DAVENPORT, FL. - Booking flights to sunny Florida, the Wesleyan University baseball team opened the 2026 season with a 10-3 loss to Wheaton College on Saturday afternoon in the first of 10 Spring Break games.

The Cardinals were quick to start, running the first batting rotation of the season with Jake Acker '27 leading the charge. Acker doubled down the left field line and was eventually sent home after Jonah Timmons '27 singled and reached second on an error at first base. Timmons advanced the Cardinals to a 2-0 lead following Kato Mangum's '28 hit to right field.

With Cole Perkin '28 on the mound, the Cardinals held the two-run lead until the very end of the bottom of the second when Logan Downey scored for the Lyons after stealing second prior to Ty Bellan's right field single.

Marcus Jang '26 opened the fourth inning with an advancement on a throwing error with Oliver Kwan '28 placing him on second with a ball to the short stop. Jang's unearned run fell by way of another singled hit by Acker to load the bases.

A triple RBI at the bottom of the fifth would send the Lyons to the front of the line with a 4-3 lead, ending the Cardinals' advances. Collin Reilly homered, sending himself, Marcus Rodriguez, and Robbie Lamond home before the Cardinals sent Ned Shapiro '26 to pitch. Ray Toth improved the score to 5-3 by the end of the inning and the Lyons would hold through to the end of the eighth.

Homering with Lamond and Derek Babineau on base, Reilly sent the game to an 8-3 lead with Declan Lush to follow with another homer just two batters later allowing Brandon Westerfield to score as well.

Leading offensive efforts, Acker finished with two hits and a run on four at bats. Perkin takes the loss, striking out three as he allowed four runs and seven hits. Shapiro finished two innings pitched with one run and four hits.

The Cardinals play a doubleheader on Sunday, March 8, when they face Dickinson College at 2:00 PM and 4:30 PM.