Offensive Explosion Leads Wildcats to Conference-Opening Sweep of Bobcats

BALDWIN CITY - Scoring at least seven runs in each game, the Baker baseball team opened up its 2025 Heart of America Conference season with a four-game drubbing of Peru State this weekend at Sauder Field, sweeping the Bobcats on scores of 9-5, 11-3, 7-4 and 12-2.

The Wildcats totaled six home runs on Saturday and added another one on Sunday as part of a 49-run slugfest that saw them outscore the Bobcats, 49-14, between the four games.

Playing in his first conference games since 2023, Camden Karlin put on an incredible show both at the plate and in his lone relief appearance, earning his first save of the season in game three. The junior from Lawrence, Kan. went 9-for-13 at the dish and tallied six extra-base hits, including a game-two outing where he had six RBI, two home runs and a triple.

Game 1 - BU 9, PSC 5
After falling in a 3-0 hole, the Wildcats broke through with a couple of big innings to earn a 9-5 come-from-behind win in game one.

In the bottom of the fourth, Eli Young tied things up with a three-run bomb over the left-field fence for his first home run of the year to make it a 3-3 ballgame.

The Bobcats retook the lead with a run in the fourth before the Wildcats rattled off their huge six-run inning in the bottom of the fifth with all of their damage coming with two outs. A bases-loaded walk from Kolden Howerton tied the score again before Jon Jenkins came through with a towering grand slam to break the game open.

Jaidon Bowers knocked in one more run with an RBI single to turn Baker's one-run deficit into a comfortable 9-4 lead.

Game 2 - BU 11, PSC 3
In Saturday's nightcap, BU scored a run in every inning, while John Green and Jake Miller combined to keep the PSC lineup at bay with Miller tossing four scoreless innings of relief in an 11-3 victory for the Wildcats.

Young drove in his fifth run of the day with an RBI single in the opening frame to put Baker on the scoreboard first in game two.

Karlin blasted the first of his two home runs with a three-run shot in the second, followed by a two-run homer in the fourth before tallying his third extra-base hit with an RBI triple in the fifth.

Tyson Wallace and Seth Brown connected on back-to-back solo jacks in the bottom of the third to make it a 6-3 lead for BU after the Bobcats cut it to a one-score game in the top half. Brown's RBI single in the sixth finished off the eight-run victory for BU.

Game 3 - BU 7, PSC 4
The Wildcats' offensive momentum carried over to Sunday as a pair of three-run innings lifted them to a 7-4 win in game three of the series. Kole Starlin struck out five in his five innings of work for for his first win of 2025.

A leadoff double from Jenkins set the table for the Wildcats' three-run bottom of the second with the senior first baseman coming around to score on a double steal. Javier Aguirre legged out an infield single to cap the inning and give BU a 3-1 lead.

It was another leadoff double that led to a second three-run frame for Baker in the fourth with Bowers launching a ball to the fence in right-center. Aguirre knocked in Bowers and a deep ground ball from Howerton later on in the inning allowed both Karlin and Brennan Johnson to score to make it a 6-2 lead.

The Bobcats would get within two with a pair of runs in the fifth, but a sac fly off the bat of Howerton allowed Aguirre to slide in under the tag and cap the 7-4 win for BU.

Game 4 - BU 12, PSC 2
The Wildcats saved their most impressive performance for the series finale where they boat raced the Bobcats with a 12-2 thrashing to complete the weekend sweep.

A huge seven-run second inning started off with an RBI from Wallace and Bowers before Young's second home run of the series launched the 'Cats out to a quick 7-1 lead.

Then, a five-run sixth served as the cherry on top to the weekend with four different Wildcats driving in a run in the inning, including back-to-back RBI hits from Elijah Callen and Cade Adams. Karlin marked his seventh and final RBI of the series during the rally.

Trent Davidson, Erik Kelly, Ty Clark and Gage Callaghan allowed only one run over their seven innings of relief with Davidson picking up his first win of the spring.

Before heading out for its first conference road trip next weekend, Baker is scheduled to play at Saint Mary on Wedensday, March 5 with first pitch of the non-conference matchup set for 2 p.m. in Leavenworth, Kan.

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