This past weekend, Oberlin’s baseball and softball teams finished their seasons with Senior Day festivities, reflecting on the hard work and resilience their graduating seniors brought to the teams. Both displays of appreciation were filled with emotion as teammates celebrated both personal and teamwide successes, recognizing the talent and dedication of their graduating seniors. The Oberlin men’s and women’s track and field teams opted to honor their seniors at the start of their outdoor season, preparing themselves for continued excellence and success at each subsequent meet.
Baseball
The baseball team’s Senior Day coincided with a doubleheader against Ohio Wesleyan University’s Battling Bishops. The Yeomen fought hard, splitting the games with a decisive 13–4 win in the first match and a narrow 2–1 defeat in the second.
Before the games began, Oberlin honored its 12 departing team members — fourth-years Joe Strabley, Harry Kaplan, Nicolas Rosa-Palermo, Luigi Smarro, Andrew Shen, Elliot Macrae-Sadek, Sean Livingstone, Justin Fuls, William Kennedy, and Jay Aghanya; and third-years David Curtin and Ethan Hurwitz — setting the stage for a day of exceptional performances.
Leading the charge in game one was pitcher Jay Aghanya, who wasted no time in making an impact. Aghanya opened the game with a flawless 1–2–3 bottom of the first inning, setting a dominant tone for Oberlin. Aghanya’s impressive performance continued throughout the game, allowing only six hits and four runs across 6.1 innings, while striking out four, contributing significantly to the team’s success.
The Yeomen took an early lead in the bottom of the first inning. In a standout performance, departing third-year Ethan Hurwitz led the offensive charge with a career-high 5-for-5 hitting spree, including three doubles and a home run. The Yeomen’s offensive onslaught continued throughout the game, with contributions from standout players like graduating third-year third baseman David Curtin, catcher Sean Livingstone, and second baseman Joe Strabley. The team’s relentless hitting barrage resulted in an impressive 18 hits, including 10 doubles, a triple, and two home runs, sealing a resounding 13–4 victory in game one.
The first-years also held their own throughout the game. In the bottom of the fifth, first-year Brady Groves hit a leadoff single to open the inning followed by a solid performance by Hurwitz to bring the score to 5–0, Oberlin advantage. Next at bat, first-year Kyle Baxt hit a double down the left-field line, shattering the single-season hits record and showing just why he has garnered national recognition. With his 64th hit of the season, Baxt surpassed the previous record holder Brendan Mapes, OC ’19. Baxt continued his impressive performance throughout the doubleheader, tallying three hits and concluding the day with a total of 67 hits for the season.
Coming off of a decisive game one win, first-year Davis Hayes took the mound to open game two. He delivered a solid performance for the Yeomen with six innings pitched, seven strikeouts, and only two earned runs. Despite a strong pitching effort, Oberlin’s offense struggled to maintain momentum, managing only six hits the game.
However, the seniors once again rose to the occasion, delivering stellar performances out of the pen. Fuls and Shen showcased their pitching prowess in relief appearances, each delivering a scoreless inning to keep Oberlin in contention.
Although the Yeomen fought valiantly, they fell short in game two. Despite the loss, Oberlin’s seniors left a lasting impression with their dedication and leadership on and off the field.
With the doubleheader split and a loss to Muskingum University the following day, Oberlin finished the season at 15–24, with a conference record of 4–12.
As the season comes to an end, the Yeomen look to honor the hard work of their seniors, drawing inspiration from their remarkable contributions as they strive for continued excellence in the future.
Softball
In a pregame tribute to the four departing seniors, the Oberlin softball team honored the talents and dedication of fourth-years Katie Austin, Mia Brito, Alaina Di Dio, and Gina Lombard. Despite their best efforts on Senior Day, the Yeowomen suffered defeats in both games, concluding their season with a 6–26 overall record and a 2–12 record in conference play.
In game one against Wittenberg University, the Yeowomen struggled to find their stride both at bat and on the mound. Second-year Hailey Alspach took the loss in the circle after pitching a complete seven innings; with 31 batters faced, Alspach allowed a mere seven hits. In spite of the valiant team effort, Oberlin fell short, ending at a 3–0 loss.
Despite a solid effort, the team struggled to generate offensive momentum, managing only two hits throughout the game. Third-year Loren Carter opened the bottom of the first with a single, but the Yeowomen failed to convert the hit. Both Brito and first-year Wren Norris matched Carter at the plate, going 1-for-3.
The Yeowomen came back with a vengeance in game two, out-hitting the Tigers with eight hits; yet they were unable to capitalize on their opportunities, resulting in a 4–1 loss.
Graduating senior Katie Austin pitched all seven innings in her final appearance on the mound for Oberlin, allowing four runs, two of which were earned. Although Wittenberg scored twice at the top of the first inning, the Yeowomen managed to hold them off for five innings before relenting two more runs at the top of the seventh.
Oberlin tried to regain momentum through the game, and despite a late rally in the fourth inning with an RBI single from second-year Kailey Dunham, the Yeowomen could not bridge the gap. Brito continued to find contact, leading the team at the plate and going 2-for-3. Oberlin saw strong performances from players across the board as they rallied to try to give their seniors a win. Fourth-year Gina Lombard and third-year Liz Laudicina each stole a base in this matchup, and first-year pinch hitter Grace Gordon saw a single in her one appearance at bat.
Despite the results, Oberlin showed resilience and determination throughout the season. They tripled their road wins compared to the previous season, highlighting their progress and growth as a team. As they bid farewell to their seniors and reflect on the season, the Yeowomen look ahead with optimism, ready to build upon their experiences and strive for success in the future.
Track and Field
The Oberlin men’s and women’s track and field teams celebrated their seniors on the final day of the Bob Kahn Invitational March 30. They kicked off their outdoor season at the Robert Lewis Kahn Track and the Fred Shults Field, with both teams having many personal bests and setting the tone for a very successful season. After the events commenced, the teams paid tribute to its departing seniors: fourth-years Jerry Achtermann, Abby Cannon, Jon Dromlewicz, Sam Goetz, Hayden Hill, Jake Jarvis, Margo Lee, Eliza Medearis, Myranda Montoye, Sam Russ, and Isaiah Schuham-Anders; and third-year Kambi Obioha. They were able to celebrate their accomplishments and look ahead to finish their collegiate careers with strong performances in the outdoor season.
On day one, the seniors showcased their prowess in the field events. Cannon and Schuham-Anders both placed third in the hammer throw, throwing 45.85 meters and 44.85 meters, respectively. Schuham-Anders also competed in the javelin throw, reaching 42.85 meters to land fourth and set a new personal best. In the long jump event, Hill cleared 4.71 meters to finish seventh, while second-year Ryley Steggall jumped 4.77 meters to set a new personal best and finish fifth in the event. Jarvis rounded out the day in the long jump event, clearing 6.44 meters to land a seventh-place finish.
Building off of their day one successes, the Oberlin seniors kept the momentum going on day two. The grouping of Hill, Steggall, and second-years Anna Fritz and Clara Smith finished the 4×100-meter with the event-winning time of 51.36. Hill rounded out her high-performance weekend with a sixth place finish in the 200-meter dash running with a time of 27.51, and a fifth place finish of 10.51 minutes in the women’s shot put event.
Second-year Namu Makatiani (13.64 meters) won the men’s triple jump, followed by Jarvis (12.92 meters) in third place. Cannon claimed victory in the women’s discus throw with a distance of 37.57 meters. In distance events, Medearis claimed second in the 3000-meter steeplechase with a 11:25:45 time, while Lee ran the 1500-meter in 5:03:33 to land in fourth place.
Obioha, who will be continuing his academic pursuits next year at Washington University in St. Louis, ran the only sub-two minute time (1:57:80) in the 800-meter event, easily claiming top honors. In the 4×400-meter relay, Obioha, in conjunction with first-year Armand Andry and third-years Cole Fuller and Sam Fechner, narrowly missed breaking their own record, finishing with a time of 3:15.74 to claim first place.
The men’s and women’s track and field teams have continued to build on their triumphs as the season has progressed. Most recently, the Oberlin teams traveled to Granville for the NCAC Championships at Denison University. On day one, Cannon threw an impressive 39.90 meters in the women’s discus event, claiming the first win for Oberlin and earning her Field Athlete of the Year laurels. Third-year Walter Moak also claimed victory in his event, running a 9:09:64 in the 3000-meter steeplechase event, making him back-to-back champion. Third-year Fuller also received individual honors, being named NCAC Sprints/Hurdles Athlete of the Year after placing first in 400-meter hurdles, running a school record-breaking 53.60 seconds.
The season continues today at the Baldwin Wallace University Harrison Dillard Invitational.
