ELLENSBURG, Wash. – The Central Washington University baseball team opens a pivotal four‑game home series against Saint Martin's this weekend, needing three wins to clinch the final spot in the GNAC Championships in Nampa, Idaho. The Wildcats enter the weekend with postseason stakes at their highest, closing the home slate of the regular season with a doubleheader Friday before celebrating Senior Day in Saturday's double-feature.
 
This weekend's series also carries special significance for CWU baseball, marking the final homestand for longtime head coach Desi Storey while also serving as Senior Day for five Wildcats. The program will recognize seniors Drake Anderson, Max Bledy, Logan Blank, Camdyn Martindale, and Braden Zadow for their contributions on and off the field, celebrating their careers in Crimson and Black.
 

INSIDE THE MATCHUP:
 
Friday, April 24, 2026
Central Washington vs Western Oregon
Game One: Noon      |           Game Two: 3:00 p.m.
CWU Baseball Field
Ellensburg, Wash.
WATCH 
LIVE STATS
HISTORY

Saturday, April 25, 2026 (Senior Day)
Central Washington vs Western Oregon
Game One: Noon      |           Game Two: 3:00 p.m.
CWU Baseball Field
Ellensburg, Wash.
WATCH 
LIVE STATS
HISTORY
 
 
PLAYOFF IMPLICATIONS:
 
Central controls its postseason destiny as it enters its final eight GNAC games at 13-11, holding a firm advantage over Western Oregon, which sits at 10-15 with only four games left for the Wolves. With a five‑game cushion, the Wildcats can clinch the final tournament berth with only three wins, while the Wolves would need a near‑perfect finish and significant help from CWU's opponents to stay alive.

 
LAST SERIES:

Central split its four‑game home series with Western Oregon two weeks ago, opening with a 5-4 walk‑off win before the Wolves answered with back‑to‑back victories in Friday's nightcap and Saturday's opener. The Wildcats closed the set on a high note, rallying late for an 8-5 win in Saturday's finale to avoid the series loss.
 
CWU's bats came alive in spurts against WOU, led by shortstop Kaiden Hernandez, who reached base six times and scored five runs over the weekend. Logan Blank drove in four runs, including a pair of RBI-singles in the opener, while Jake Lockwood added two RBIs in five at-bats for a .333 batting average. Outfielder Conrad Henkel continued his steady production with four hits and one walk, while Ethan Swenson chipped in three RBIs to round out a balanced Wildcat attack that fueled both victories.
 
The Crimson and Black's pitching staff turned in several standout performances against the Wolves, led by Austin Cupic, who delivered a steady seven‑inning start with just one unearned run allowed. Braeden Fagnant followed with one of the weekend's sharpest outings, striking out three over three scoreless frames, while Zachary Reynolds was equally effective across 4.2 innings with only two runs surrendered and three strikeouts. Camdyn Martindale logged a full seven‑inning effort of his own with three Ks inserted on his log, and Kellen Berg added a key two‑inning relief win, giving the 'Cats a mix of durability and timely bullpen work throughout the series.
 
 
SCOUTING THE SAINTS:
 
Since dropping three of four to CWU in late March, Saint Martin's has continued to struggle, going 2-10 over its last 12 games. The Saints were defeated at Seattle and then swept by WOU. SMU then 1-3 to Montana State Billings despite a 4-3 win, and then 1-3 once again at Northwest Nazarene, salvaging only an 8-4 victory in the finale as their overall record slid to 11-32 and 3-21 in GNAC play.
 
Saint Martin's enters the week with a lineup paced by Noah Albanese, who leads the Saints with a .311 average, 47 hits, 18 RBI and a .411 OBP across 42 starts . He's joined by Bransyn Hong (.279, 39 hits, 20 RBI) and Evan Nicol (.262, 33 hits, .447 OBP), giving SMU three everyday hitters above .260 and carrying much of the team's offensive load. Kyle Schabot (.244, 19 RBI) and Carson Dunn (.228, 17 RBI) round out the primary contributors for a group batting .237 overall on the season .
 
On the mound, Nikki Scott II has been SMU's most reliable starter, posting a 5.29 ERA over 63 innings with 49 strikeouts across 11 starts. Luke Fulkerson (5.66 ERA, 50 strikeouts) and Hudson Normand (6.16 ERA, 61.1 IP) have logged heavy innings as well, while Blaze Wong has added 56.1 innings with a 6.39 ERA. Overall, the Saints' staff carries a 7.35 team ERA through 332 innings, with opponents hitting .318 against them.


UP NEXT:
 
Central will follow this weekend's series with its final GNAC road trip in a four‑game set at No. 23 Northwest Nazarene, opening a Thursday doubleheader in Nampa. The Wildcats will look to challenge the league's top team on Thursday, April 30 and Friday, May 1 at Elmore W. Vail Field as the regular season winds down.