Baseball | 1/28/2026 9:03:00 AM
CROOKSTON, Minn. - The University of Minnesota Crookston baseball team is looking to build on successes over the last decade as they embark on the 2026 season. The Golden Eagles have made seven NSIC Tournament appearances since 2016. In addition, Minnesota Crookston has posted eight 20-win seasons during this span. The Golden Eagles are in their 12th season under Head Coach Steve Gust. Gust is the winningest coach in any sport in program history.
The Golden Eagles will have a mix of familiar faces and new faces on the staff. Rich Loomis is in his third season as pitching coach. In addition, Clarke Peterson is back for his second year in his current stint at Minnesota Crookston. A former Golden Eagle catcher and pitcher, Peterson is the player development coach for Minnesota Crookston. Kaiden Zacharias is in his first season as hitting coach and offensive coordinator, while Cal Fougner is also in his first season as an assistant coach for Minnesota Crookston.
The Golden Eagles are set to play 50 games. They will compete in 10 non-conference games, including a three-game set at the University of Colorado-Colorado Springs, and seven games at the RussMatt Central Florida Invitational. Minnesota Crookston commences the season February 6 in Colorado Springs, Colo. They open conference play February 14 versus Southwest Minnesota State University in a neutral-site game in Fort Scott, Kan. Their home opener is slated to be March 14 against Wayne State College.
Position-By-Position Breakdown
Catchers
The group is led by redshirt sophomore Jackson Fliflet (R-So., C, Wahpeton, N.D.), who played in two games in 2025, batting .500. In addition, Jonah Norman (R-Jr., C, Winnipeg, Manitoba) returns after playing 10 games, with one start. Dylan Alexander (R-Fr., C/OF, Glenwood, Minn.) should see time in his second season, after redshirting in 2025. In addition, Reece Berberich (Jr.,C/OF, Thompson, N.D.), John Albrecht (R-Fr., C, Barrington, Ill.), and Isaac Telle (R-Jr., C, East Grand Forks, Minn.) will battle for time.
First Base
Aaron Wensloff (Jr., IF/OF, Roseau, Minn.) is a versatile player that could play all over the infield and the outfield. He looks to be a major factor in the first base discussion. Wensloff hit .308 as a sophomore, with 34 runs scored, 13 doubles, eight home runs, and 36 RBI. Cole Hebl (R-So., 1B/OF, Hillsboro, N.D.) also factors in at first base, after missing a lot of time in 2025. Hebl hit .300 in 10 at-bats last season, with one RBI. The Golden Eagles are also excited about the future of newcomers Elias Leach (Fr., OF/1B, Plymouth, Minn.), Noah Jensen (Fr., 1B, Glenwood, Minn.). Cam Justice (R-So., 1B, Bemidji, Minn.) returns after appearing in four games last season.
Second Base
The leader in the second base discussion is Caden Kappes (Jr., 2B/SS, Wahpeton, N.D.), who appeared in 39 games with 22 starts. Kappes hit .172, with 13 runs scored, two doubles, nine RBI, and a stolen base. Newcomer Thomas Schumacher (Fr., IF, Thompson, N.D.) looks to factor in as a newcomer for the Golden Eagles. In addition, Jaiden Smith (R-So., IF, Aberdeen, S.D.) returns after batting .333 in nine games last season.
Third Base
The Golden Eagles have versatility here with Wensloff factoring into this discussion, as well as at first base. Terrence Moody (Jr., IF, Sauk Rapids, Minn.) looks to factor in at third base after hitting .374 in 48 games for St. Cloud Tech in 2025. Moody began his career at St. Cloud State.
Short Stop
The leading candidate to hold down shortstop is Kyler Miller (So., SS, Grand Rapids, Minn.) who came on strong as a freshman in 2025. Miller hit .250 in 31 starts, and 36 games played. He had 23 runs scored, three doubles, three home runs, and 14 RBI. Kappes, Schumacher, and Smith all can play the position, as well.
Outfield
Minnesota Crookston has a deep core of players competing in the outfield. Americo Sculati (R-Sr., OF, Golden Valley, Minn.) returns after swinging .273, with 34 runs scored, 12 doubles, four triples, seven home runs, and 32 RBI last season. Connor Bushbaum (R-Sr., OF, Saginaw, Minn.) is back after hitting .250, with 19 runs scored, six doubles, one triple, one home run, and 18 RBI. Landon Hanson (So., OF, Bemidji, Minn.) appeared in nine games as a freshman.
In addition, the Golden Eagles have several newcomers who will look to step on the scene in 2025. Tori Uhlich (Jr., OF, Wahpeton, N.D.) hit .389 as a sophomore at NDSCS with 47 runs scored, and 44 stolen bases. Nate Heymann (Jr., OF, Waimea, Hawai'i) hit .351 with 37 RBI, 12 doubles, and five home runs at Dakota County Technical College.
Elias Leach (Fr., OF/1B, Plymouth, Minn.), Garron Opsahl (Jr., UT, Hermantown, Minn.), and Cameron Dean (Fr., OF, Maple Grove, Minn.) could factor in as newcomers, as well. Look for Jack Hansen (Fr., OF, Mankato, Minn.) possibly to see the field due to his base-running ability.
Starting Pitchers
The Golden Eagles have three starters returning from last season's squad. Isaac Wensloff (Sr., RHP, Roseau, Minn.) anchors the staff after being a proven player in recent seasons. Wensloff went 4-2 with a 4.81 ERA in 10 starts as a junior. He pitched 58 innings, with 40 strikeouts, and 20 walks. Nate Benning (Jr., LHP, Browerville, Minn.) has also been an experienced starter over the last two years. He went 3-4 with a 6.59 ERA in 56 innings as a sophomore. Benning struck out 42, and walked 26. Kyle Odenbach (Sr., LHP, Thompson, N.D.) went 1-7 in 12 starts, with a 7.92 ERA as a junior in 44.1 innings pitched. Isaac Roers (R-Sr., RHP, Stacy, Minn.) is an experienced player that will either be a factor starting or anchoring the bullpen. Roers went 6-4 with a 5.77 ERA in a team-high 27 appearances last season. He struck out 43, and walked 14. Aaron Bennett (R-Jr., RHP, Saginaw, Minn.) and Ashton Detloff (Fr., LHP, Perham, Minn.) will also compete for time in the starting rotation.
Bullpen
The bullpen will be largely unproven, but have a key mix of returning players and newcomers. Roers could factor in both starting, and in the bullpen. Joey Connelly (Sr., LHP, Eden Prairie, Minn.) is the next most-seasoned player in the pen, as the southpaw posted a 2.08 ERA in 11 appearances as a junior. Jaxson Bennett (R-Jr., RHP, Saginaw, Minn.) will look to have an increased role. Bennett made nine appearances last season. Aaron Bennett (R-Jr., RHP, Saginaw, Minn.) also will look for an increased role, after making five appearances a season ago. Carsen Barta (R-So., RHP, Fargo, N.D.) will look for an increased role after an injury-plagued 2025.
Derek Carpenter (R-Fr., RHP, Hatton, N.D.) is a redshirt who came in as a two-way player and is now focused on pitching, and has made an impact in fall ball. The Golden Eagles also have several freshman to watch with Asher Blaine (Fr., RHP, Frazee, Minn.), Drew Odenbach (Fr., RHP, Thompson, N.D.), Bodhi Mossestad (Fr., RHP, Thief River Falls, Minn.), Jaxon Hams (Fr., RHP, Thief River Falls, Minn.), Heymann, and Ashton Detloff (Fr., LHP, Perham, Minn.). Junior college transfer Lake Hagen (Jr., RHP, Alexandria, Minn.) was 1-0 with a 3.42 ERA in 26.1 innings, with two saves for Dakota County Technical College.
In addition, Minnesota Crookston has several other players with some bullpen experience who could see added duty with Jake Jaroszewski (So., LHP, Fargo, N.D.), Eli Denisen (R-Jr., LHP, Winona, Minn.), Kaylor Chamberlain (So., RHP, Mankato, Minn.), and Sean Felker (So., RHP, Audubon, Minn.).
