By Aaron Rodenhausen
Incoming Editor-in-Chief
The Washington College baseball team played a pair of Centennial Conference games last week, which was the second to last in the regular season.
First, the Shoremen visited the Blue Jays of ninth-ranked Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, Md. on April 21.
The Blue Jays tallied three runs in the bottom of the first inning and two in the bottom of the second, but both teams went scoreless in the third. In the top of the fourth, sophomore infielder Brady Wozniak doubled to right center, and senior infielder Ty Everitt followed with a single to center field. Junior outfielder Ty Powell then hit a fielder’s choice and sent Wozniak home.
Although the Shoremen were finally on the board, the Blue Jays steamed ahead with seven runs in the bottom of the fourth for a 21-1 lead. The WC team responded with two more runs in the top of the fifth and another pair in the top of the sixth, but at that point the Blue Jays held on to a 16-5 advantage. The Shoremen could not overcome the deficit in time, and the game ended in the bottom of the seventh inning.
After the defeat, the Shoremen were eager to reclaim the home advantage for the rematch on April 24.
The Blue Jays jumped out to a 5-0 lead in the top of the first, but the WC team responded with four runs of their own in the bottom of the inning. Senior catcher Reese Hirsh earned his 100th career hit with a double down the right field line, and Wozniak hit a home run in the same direction.
Johns Hopkins only managed to pull ahead by two in the next inning, while the Shoremen put one more run on the board. Junior outfielder Pete Kokinis was hit by a pitch with one out, and senior infielder Drew Kinsey followed with a double over the center fielder’s head that sent Kokinis across the plate.
Across the next five innings, the Blue Jays drove the score up to 30-5. Despite facing a demoralizing 25-run deficit, the Shoremen began to pick up momentum once again in the bottom of the seventh. Senior infielder Luke Herz batted in freshman outfielder Brady Thompson, and junior infielder Charlie Knighton scored the final run of the night on a wild pitch.
The game concluded after the seventh inning with a final margin of 30-7. With their second victory of the week, Johns Hopkins improved to 29-8 on the season and 12-4 in the Centennial Conference. WC slipped to 21-17 and 9-7, respectively.
Despite the challenges of the week, the 2026 season is not over for the Shoremen yet. Next, the team will travel to Westminster, Md. to take on the Green Terror of McDaniel College in the Centennial Conference Tournament.
Photo Caption: Despite two losses to ninth-ranked Johns Hopkins University, the Shoremen will advance to the playoffs.
Photo courtesy of WC Athletics