THIS WEEK
A memorable 2026 University of Mary baseball regular season comes to a close with a three-game series at St. Clous State University on Friday and Saturday, May 1-2, at Joe Faber Field in St. Cloud, MN. Friday's Northern Sun doubleheader between the Marauders and the Huskies is set for 1:30 pm. A single 9-inning game on Saturday starts at 12 noon.
 
FOLLOW LIVE
Visit www.GoUMary.com/coverage for available links to live video and stats.
 
THE RECORDS
The Marauders are 32-15 overall this season and 25-9 (3^rd place) in the Northern Sun… The Huskies are 20-26 overall and 16-17 (9^th) in the NSIC.
 
ON DECK
The Marauders have earned a top-3 finish in the Northern Sun standings to earn a spot in the NSIC tournament for the fifth time in six seasons. The NSIC tournament runs Wednesday-Saturday May 6-9 in Sioux Falls, SD. Games on Day 1 and Day 2 will be played at both Ronken Field on the Augustana campus and at The Sioux Falls Stadium Birdcage. Day's 3-4 will be played at The Birdcage… The top eight teams in the final NSIC regular season standings qualify for the double-elimination tournament. The tournament champion earns an automatic berth to the NCAA Central Region tournament.   
 
MARAUDERS 6^th IN NCAA CENTRAL REGION RANKINGS RELEASED APRIL 29
After cracking an NCAA baseball regional poll for the first time in school history last week, the University of Mary makes a second straight appearance. The Marauders checked in at #6 in the first NCAA Central Region numerical ranking in 2026 and the second of three rankings before the postseason field is announced.
 
UMary is 5-6 against teams in the Central region poll. The Marauders went 1-3 at Rogers State on opening weekend, split a 4-game series with Minnesota State and claimed 2-of-3 against Augustana.

The NCAA Central Region is made up of teams from the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference, the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletic Association (MIAA) and the Great American Conference (GAC). Automatic bids are awarded to the tournament champions from each conference with the final five spots awarded on an at-large basis.

The championship preliminary round competition provides for 16 regional sites that consist of either 3-team or 4-team, double-elimination tournaments. The winners of these regional-round competitions advance to a super-regional round that consist of two teams competing in a best-of-three series. The NCAA Central Regional preliminary round will consist of two 4-team double elimination tournaments. The NCAA DII Baseball Selection Show is scheduled to stream on NCAA.com on Sunday, May 10, at 9 pm central time.  
 

RK	Team	DII Rec	In-Reg
1	Pittsburg State	37-8	37-8
2	Rogers State	37-10	37-10
3	Central Missouri	33-12	32-11
4	Minnesota State	34-10	30-7
5	Northwest Missouri State	34-13	31-12
6	UMary	30-15	29-12
7	Augustana	33-12	33-11
8	Ark.-Monticello	31-16	31-16
9	Missouri Southern	31-15	31-15
10	Emporia State	32-15	28-15

 
MARAUDERS BREAK SCHOOL SEASON RECORD FOR WINS
The University of Mary broke the school single season record for wins with the team's 31^st victory of the season on Tuesday, April 28, in a 3-2 win over Bemidji State University. The previous record was 30 in 2002… The Marauders also set a new team record for Northern Sun wins in a season with 25, surpassing their total of 20 from 2025.
 
FINE 9
The Marauders own nine straight wins, the program's longest win streak since beginning NCAA Division II play in 2007. UMary won eight straight games in 2022.  
 
MARAUDERS EARN ACBA NCAA POLL RECOGNITION FOR 3^rd  STRAIGHT WEEK
For a third straight week and the third time in program history, UMary is listed as receiving votes and under consideration for the 2026 American Baseball Coaches Association (ABCA) NCAA Division II Baseball Coaches Poll released April 28.
 
HISTORY LESSON
In a series that started in 2008, Dating back to the 2010 season the Marauders are 4-37 against the Huskies… UMary won 1-of-3 at home last season in the regular season. Noah Hull delivered an 8-7 walk off win for UMary with a single to score Kalem Haney in the 8^th inning. SCSU picked up a 9-7 win at the NSIC tournament in the last meeting between the two teams… UMary's lone road win at SCSU was a 12-6 win that featured a grand slam by Josh Walker and a home run and four RBIs by Kalem Haney as UMary scored 11 of the final 13 runs in the game on April 13, 2024.
 
LAST TIME OUT
UMary took five straight games at home… The Marauders swept three straight games from Concordia-St. Paul. Lucus Burgum threw a 2-hiiter in a 6-0 win over the Golden Bears. UMary followed with 4-3 and 5-3 wins… UMary then swept a doubleheader from Bemidji State University 3-2 and 7-5 to set a new program record for wins.
 
MARAUDERS #15 IN NCAA TOUGHEST SCHEDULE RANKINGS
Per the NCAA Toughest Schedule Report on April 28, UMary is now listed as having played the 15^th toughest schedule in the country with the opposition claiming a cumulative win percentage of .562. The Marauders schedule was previously ranked as the nation's most difficult in NCAA Division II through games of April 15. UMary has still played the most difficult schedule in the Northern Sun.
 
ACCEPTING THE CHALLENGE
The Marauders have played an incredibly challenging difficult schedule this season. Four UMary opponents are receiving national recognition this season:

• Opening weekend foe Rogers State University currently 10^th in the ABCA poll
• Minnesota State was ranked #9 when the Marauders played the Mavericks and are now #13 in the ABCA rankings
• Metropolitan State University of Denver was ranked as high at #18 this season and is now receiving votes
• Augustana ranked #14 when the Marauders claimed the series win and are now receiving votes in the ABCA poll

 
HARD TO HIT
The Marauders pitching staff allows just 8.9 hits per nine innings to rank 31^st in fewest hits allowed/nine in NCAA D2 and the 3^rd fewest hits allowed in the NSIC. 
 
HANEY CLIMBING CAREER CHARTS
Kalem Haney is closing in on the Marauders all-time record for hits in a career. The senior second baseman has 198 in his career to tie Cal James for 2^nd place. Noah Hull leads in career hits with 206… Haney ranks first in career runs scored with 160 and is fourth in doubles with 41 (James is 1^st with 48).
 
POWER PLAY
Isaac Pegors and Bryce Leafgren are battling for the team lead in home runs. Pegors has 14 round trippers with Leafgren right behind with 12. The combined 26 home runs is the 2^nd most by a duo in school history. The record is 29 by Pegors (18) and Leafgren (11) last season. Pegors now is tied for the 2^nd most home runs in a single season while Leafgren is 6th… With 54 RBIs Pegors is tied for 2^nd with Josh Walker on the all-time single season list at UMary, just behind his record of 65 last year. Leafgren's 49 RBIs are tied for 7^th in a single season.  
 
FINISH WHAT YOU START
Marauders pitchers have thrown six complete games this season. Lucus Burgum has finished three of his starts and has thrown at least five innings in all ten of his appearances… Ryan Chamberlain owns two complete games and has pitched at least 5.0 innings in 5-of-7 starts… Aiden Johnson has one complete game this season.
 
STOP THIEF
Teams are struggling to run against UMary backstops Cru Walker and Marcus Butts. Opponents have stolen just 49 bases in 71 attempts, a success rate of 69% by opposing baserunners. The next lowest percentage in the NSIC? A 74.5% success rate against Northern State. Walker has been especially excellent at throwing out runners. The Bismarck, ND, native has gunned down 16 of 38 runners attempting to steal when Walker has been behind the plate.
 
PUNCHOUT
Lucas Burgum is racking up the strikeouts at an impressive rate this season. The junior righthander is striking out 9.75 batters per nine innings. Burgum fanned a season-high nine against Sioux Falls and Concordia-St. Paul and eight against both Rogers State and Wayne State College. The Mandan, ND, native has gone at least 5.0 innings in all ten starts, including a 7-inning complete game against SMSU to win NSIC Pitcher of the Week honors and a complete game effort at Winona State and a shutout over CSP… Burgum is 20^th in NCAA D2 in hits allowed per 9 innings (6.45) and 19^th in WHIP (1.05).
 
NO WALK ZONE
Ryan Chamberlain ranks 27^th in NCAA D2 in walks allowed/nine innings (1.82) and 25^th in strikeouts/walks (4.54). Chamberlain has limited opponents to 71 hits and 13 walks while striking out 59 in a team-high 64.1 innings.
 
STINGY
Reliever Cole Smith has allowed three earned runs this season. In 15 games over 20.1 innings Smith has a 4-1 record with seven saves and 18 strikeouts. He has held opposing batters to 13 hits.
 
SPENCER TAKES OVER ALL-TIME WINS LEAD AT UMARY
UMary head coach Tanner Spencer became the all-time winningest coach in Marauders baseball history in a doubleheader sweep of #9 Minnesota State University on February 28. Tied with Steve Legrand (121 wins from 1997-2001) entering the Northern Sun doubleheader, a pair of wins pushed Spencer to the top of the all-time wins list with 123 victories. Spencer took over the Marauders program prior to the 2020 season and is in his seventh season at UMary. Through April 30, 2026, Spencer has 150 wins at UMary.
 
Spencer has directed the Marauders to at least 20 wins for six straight seasons. UMary never had a 20-win season in NCAA play until 2021, Spencer's first full season. The Marauders have set a new NCAA-era high for wins this year and have tied the program's high for NSIC wins with 20.
 
CHAMPIONS OF THE BADLANDS
The Marauders finished a perfect 5-0 against their fellow North Dakota NCAA Division II Northern Sun competitors. UMary took all three games this season against Minot State University and swept two games against the University of Jamestown.
 
LEADERS

• Leadoff hitter Kalem Haney is having another tremendous season. Climbing towards the Marauders career leader boards in hits, doubles and runs scored, the senior 2B is hitting .383/.500/.495 with a .995 OPS. He has scored 34 runs, hit six doubles, two home runs, drove in 14 runs and stole five bases.
• OF Isaac Pegors has driven in 54 runs and scored 44 times in 45 games. He owns a line of .339.437/.648 with nine doubles and 14 home runs.
• OF/1B Bryce Leafgren is having another stellar season. The 2025 All-NSIC player has 49 RBIs and 12 home runs. The senior is batting .342/.460/.646 for a 1.106 OPS. 
• SS Hank Griffin is hitting .329/.434/.518 with 11 doubles, a triple and six home runs. He has scored 37 runs and driven in 24.
• 3B Kieran Gaffney is 5^th on the team with 33 runs scored. The senior is hitting .302/.362/.358 and has 27 RBIs.  
• C/1B Marcus Butts is hitting .372/.465/.517 for a .982 OPS. The sophomore owns nine doubles. He has scored 41 runs as has four home runs and 23 RBIs.
• Lucas Burgum has gone at least 5.0 innings in all ten starts. In 60 innings he leads the team in strikeouts (65), WHIP (1.05), and ERA (3.30)
• Aiden Johnson has allowed ten walks and struck out 34 in 44.1 innings with a 1.35 WHIP
• Ryan Chamberlain has a 1.31 WHIP over a team-leading 64.1 innings. The senior leads the teams in wins and is 5-1 with three saves, 59 Ks and 13 walks. 
• LHP Justin Hanson has 36 strikeouts in 40.1 innings. 
• Cole Smith leads the team saves (7) and is second in wins (4-1). The sophomore has allowed three earned runs in 20.1 innings. He has given up 13 hits, walked nine and struck out 18.
• Jacob Burgess owns a 2.55 ERA after 17.2 innings of relief. He has allowed 18 hits with seven walks and 10 strike outs.

 
2026 MARAUDERS HONORS

• Ryan Chamberlain was named NSIC Pitcher of the Week the opening week of the season. He pitched six shutout innings of relief in the Marauders 15-inning 5-1 win at Rogers State University. Entering the game in the sixth inning with the game tied 1-1, the Laramie, WY, native limited the Hillcats to two hits and a walk as he retired 18 of the 21 batters he faced. Chamberlain stuck out five as he allowed only two baserunners to reach as far a second base. This is the second time Chamberlain has earned NSIC Pitcher of the Week honors in his career, the only Marauder to win NSIC pitching honors twice in a career.
• Lucas Burgum was the NSIC Pitcher of the Week for a 5-1 complete game win over Southwest Minesota State in his first career home start for UMary. Burgum limited SMSU to two hits, a walk and an unearned run over seven innings. The Mandan, ND, native struck out six hitters and allowed just five baserunners. After SMSU took advantage of a pair off UMary errors to score an unearned run in the first inning, Burgum closed out the win by throwing six scoreless innings. Only one bitter reached base over the last four innings.
• Ryan Chamberlain was named the NSIC Pitcher of the Week April 7 after he earned a win and a save in the same week, becoming the first UMary pitcher to win the honor twice in one season. Chamberlain opened the week with a 7-inning complete game 11-1 win at Northern State University. He struck out five and didn't walk a batter while limiting the Wolves to one run and six hits. Four days later the senior from Laramie, WY, picked up the save in the Marauders 7-2 win over #14 Augustana to give UMary its first-ever series win against the Vikings. Entering the game in the sixth inning with one out, two runners on base and UMary leading 2-0, Chamberlain struck out both batters he faced to end the Augie threat. He pitched 3.2 innings to earn his second save of the season, striking out three, walking one and allowing two runs and five hits… For the week, Chamberlain pitched 10.2 innings over two games, struck out eight and allowed three earned runs.
• An explosive hitting performance by University of Mary outfielder Isaac Pegors earned the Bismarck, ND, native Northern Sun and National College Baseball Writers Association (NCBWA) NCAA Division II Central Region Baseball Player of the Week accolades on April 21. This is the second time in his career he has won both awards and the first time winning those honors in 2026… Pegors blasted home runs in all four Marauders wins during the week and had both a hit and scored a run in all five games. Over the course of the five home games, the Legacy High School product went 8-for-16 at the plate with a double and four home runs. He scored nine runs, delivered 11 RBIs and posted a line of .500/.619/1.313 and an OPS of 1.932. He also walked four times and didn't strike out… In a doubleheader sweep of the University of Minnesota Crookston, Pegors homered, scored twice and drove in two runs in both games. In a 14-4 win over the University of Minnesota Duluth, the right fielder was 4-for-4 with a double, a home run, three runs scored and four RBIs. He also walked twice. In the series finale, Pegors blasted a 3-run home run in a 7-5 win over the Bulldogs.

 
SENIOR DAY
The Marauders honored 14 seniors on Saturday, April 25. Playing their final season for the Blue & Orange are Kalem Haney, Cru Walker, Luke Rhee, Hank Griffin, Riley Pearce, Mikey Ramirez, Kieran Gaffney, Bryce Leafgren, Sam Hayen, Aiden Johnson, Adam Golby, Ben Zehr, Andrew Linn and Ryan Chamberlain. Haney, Walker, Leafgren and Chamberlain have all played four seasons for UMary.  
 
WELCOME BACK FOR 2026

• The Marauders return 24 players who saw action for UMary last season, including 13 pitchers and 12 position players (So. RHP Cullen Wilson appears in both counts as he also played in the field)
• Eight every day regulars are back for the Marauders, including 11 of the team's top 13 in total at bats from 2025
• Nine returners started at least 19 games in the field last year and six made 37 or more starts
• On the mound 13 of the Marauders 20 pitchers who saw action last season remain on the squad, including pitchers who made 33 of UMary's 51 starts
• The Marauders return three All-NSIC Players: OF Isaac Pegors (1^st team 2025), OF/1B Bryce Leafgren (2^nd team 2025) and MI Kalem Haney (1^st team 2025)
• Haney is a 4-year starter in the middle infield for UMary with a lifetime slash line of .316/.42/.482
• Senior Bryce Leafgren slashed .344/.468/.620 with 11 home runs in his first season as a starter in 2025
• Senior Kieran Gaffney returns after starting all 51 games last season at 3B in his first season at UMary
• Senior Hank Griffin started 48 games last season and is back to play shortstop
• Senior Luke Rhee is back for a second season at UMary after starting 37 games for the Marauders
• Senior Cru Walker (27 starts) and sophomore Marcus Butts (25 starts) will tag-team catcher again for UMary
• Aiden Johnson (2) and Ryan Chamberlain (1) combined to throw all three of the Marauders complete games and shutouts last year. They threw a combined 122 innings and both made 12 starts to lead the UMary pitching staff.
• Sam Hayen returns after posting seven saves and two wins

 
PEGORS NAMED NSIC PRESEASON PLAYER OF THE YEAR, D2BASEBALL AND NCBWA PRESEASON ALL-AMERICAN
Isaac Pegors, the reigning conference player of the year, is the 2026 Northern Sun Baseball Preseason Player of the Year. The Marauders All-American becomes the first UMary baseball scholar-athlete to earn NSIC preseason player of the year accolades. Pegors also earned 2026 Preseason All-American honors from D2Baseball and NCBWA.
 
Pegors broke school records with 18 home runs and 65 runs batted in during the 2025 season. In 47 games the Bismarck, ND, native led the NSIC in slugging percentage (.795) and OPS (1.287). He hit .398 with 10 doubles and scored 42 runs.
 
The first UMary player to earn NSIC Player of the Year honors, Pegors was selected as a 3rd team All-American by both D2CCA and NCBWA to become the Marauders first NCAA All-American and the second All-American overall in program history. The Legacy High School product also received All-Region honors from CCA, ABCA/Rawlings and NCBWA and was selected to the All-NSIC first team.
 
Additionally Pegors is the first UMary baseball player named to the Academic All-America first team as selected by College Sports Communicators (CSC).
 
JOHNSON SELECTED UMARY PITCHER TO WATCH FOR NSIC
After an impressive first year at UMary in 2025, Aiden Johnson is back for his senior season to again headline the Marauders rotation. The 6-foot-6 right hander from Westminster, CO, pitched two complete game shutouts last season, including a 2-0 shutout of defending champion Augustana to win NSIC Pitcher of the Week honors. Johnson finished the season 5-4 with a 4.62 ERA in 12 starts covering 62.1 innings. He struck out 44 and walked just 17 to post a 1.36 WHIP.
 
UMARY PICKED TO FINISH 7^th IN NSIC PRESEASON POLL
The Marauders are projected to finish in seventh place in the 2026 NSIC Baseball Preseason Coaches' Poll, which would once again qualify the team for postseason play. UMary has earned a berth in the Northern Sun tournament the last two seasons and four of the last five.
 
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