Utica, Mich. — Before the Aquinas baseball team even steps onto its home field for the first time in 2026, the Saints have already begun to show exactly what kind of club they can be.
Through the first 21 games of the season, AQ has started to establish an identity — tough, versatile, and increasingly confident. In typical Chris LaMange fashion, the Saints are learning how to win in different ways, whether that means leaning on dominant pitching, manufacturing offense, or delivering timely swings late in games. And while Aquinas continues to navigate the loss of Ramsey Bousseau, the pieces are in place for this group to be a factor near the top of the WHAC standings. But to get there, the Saints must continue to stack wins and prove they can adapt. On Saturday in Utica, AQ did exactly that, using two different formulas to sweep Lawrence Tech on the road.
Game 1 — Aquinas 6, Lawrence Tech 0
The opener belonged to Sam Pollack.
Pollack was in command from start to finish, tossing a complete-game shutout as the Saints paired dominant pitching with timely offense to take control early. Aquinas wasted no time in the first inning as Stephen Weinert reached, Dylan Nguyen was hit by a pitch, and Joey Hysell worked a walk to load the bases. Chase Robinson drew an RBI walk to bring home the first run, and Kasy Shadduck followed with a sacrifice fly to make it 2-0.
The Saints kept the pressure on in the third. Hysell and Robinson reached to set the table, and Shadduck delivered again with a two-run single to extend the lead. JT LaMange added an RBI groundout later in the inning as AQ pushed the advantage to 5-0.
Aquinas added one more in the sixth when Weinert worked a walk, stole second, advanced on a groundout, and scored on a Hysell RBI groundout.
Shadduck led the way with three RBI, while Hysell, Robinson, and LaMange each drove in a run. Weinert scored twice and swiped a pair of bases, continuing to set the tone at the top of the lineup. Brodie Gregory added a double as AQ pieced together consistent offensive production.
On the mound, Pollack was dominant, scattering six hits over seven shutout innings while striking out five. He worked out of key moments, including a fifth-inning jam with runners in scoring position, to preserve the shutout.
Game 2 — Aquinas 7, Lawrence Tech 4
Game two required a different script — and once again, the Saints delivered.
After falling behind and trailing late, Aquinas leaned on timely hitting, aggressive baserunning, and a strong bullpen effort to complete the sweep.
Eric Bryce helped spark the offense and came around to score on a Joey Hysell RBI single to even the game. Zachary Hayes later came through as well, scoring after a Dylan Nguyen RBI double to keep the Saints within striking distance.
Trailing 4-2 late, AQ mounted its decisive push. Hayes worked a walk, Austin Deller entered as a pinch runner, and Nguyen delivered a clutch RBI double to cut the deficit. In the following inning, Will Kovl singled, Brodie Gregory ripped a game-tying RBI double, and JT LaMange followed with a single to keep the pressure on. Hayes then delivered the go-ahead RBI, and the Saints added another run during an aggressive baserunning sequence to create separation.
Austin Alcumbrack provided the exclamation point, launching a pinch-hit home run in the ninth to push the lead to 7-4.
Nguyen led the offensive effort with multiple extra-base hits, Hayes contributed key at-bats and an RBI, while Hysell added an RBI and reached base multiple times. Kovl and Gregory delivered key hits during the late rally, and Alcumbrack's homer capped the comeback.
On the mound, Aaron Moore gave AQ a steady start before Walker Brockie turned in a pivotal relief outing to earn the win. Travis Weide closed the door in the ninth to secure the sweep.
With the two wins, Aquinas improves to 10-13 overall and 3-1 in WHAC play, while Lawrence Tech falls to 8-12 overall and 1-3 in conference action.
Saints Snapshots
• Pollack dominates with complete-game shutout in Game 1
• Saints pitching silences LTU in doubleheader sweep
• Shadduck delivers early with 3 RBI in opener
• Nguyen sparks offense with clutch extra-base hits
• Alcumbrack's pinch-hit homer slams the door in Game 2
• AQ improves to 3-1 in WHAC play with road sweep
Coach's Comments
Head Coach Chris LaMange said the Saints showed the toughness and resilience needed to compete in the WHAC during a demanding road stretch.
"This was a big sweep on the road for our guys today," LaMange said. "Our pitchers were outstanding all day, starting with Sam Pollack throwing a complete-game shutout in Game 1. Offensively, we battled and were able to do just enough to get us two wins. Our confidence keeps growing as we continue to play well, and now we've got a little winning streak going at just the right time. It's been a great start to the WHAC season, and we need to keep it going."
Up Next
AQ will finally head home to play at the West Michigan Sports Commission Field in Rockford on Saturday afternoon when they challenge Defiance. The twinbill is scheduled for a 1:00 p.m. first pitch in game one, with game two beginning 20 minutes after the conclusion of the opener. If you can't be there, the doubleheader will be streamed on the AQSaints YouTube Network, with Joey Sutherlin on the call and in the wind tunnel on the concourse, so please pray for good weather.
Be sure to visit AQSaints.com for live stats, streaming links, and full postgame coverage of AQ Baseball and all Saints athletics.
