UChicago Baseball Clinches First Conference Baseball Title Since 1913
The University of Chicago baseball team completed the four-game series sweep over New York University to clinch the UAA title and earn an automatic bid to the 2026 NCAA Division III Baseball Championship. The UAA title is the Maroons' first conference championship since 1913.
The Maroons opened up the scoring first. Walks from Nathan Bae and Harrison Belden brought two Maroons home as Ryan Bhojwani and Luke Weston individually slammed two-RBI singles to extend the lead to four. Off a wild pitch, Weston moved to second, and Erik Rinder doubled to left field to score Weston for another Maroon run.
At the end of the first inning, UChicago was up 7-0.
As Russel Kwinter held the Violets scoreless again in the second inning, UChicago added another run. On the first pitch, Michael Gladden smashed his fourth home run of the season to make it an 8-0 ball game.
The Violets were not going away easily, as in the third and fourth innings, NYU scored five runs to cut the deficit to three. UChicago quickly responded in the fourth as Harrison Belden hit a double to left-center field, scoring Bae and bringing the Maroons' lead back to four.
In the top of the seventh inning, the Violets found some offensive momentum and tied the game at nine. With the go-ahead run at second, Taran Kamat came in for UChicago and struck out the Violets' Dahl to get the third out of the inning and give the Maroons a chance to answer. With two on base at first and second, Brady Miller laid down a perfect bunt to advance his teammates and load the bases for the Maroons. Jack Sharp ripped a two-RBI single to left field to put the Maroons in double-digits with 11 runs scored. With just one out, Weston grounded out but earned an RBI, bringing home Sharp. At the end of the inning, the Maroons led 13-9.
NYU scored one more in the top of the ninth, but Mike Sosna forced the Violet's batter to line out to a double play, earning the final out of the day.
Kamat earned the win after striking out three of the eight batters he faced. Russell Kwinter pitched the longest for the Maroons, earning two strikeouts and three ground outs against the 21 batters he faced.
With the win, the Maroons extend their win streak to 12 and move to 23-13 on the season.