Auburndale, Fla. — Early in the 2026 season, the Aquinas baseball team has shown flashes of a club loaded with enough talent to be firmly in the conversation for the top spot in the Wolverine-Hoosier Athletic Conference. But as often happens during a demanding spring trip to Florida, the box scores and long days at the ballpark can reveal areas that still need polishing. Sunday in Auburndale proved to be a perfect example for the Saints, as AQ dropped a pair of games that featured both frustrating stretches and glimpses of the offensive firepower that could make this team dangerous once conference play begins.

Bellevue 10, Aquinas 2 (Game 1 Sunday)

The Saints opened Sunday morning against Bellevue and actually grabbed the game's first lead thanks to some early aggressiveness on the basepaths.

Eric Bryce ignited the third inning with a double and quickly moved to third before showcasing his speed by stealing home to give Aquinas a 1–0 advantage.

Bellevue responded immediately in the bottom half of the inning, capitalizing on a combination of timely hits and a defensive miscue to push across five runs and flip the momentum.

Oak Held delivered a run-scoring double during the rally before Ayden Makarus connected for a two-run homer that extended the Bruins lead.

The Bruins added two more runs in the fourth inning on a home run from Mason Spellecy before extending the lead again with a three-run sixth inning.

Aaron Hileman started on the mound for the Saints and worked three innings while striking out two. Christopher Steffan followed in relief and logged three innings before Hunter Doyle finished the final two frames for Aquinas.

Offensively, the Saints collected seven hits in the contest. Mason Ruether singled and later drew a walk, while Austin Deller added a single and a walk while also swiping a base.

Dylan Nguyen and Kasy Shadduck each recorded hits during the game, while Eric Bryce finished with a double and two stolen bases.

The Saints added their final run in the ninth inning when Travis Weide doubled and later scored on a Chase Robinson RBI single to right field.

Despite the late push, Bellevue secured the 10–2 victory.

Valley City State 15, Aquinas 14 (Game 2 Sunday)

If the opener was a frustrating game for the Saints, the nightcap turned into one of the wildest contests of the Florida trip.

Aquinas came out swinging early as Stephen Weinert opened the game with a double before Dylan Nguyen launched a two-run homer to give the Saints a quick 2–0 lead.

Moments later Joey Hysell singled and eventually scored on a sacrifice fly from JT LaMange as AQ built a 3–0 advantage.

Valley City State responded with an explosive eight-run second inning to take control of the game and suddenly put Aquinas behind 8–3.

The Saints refused to back down.

In the third inning, Aquinas mounted a rally of its own as Chase Robinson and Kasy Shadduck drew walks before Eric Bryce worked a bases-loaded free pass. Zachary Hayes then delivered the biggest hit of the inning, blasting a three-run double that pulled the Saints within one.

Weinert added another hit later in the inning, while Nguyen continued his strong day at the plate with multiple hits.

Nguyen struck again in the fifth inning, crushing his second home run of the game — a two-run blast that gave the Saints a 10–8 lead.

The offensive fireworks continued throughout the evening as the teams traded runs over the next several innings.

Joey Hysell delivered an RBI single in the seventh inning to push the Saints ahead again before Valley City State answered with four runs in the bottom half to regain the lead.

Aquinas mounted one final rally in the eighth inning. Kasy Shadduck reached base and JT LaMange drew a walk before Eric Bryce also worked a free pass to load the bases.

Wild pitches and a hit-by-pitch helped the Saints claw back into the game, tying the score at 14–14 and setting the stage for a dramatic finish.

Unfortunately for AQ, Valley City State managed to push across the winning run in the bottom of the eighth inning on a sacrifice fly.

Nguyen led the offensive attack with three hits and two home runs while driving in four runs.

Weinert added three hits of his own, while Hysell contributed two hits and an RBI. Hayes finished with a key three-run double, and Shadduck, Robinson, and Bryce each reached base multiple times as the Saints produced 14 runs on 10 hits in the high-scoring affair.

Saints Snapshot

    The Firepower — Aquinas exploded for 14 runs in the nightcap against Valley City State.

    The Power Bat — Dylan Nguyen launched two home runs and drove in four runs in game two.

    The Hit Machine — Stephen Weinert collected three hits to lead the Saints offense.

    The Battle — Despite falling short, AQ erased multiple deficits and fought back to tie the game at 14–14 late.

    The Learning Curve — Florida's demanding schedule continues to give the Saints valuable innings and opportunities across the roster.

Coach's Comments

Following the two games on Sunday, Head Coach Chris LaMange emphasized that the Florida trip is about development as much as results.

"You can't get too caught up in the box scores during a Florida trip like this," LaMange said. "Obviously there are areas we need to clean up, but this week is also about getting everyone opportunities and making sure guys get their reps. We're trying to see what we have across the roster, and sometimes that means the results don't always go the way you want them to."

Up Next

Aquinas will conclude the Florida trip Monday with a doubleheader against Northwestern. The pair of seven-inning games will begin at 10:15 a.m., with the second game scheduled for a 12:15 p.m. first pitch.

Following the twin bill, the Saints will return home and begin preparations for their conference opener Saturday against Indiana Tech.

Be sure to visit AQSaints.com for live stats, streaming links, and full postgame coverage of AQ Baseball and all Saints athletics.