Millikin got started at 2:10 p.m.
Andrew Robinson wasted no time putting the Knights in front, 1-0, as he roped a base hit to score
Griffin Troha who led off the game with a walk.
Millikin (35-10 overall) tied it at one in the home half of the first; however, Wartburg starter
Emerson Alberhasky (5-3) picked up three more punch outs to give him four total through two innings played.
The Big Blue held the Knights hitless up until the seventh inning, when
Tanner Jackson led off the frame with a single to left – Neither Wartburg nor Millikin put up any runs during those frames as the scored held at 1-1.
Bode Nagelmaker moved Jackson to second on a sacrifice bunt, later bringing
Keegan Schmitt up to the plate, who gave the Knights a 2-1 lead on a single to right field.
Miles Mudd replaced Alberhasky on the mount in the bottom of the seventh, working around a few Millikin baserunners to keep it at a one-run advantage. Alberhasky finished his day with 6.0 innings and allowed just five hits and one run, while sitting down 10 Big Blue hitters – he did not allow a walk.
Conner Funk (7) recorded his seventh save of the season as he came in the eighth with the two on and two outs - Funk was able to escape the jam with a groundout to Troha at third to end the frame.
In the ninth, Schmitt collected his second hit, this time a one-out double to left.
Liam Bender dropped down a bunt-single to move Schmitt over to third, but a double play to end the top half halted the Knights' threat. Funk slammed the door in the final frame, picking up two groundouts and a fly out to keep Wartburg's season alive with a 2-1 win over host Millikin, and advanced to its second elimination game of the day against the loser of Baldwin Wallace and UW-La Crosse.
Schmitt led the offense with a 2-for-4 performance, while Robinson,
Charlie Krueger, Jackson, and Bender each tallied the Knights' six hits. Nagelmaker drew a game-high two walks, despite the Knights leaving eight runners on the basepaths – Millikin stranded 12 and struck out 11 times.
WARTBURG 7, WIS.-LA CROSSE 6
Senior
Nicholas Nin got the nod for game two against UW-La Crosse. The Eagles struck first with a run in the home half of the first.
Wartburg answered back after rattling off three-consecutive hits to start the third.
Liam Bender started the rally with a leadoff single, while
Griffin Troha poked one into the left center gap and legged out an RBI-triple.
Andrew Robinson then brought back Troha back into the dugout with another single, 3-1.
Nin picked up his third and fourth strikeouts to end the third, as he retired the Eagles in order.
The Eagles (33-14 overall) threatened in the fourth, loading the bases before Bender made it look easy of a 6-3 putout to keep it at a two-run advantage for the Knights.
UWL worked three free passes in the fifth and capitalized with two runs scored on a pair of wild pitches, followed by a double to take a 4-3 lead.
Zach Byrne made his first appearance of the regional with two outs, as Nin exited with a final line of 4.2 innings, four runs, three hits and four strikeouts. Byrne retired the side with a strikeout to end the frame.
The Eagles added a run in the sixth to take a two-run lead. Wartburg used two drawn walks by Robinson and Krueger to load the bases with one out. Jackson nearly missed a grand slam opportunity by sending a ball to the warning track to bring in Robinson to cut it to 5-4.
Byrne brought some juice back to the dugout after striking out the side to end the seventh.
All with two outs in the eighth,
Griffin Troha hustled out an infield single to lead to Robinson's double to left center that not only brought in Bender, but also Troha due to an Eagle miscue in the outfield, 6-5.
Gallegos pelted a line drive over the UWL centerfielder to lead off the top of the ninth, as he was quickly brought in by Krueger's RBI single to give Wartburg a 7-5 lead heading into the final frame.
UWL pulled within one with a solo shot to begin the bottom of the ninth, as
Cael Funk took over on the mound. Funk secured the save, shutting down the final three Eagles to earn Wartburg a spot into Sunday's regional final against top-seeded Baldwin Wallace University.
NOTES
Troha went 3-for-5 with a triple and RBI…Robinson, and Gallegos tallied two hits apiece…Byrne earned his second win of the season going 3.1 innings…Byrne allowed just two hits and two runs while picking up five strikeouts in relief…Most wins since 2017…15-5 in neutral site contests this season…first matchup with UWL since 1958…Wartburg leads the all-time series 2-0…Wartburg posts a 24-29 record in the NCAA Tournament…
