Milligan University

MILLIGAN, Tenn. — On a warm Tuesday afternoon on Anglin Field, the (RV) Milligan University baseball team took part in their final midweek contest of the 2026 campaign. This time, the Buffs hosted the No. 2-ranked Grizzlies of Georgia Gwinnett College. In a statement game, the Buffaloes put up double-digit runs and held off multiple late pushes by GGC to earn a 10-7 win.

The Grizzlies loaded the bases in the top of the first, but Wyatt Heidle whipped a pickoff throw to first base to slam the open door on the visitors. Milligan responded with a one-out RBI single by Cade Kalehuawehe to score Braxton Baird from second base after he led off with a walk and then stole a bag. It was 1-0 after one.

In the top of the second, GGC took their first lead of the game, scoring a pair of runs. One of them was earned on an RBI single with two outs, while the second came across on a fielding error. 

The Buffs tied the score immediately in the bottom of the second, as Landon Lutterman led off the frame with a solo bomb to the opposite field to make it 2-2.

After retiring the Grizzlies in order in the top of the third, the Buffs got a leadoff single from Gaven Jones, followed by a stolen base. Then, Kalehuawehe delivered his second RBI single of the afternoon to put MU up 3-2 after three innings.

In the fourth frame, Milligan broke the game open, scoring four times to lead by five runs. To make it even more impressive, all four runs came across after two runs had already been recorded. The first two batters of the inning were set down, before Baird doubled to left-center filed. Jones then singled and stole second before Kalehuawehe walked and Jones swiped third base. Brody Melton delivered a single through the left side of the infield to make it a 5-2 game, and he was followed by Nick Iezzi, who ripped a RBI single into right-center field. After Iezzi stole second and Heidle walked, Lutterman also worked a free pass to force the seventh run of the game across for Milligan, making it 7-2.

The Grizzlies would not go away, though, as a RBI single that was compounded by an error allowed to total runs to come across on the play, before a run-scoring double to left field cut the deficit down to just two runs at 7-5 after four-and-a-half.

Milligan did come through with a single run in the bottom of the fifth after a program single-game record was set. Jones was aboard after reaching on a fielder's choice and stole both second and third base to total his fourth and fifth steals of the contest. The five stolen bases set a new Milligan record for steals in a single game. He was then driven in on Kalehuawehe's third RBI single of the game, pushing the MU lead to 8-5.

Following a scoreless sixth inning for both sides, Georgia Gwinnett notched a pair of runs, first on a failed pickoff throw that went into center with runners at first and second. The runner at second scored and the man at first moved into scoring position at second. Later, a run-scoring single made it 8-7.

Another response was concocted by the Buffs in the bottom of the seventh, as Baird singled up the middle to begin the frame. Then, Jones lifted a two-run blast to straightaway center field for his seventh of the campaign to give MU a bit of cushion at 10-7.

GGC would load the bases in the bottom of the eighth, but would strand the bases loaded on a fielder's choice to the third baseman Jones, unassisted to his bag.

The eighth inning was fruitless for the Buffs' offense, and the Grizzlies looked to be making a run at tying the contest or taking the lead with back-to-back singles to begin the top of the ninth. Then, though, Milligan induced a fielder's choice to put runners at the corners. Following that, a 6-4-3 double play was turned to conclude the contest with a signature win for the Buffaloes with just a pair of weeks remaining in the regular season, 10-7.

Milligan outhit the Grizzlies 15-13 in the victory, while the top three hitters in the Buffs' order—Baird, Jones and Kalehuawehe—went 8-for-12 combined with eight runs scored and six runs batted in. They also had six stolen bases, with five coming from Jones and the other from Baird. Jones (3-for-5, HR, 3 RBI, 4 R, 5 SB), Kalehuawehe (3-for-4, 3 RBI, R, BB), Baird (2-for-3, 2B, 3 R, BB), Iezzi (3-for-5, RBI) and Lutterman (1-for-3, HR, 2 RBI, 2 BB) carried the offense. Melton also had an RBI on his lone hit in five ABs, while Nick Moss doubled for his one knock and Luis Quintero had a pinch-hit single in the eighth.

The pitching staff, though heavily tested, made big pitches when necessary. Tucker Webb started the game and allowed two runs with just one earned on two hits with a pair of walks and a strikeout. He was relieved by the eventual winning pitcher, Kaleb Meredith. Meredith hurled three full frames of scoreless ball on two hits. He racked up three strikeouts on the afternoon. Justin Schnell gave up three runs on three hits in one frame, while striking out one. Cainan Meyers then entered for 1.2 innings and gave up a pair of runs on two hits and two walks allowed. Cole Wessel (IP, 2 H) and Sai Vickers (1.1 IP, 2 H, BB) teamed up to close things out, with Vickers earning his second save of the campaign.

It was a massive win for the Buffaloes (35-8, 20-4 AAC), who have just six regular season tilts remaining. The Buffs will play No. 11 Tennessee Wesleyan on April 17-18 in a trio of non-conference tilts with game one at 6:30 p.m. on Friday evening. The Appalachian Athletic Conference's (AAC) regular season champion will be determined the following week as Milligan goes up against No. 5 Johnson on April 23-24 at home.