Baseball | 2/18/2026 12:00:00 PM
Granville, Ohio - Following the first Division III World Series appearance in program history, the Denison Big Red baseball team seeks to continue to cement their status as one of the premier teams in the Division III baseball landscape.
2025 Season Recap:
Finishing the 2025 season, the Big Red had a 41-7 record, with five of those wins coming against ranked teams, two of which were top-five teams. Within conference play in the North Coast Athletic Conference, the Big Red would go 14-1 and go on to win NCAC tournament play with two wins over the College of Wooster, one being the championship game, and beating Wittenberg once. Following the NCAC Tournament victory, the Big Red would punch its ticket to the NCAA Regional Tournament. Denison would host the Granville Regional, where it would face Manchester University in the first game and Keystone College in the second and third games. The Big Red would out-score the two teams 31-8 in the three games, winning all three and moving to the NCAA Super Regionals. Denison would face Belhaven University in a best-of-three series, in which they would outscore Belhaven 31-4 in two wins. This would push the Big Red to the NCAA Division III World Series in Eastlake, Ohio. Denison would win their first game against Rowan University in a close 12-10 decision. However, the Big Red would drop to the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater, 11-4. Then, in an elimination game against Rowan University, Denison's season would come to an end after losing 6-1. This marked the farthest Denison has advanced in the playoffs in baseball history, and the team looks to get back and is hopeful of winning as it comes into the season ranked #3 in the nation.
2026 NCAC preseason poll:
2026 North Coast Athletic Conference
Baseball Coaches' Poll |
| Place |
Institution (1st Place Votes) |
Points |
| 1 |
Denison (7) |
79 |
| 2 |
Wittenberg (1) |
64 |
| 3 |
Wabash |
60 |
| 4 |
Wooster (1) |
57 |
| 5 |
John Carroll |
50 |
| 6 |
Kenyon |
36 |
| 7 |
DePauw |
28 |
| 8 |
Ohio Wesleyan |
16 |
| 9 |
Oberlin |
15 |
Key Returner Breakdown
Erik Sundgren: In 2025, Sundgren was a big reason why the Big Red's offense was as good as it had been. Sundgren would lead the Big Red in OPS (1.184), hits (76), home runs (17), RBI's (81), total bases, slugging percentage (.735), and tied for stolen bases (31). His RBIs would be good for him to be the best nationally, while he would finish tenth nationally in Home Run hits. Erik would also break the Denison Home Run record that was previously set at 13. He was named First-Team All-NCAC, ABCA/Rawlings First-Team All-Region and Region 7 Player of the Year, D3Baseball.com Second-Team All-Region, the College Sports Communicators Academic All-District Team, and was a Chi Sigma Alpha Inductee. Erik looks to build off last year and finish his Denison career strong.
Jack Lutte: Jack Lutte comes into his third season playing for the Big Red. As a sophomore, Lutte would have a .409 batting average with 61 hits. Lutte would lead the Big Red in batting average, doubles (19), and on-base percentage (.510). He would tally five home runs, 53 runs, and 37 RBIs. The reigning First-Team All-NCAC designated hitter has been able to be a strong offensive presence for the Big Red and looks to keep going at the plate and behind the dish.
Will Rettig: Rettig enters his senior campaign as the most experienced pitcher on the staff. With 45 career appearances, 32 starts, nearly 200 innings to go along with an 18-2 record, the right-hander from Perrysburg, Ohio looks to cap off an incredible career with another great season. Rettig's junior season ended with a Second-Team All-NCAC nod and was capped by an electric outing that helped the Big Red earn its first-ever win in the College World Series.
Cade Nowik: Nowik enters his senior season following a 2025 season that earned himself Second-Team All-NCAC honors. Nowik manned the hot corner in 46 out of 48 games with a .950 fielding percentage and also tallied six homers and drove in 41 runs with a .310 batting average. The Lake Forest native will be back in action for his fourth season on the diamond after finishing his fourth season on the gridiron this past Fall as a wide receiver on the football team.
Jack Rollo: The rising junior will return to the diamond following a breakout sophomore season as a utility for the Big Red. Rollo maintained a 2.39 ERA and earned four wins on the bump over 26.1 innings. At the dish, Rollo collected 15 RBIs on three homers to go along with a .298 batting average. The stellar two-way season gave Rollo Third-Team All-NCAC honors. Look for the junior to carry his presence at the plate into the spring season and expect to see his name more often on the bump.
Andrew Fazio: The reigning Third-Team All-NCAC catcher looks to build on a great sophomore season in tandem with classmate
Jack Lutte. Last season, Fazio held down home plate in 30 games, serving as the catcher when Lutte was the designated hitter. Fazio recorded a .320 batting average and caught four runners stealing. Look for Fazio to continue to be a brick wall behind the dish and for his bat to continue being a crucial part of the elusive Denison lineup.
Season Sneak Peek
Following a historic 2025 season, the Big Red have many spots to fill and many opportunities for players to step up. Following the graduation of key arms in the bullpen, including Nick Falter(San Diego Padres), as well as three main hurlers to the transfer portal, the pitching staff has a plethora of opportunities for players to make a name for themselves in the rotation. The senior duo, Will Rettig and Robbie Lee, return with the most innings of action to their name but look to see classmates Ryan Paganelis and Connor Remley to find their spot on the mound. Additionally, a plentiful and promising first-year class has the chance to make waves as young arms in the bullpen.
In the field, it is difficult to replace players like Eric Colaco (3x NCAC Player of the Year) and Jake Blozy in the outfield, but with a senior class of 12, look for Coach Deegan's squad to make the transition smooth.
In addition to a high-powered senior class, the Big Red sophomore and junior classes have all the power to make a big impact.
The team is highly capable, but with every new season, unproven. Big Red fans will get their first look at the 2026 squad on Friday, February 20 at 10 AM as Denison travels to Greensboro, North Carolina, to take on the Captains of Christopher Newport University. The season schedule can be found below.
2026 Regular Season Schedule
| Date |
Location |
Opponent |
Time (EST) |
| 2/20/26 |
Greensboro, N.C. |
Christopher Newport |
10:00 AM |
| 2/21/26 |
Greensboro, N.C. |
Salisbury |
6:00 PM |
| 2/22/26 |
Greensboro, N.C. |
SUNY Cortland |
11:00 AM |
| 2/27/26 |
Lexington, Ky. |
Baldwin Wallace |
6:00 PM |
| 2/28/26 |
Lexington, Ky. |
Webster |
1:00 PM |
| 3/1/26 |
Lexington, Ky. |
at Transylvania |
3:00 PM |
| 3/7/26 |
Terre Haute, Ind. |
at Rose-Hulman |
12:00 PM |
| 3/7/26 |
Terre Haute, Ind. |
at Rose-Hulman |
3:00 PM |
| 3/8/26 |
Terre Haute, Ind. |
at Rose-Hulman |
5:00 PM |
| 3/13/26 |
Naperville, Ill. |
Adrian |
4:30 PM |
| 3/14/26 |
Naperville, Ill. |
Baldwin Wallace |
1:00 PM |
| 3/15/26 |
Naperville, Ill. |
at North Central |
4:30 PM |
| 3/17/26 |
Portland, Ore. |
at Lewis & Clark |
5:00 PM |
| 3/18/26 |
Portland, Ore. |
at George Fox |
6:00 PM |
| 3/19/26 |
Portland, Ore. |
at Linfield |
8:30 PM |
| 3/20/26 |
Portland, Ore. |
at Linfield |
8:30 PM |
| 3/21/26 |
Portland, Ore. |
at Linfield |
4:00 PM |
| 3/26/26 |
Granville, Ohio |
vs Muskingum |
5:00 PM |
| 3/28/26 |
Gambier, Ohio |
at Kenyon |
12:00 PM |
| 3/28/26 |
Gambier, Ohio |
at Kenyon |
3:00 PM |
| 4/3/26 |
Granville, Ohio |
vs Capital |
6:00 PM |
| 4/8/26 |
Crawfordsville, Ind. |
at Wabash |
1:00 PM |
| 4/8/26 |
Crawfordsville, Ind. |
at Wabash |
4:00 PM |
| 4/11/26 |
Granville, Ohio |
vs Oberlin |
12:00 PM |
| 4/11/26 |
Granville, Ohio |
vs Oberlin |
3:00 PM |
| 4/12/26 |
Granville, Ohio |
vs Marietta |
12:00 PM |
| 4/14/26 |
Tiffin, Ohio |
at Heidelberg |
4:00 PM |
| 4/16/26 |
Granville, Ohio |
vs Ohio Northern |
5:00 PM |
| 4/18/26 |
Wooster, Ohio |
at Wooster |
12:00 PM |
| 4/18/26 |
Wooster, Ohio |
at Wooster |
3:00 PM |
| 4/19/26 |
Marietta, Ohio |
at Marietta |
1:00 PM |
| 4/22/26 |
Granville, Ohio |
vs DePauw |
12:00 PM |
| 4/22/26 |
Granville, Ohio |
vs DePauw |
3:00 PM |
| 4/25/26 |
Springfield, Ohio |
at Wittenberg |
12:00 PM |
| 4/25/26 |
Springfield, Ohio |
at Wittenberg |
3:00 PM |
| 4/28/26 |
Granville, Ohio |
vs Ohio Wesleyan |
12:00 PM |
| 4/28/26 |
Granville, Ohio |
vs Ohio Wesleyan |
3:00 PM |
| 5/2/26 |
Granville, Ohio |
vs John Carroll |
12:00 PM |
| 5/2/26 |
Granville, Ohio |
vs John Carroll |
3:00 PM |
