University of St. Thomas Athletics
University of Iowa
Baseball heads to Iowa for midweek matchup with the Hawkeyes
3/9/2026 11:51:00 AM | Baseball
Tommies face Hawkeyes before Summit League opener
ST. PAUL, MINN.- Tommie baseball is set to head to Iowa City for a midweek match up with the Hawkeyes on Tuesday, March 10th. First pitch is set for 3 p.m. at Duane Banks Field.
Be sure to follow along for live stats through links found at tommiesports.com/sports/baseball/schedule – and on Twitter @TommieBase and Instagram at @TommieBaseball.
History between the two squads
These two teams met for the first time back in 2022 and the Hawkeyes hold a 5-0 record against the Purple.
The Tommies and Hawkeyes met last season for a midweek matchup where Iowa picked up the 15-5 victory.
Last time out
The Tommies are coming off a 1-3 weekend at Kansas where they battled the Jayhawks all weekend long.
St. Thomas's offense and pitching came alive in the series finale, defeating the Jayhawks 13-2 in eight innings. The Tommies picked up 15 hits in the win, three of which were doubles off the bat of Adam Puder. All nine St. Thomas batters reached base safely at least once in the contest, eight also chipped in at least one RBI.
On the mound, the pitching staff of Evan Esch, Jack Scanlon, and Sam Stockman held the Jayhawks to just one hit.
Summit League Preseason Poll
The St. Thomas baseball team was selected to finish second (tied with Omaha) in the 2026 Summit League Preseason Coaches' Poll that was released on Wednesday.
Oral Roberts was picked to finish first with 24 points and four first place votes, Omaha was also picked to finish second with 19 points and 2 first place votes. The reigning regular season champions St. Thomas was also picked to finish second with 19 points.
Senior duo of Joe Roder and Max Skilbeck were selected as the St. Thomas players to watch.
Roder, a senior infielder from New Prague, Minn. made 49 appearances and 48 starts, recorded a .303 batting average with a team high of 16 doubles and 53 RBI, along with five home run. Roder was named an All-Summit League honorable mention in 2025 after leading all Summit League players with 11 doubles and 35 RBI in league play.
Skilbeck, a right-handed pitcher out of Minneapolis, Minn. Appeared in 17 games out of the bullpen, fanning 36 in 25.1 innings of work. Skilbeck tallied a team high five saves in Summit League action.
2026 Roster
The Tommies welcomed 17 newcomers to the 2026 roster and return 24 letterwinners from last season.
Leader of the pack
Head Coach Chris Olean enters his 17th season at the helm of the Tommie baseball program in 2026. Olean has totaled a 414-256-1 overall record (338-148-1 in NCAA Division III) since being named head coach prior to the 2010 season.
Olean is a three-time NCAA DIII Region Coach of the Year and closed out its DIII era by winning championships in the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (MIAC) and region en route to a national runner-up finish and 37-10 record.
During the last 12 DIII seasons, the Purple won eight MIAC Championships, capped by third-place national finishes in both 2012 and 2014, in addition to the runner-up finish in 2021.
Olean mentored seven DIII All-American pitchers. He was voted MIAC and Midwest Region Coach of the Year in 2012, 2013, and 2021. In addition, Olean works with the Tommie pitching staff, which was a perennial top-10 group in DIII baseball.
Follow Along
Any and all information pertaining to the St. Thomas baseball team can be found at tommiesports.com and on Twitter @TommieBase and Instagram at @TommieBaseball.
