University of St. Thomas Athletics
Milwaukee
Tommies head to Milwaukee and Northwestern
4/20/2026 11:43:00 AM | Baseball
St. Thomas readies to face Panthers and Wildcats
ST. PAUL, MINN.- After ten straight home games the Tommies hit the road for midweek match ups against the Milwaukee Panthers and Northwestern Wildcats.
St. Thomas vs. Milwaukee: Tuesday, April 20th (3 p.m. first pitch)
St. Thomas vs. Northwestern: Wednesday, April 21st (3:30 p.m. first pitch)
Be sure to follow along for live stats and radio through links found at tommiesports.com/sports/baseball/schedule – and on Twitter @TommieBase and Instagram at @TommieBaseball.
Last time out
The Tommies wrapped up a marathon weekend of baseball at home against the Northern Colorado Golden Bears, where 40 innings of baseball were played with only three completed games.
Due to stormy weather, the first game of the series started late Friday afternoon and was later suspended in the 11th inning due to darkness. The game was picked up Saturday morning and lasted 21 total innings, marking the longest game in Summit League history and eight longest game in NCAA history. The Tommies ultimately fell 8-7.
Game two of the series started late Saturday afternoon and was once again suspended due to darkness in the top of the ninth inning. The Tommies came away with an 11-3 victory once the game resumed Sunday morning.
The series finale was then played Sunday afternoon and also went into extras, this time only 10 but the Tommie ultimately fell 6-5.
History with Milwaukee
The Tommies and Panthers have only squared off two times before, both coming last season. The Purple came away victorious in both contests. This will mark the first time the Tommies face the Panthers on the road.
Scouting the Panthers
The Panthers currently hold a 12-24 overall record and are 8-7 in the Horizon League. They are led by junior Dylan O'Connell who is hitting .360 on the season. On the mound, Milwaukee's pitching staff posts a 7.49 ERA.
History with Northwestern
St. Thomas and Northwestern have only met twice in program history, both match ups coming back in 2022. The Wildcats defeated the Tommies in both games and hold a 2-0 record over the Purple.
Scouting the Wildcats
The Northwestern Wildcats hold a 14-21-1 record overall this season and are 5-13 in Big Ten play. Northwestern is led by graduate student Noah Ruiz who is hitting .304 with 29 RBIs. On the bump, the Wildcat staff holds a 7.18 ERA.
Reaching the Summit
Junior Owen Bond is making a name for himself amongst Summit League foes. Bond holds a .467 on-base percentage and four triples which leads the league. Bond and Tanner Recchio are tied for first in the league in walks with 21.
Recchio leads the league in stolen bases with 24, next closest is teammate Adam Puder with 11.
Summit League Peak Performers
Tanner Recchio 3/10/26
Joe Roder 3/31/26
2026 Roster
The Tommies welcomed 17 newcomers to the 2026 roster
Roster makeup
Class:
Freshman/Red-shirt freshman: 15
Sophomores: 13
Juniors: 7
Seniors: 4
Graduate Students: 2
State:
Minnestoa: 25
Wisconsin: 8
Colorado: 3
Illinois: 2
Iowa: 2
Nebraska: 1
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.
