Northern Colorado split a doubleheader against St. Thomas on March 14 at Jackson Field, opening conference play with an 8–5 loss before bouncing back for a 9–4 win.
The games marked the start of the Bears’ conference schedule and showcased strong offensive performances from both teams. In the first game, Northern Colorado collected 12 hits and overcame an early deficit, but St. Thomas secured the victory with a late surge, scoring one run in the seventh inning and three more in the ninth. The Bears managed to score once in the bottom of the ninth but could not complete their comeback.
Ethan Mooser’s RBI triple highlighted a two-run second inning that gave Northern Colorado its first lead of the afternoon. Zeke Minic and Logan Pruski each hit home runs to keep the Bears competitive, while Pruski led offensively with three hits and an RBI. Mooser and Ethan Fillinger also recorded multiple hits.
In the second game, Northern Colorado responded by defeating St. Thomas 9–4 for its first conference win of the season. The Bears tallied 15 hits and scored in four different innings to secure victory. After falling behind early, they took control with a two-run third inning powered by Minic’s two-run home run and later extended their lead with runs in the seventh and eighth innings.
Brett Barber drove in three runs and scored twice to lead Northern Colorado’s offense, while Jake Bullard added two RBIs. On the mound, Jake Storey struck out eight over six-and-two-thirds innings before Lucas Stone earned the win in relief and Brady Hudson closed out the game.
Looking ahead, Northern Colorado will begin a two-game midweek series at No. 6 Arkansas before traveling to Omaha for a three-game Summit League series against Nebraska-Omaha starting March 20.
