LINDSBORG - Kansas Wesleyan is the 2026 KCAC Baseball Regular Season Champions.
KWU claimed its fourth-straight KCAC Championship as the Coyotes swept a doubleheader with the Bethany Swedes on Friday 16-5 and 17-9.
The Coyotes will be the No. 1 seed in the KCAC Tournament in two weeks at Dean Evans Stadium and have earned a berth to the NAIA National Championship Opening Round with the sweep.
Niko Olson led off the first game with a triple and then scored on Carter Allen's single. Later in the inning Joe Finder singled to bring in the second run of the inning.
Bethany got a run in the first and another one in the third to tie the game 2-2.
KWU quickly regained the lead in the fourth. Finder doubled, Logan Arndt walked and two batters later Tyler Nordyke homered to put the Coyotes up 5-2.
Chris Finocchario led off the fifth with a triple and then Dale homered to put the Coyotes up 7-2.
Bethany got three in the bottom half of the inning, but the Coyotes got them all back in the sixth. Olson led off with a single and then scored on Fernando Ruvalcaba's double. Finocchario singled and then Dale drove in a run with a sacrifice fly and then Finder reached on an error to let a third run score.
Allen hit a 3-run homer in the seventh to spark a 6-run rally to put the Coyotes up 16-5. Finder had a 2-run single and the final run of the inning scored as part of a single by Logan Arndt and error on the play.
Shaw Lee went five innings to get the win and Riley Gwin closed things out for the Coyotes. Four players had three hits each.
The Coyotes led 17-0 heading into the bottom of the seventh of the second game as KWU came away with a 17-9 win.
It was scoreless until the third inning when the Coyotes got a sacrifice fly by Allen to score Nordyke who walked to start the inning.
KWU added five runs in the fourth. Finder doubled, Arndt reached on an error and then Zac Goldenberg hit a 3-run homer. Allen doubled to bring in a run and Ruvalcaba brought in a run on a ground out.
Wesleyan added eight in the sixth. Olson led off with a double and Allen singled, setting up Ruvalcaba for a 3-run homer. Finocchario made It back-to-back jacks for the Coyotes following with a homer. Dale doubled, Finder walked and Arndt reached on a fielder's choice to load the bases. Goldenberg hit a 2-run single, a run came home when Olson hit into a double play and Allen delivered the final run of the inning with a single.
KWU added three more in the seventh. Finocchario walked and scored on Dale's double. Pinch hitter Drew Wardell hit a 2-run homer to make it 17-0.
Bethany scored nine in the bottom of the seventh, but the rally wasn't enough as the Coyotes completed the sweep.
Allen and Goldenberg had three hits each. Goldenberg drove in five and Ruvalcaba drove in four.
Thalen Wright got the win for the Coyotes allowing one hit in five innings.