AMERICUS, Ga. – The Georgia Southwestern State University baseball team wasted no time welcoming in the 2026 season, rolling to a 14-0 Opening Day victory over Trevecca Nazarene University on Friday afternoon at Hurricane Stadium.
In the first-ever meeting between the two programs, the Hurricanes showcased depth, power, and dominant pitching, highlighted by a trio of home runs from newcomers and a shutout performance on the mound from a first-year starter.
New Faces, Big Impact
Three Hurricanes went deep in their GSW debut, accounting for seven of the team's 14 runs.
- Edwin Melendez launched a two-run homer to left in the third inning that traveled 382 feet, igniting a stretch of four straight innings with runs
- Caleb Gipson followed with a solo shot down the left-field line in the fourth, a 338-foot blast that extended the lead to seven
- Moments later, Josh McDonald capped the inning with a towering 361-foot, three-run homer to left, pushing the Hurricanes into double digits
All three long balls came from newcomers, setting the tone for a lineup that finished with 18 hits on the afternoon.
Fast Start Sets the Tone
Georgia Southwestern struck first and never looked back, plating three runs in the opening inning. RBI singles from Drake Harman and a two-run double by Evan Wainman gave the Hurricanes immediate momentum.
The lead steadily grew with single runs in the second and third innings before the Hurricanes broke the game open with a four-run fourth, highlighted by Gipson's and McDonald's home runs.
GSW added three more in the fifth and one in the sixth to round out the scoring.
Koehler Dominates on the Mound
Making his first start in a Hurricanes uniform, Evan Koehler delivered a masterful Opening Day performance.
The newcomer went seven shutout innings, allowing just two hits while striking out 10 and walking one to earn the win. Koehler faced just 26 batters, keeping Trevecca Nazarene off balance all afternoon and stranding any hint of trouble.
Balanced Attack Across the Lineup
- Kelsen Johnson reached base four times and drove in two runs
- Devon Murphy went 3-for-4 with two RBIs
- Wainman added three hits and two RBIs, including a pair of doubles
- Melendez finished 2-for-4 with three RBIs to go with his home run
Next Up
Georgia Southwestern improves to 1-0 on the season, while Trevecca Nazarene drops to 0-1. The Hurricanes continue the opening weekend series at Hurricane Stadium on Saturday at 1 p.m.
