FLORENCE, Ala. (February 13, 2026) – The University of North Alabama baseball team made its 2026 debut and earned a three-game series win in the first two games against SIUE on Friday, Feb. 13.
North Alabama opened its new state-of-the-art facility — Mike D. Lane Field at Bank Independent Stadium — this afternoon with an attendance of 1,750 fans over two games enjoying the brand-new ballpark.
North Alabama (2-0) opened 2026 with two wins, 3-1 and 8-1, respectively. Newcomer and starting third baseman, Dylan Coleman, led the way for the Lions with a .333 day with two runs, a double, a triple and an RBI.
SIUE (0-2) was led by Chase Bloomer, who earned three hits and an RBI between the two contests.
Game 1 – North Alabama 3, SIUE 1
The Lions opened Mike D. Lane Field at Bank Independent Stadium with a 3-1 win in front of 1,000 fans.
The left-handed sophomore Tripp Patterson earned his first start of the season in the opening game, pitching 4.2 innings with three strikeouts. He started the Lions hot with a three-up, three-down top of the first.
The transfers helped get UNA going early in the bottom of the inning as second baseman Justin Santoyo and centerfielder Tait Nunnally earned free bases by being hit and walked, respectively. The star, Petey Craska, walked to load the bases before designated hitter Tyler LePage earned a sacrifice fly to score the inaugural run to make it 1-0.
SIUE got a shallow left field single to open the top of the third and another singled down the left field line to put runners on the corners; a safety squeeze scored the runner to tie the game, 1-1.
However, Nunnally was hit in an 11-pitch count to get on base in the bottom of the inning. As Coleman stepped to the plate, he found an opening in the defense. That opening happened to be in deep right field at the wall, running the right fielder into the purple padding. Coleman showed his rockets, making it all the way to third to give Nunnally the go-ahead score, 2-1.
In the top of the fifth, Gavin Oswald stepped to the mound in place of the sophomore — and he went the rest of the way in this one.
SIUE made a pitching change in the bottom of the sixth ahead of the lead-off man, Coleman.
This time, the transfer found the left field wall as his hit bounced over for the ground rule double into the North Alabama bullpen.
LePage put Coleman in position with a shallow left field hit before catcher Will Millard reached on a fielder's choice that padded the lead with Coleman's score, 3-1.
Oswald threw 4.1 scoreless innings with two strikeouts — good to earn him his first win of the season.
Pitchers of Record
W – Gavin Oswald (1-0)
L – Jase Phillips (0-1)
S – N/A
Game 2 – North Alabama 8, SIUE 1
Last season's defense was superb, and the Lions wanted to add a few more bats to the lineup this season; in the second game, they showed them.
As the sun started to set and the stadium lights flickered on, North Alabama took the field in their black uniforms. However, it took a few innings of work for it to happen.
On the other hand, sophomore right-hander Luke Davenport earned his second start and came out shoving.
The Madison, Ala. native went five innings, allowed one hit while sitting down eight batters for a career high in strikeouts. His last career high came against Eastern Kentucky on May 9, 2025 when he had seven total.
After he exited the top of the fifth, the offense found the same fire that Davenport was throwing all night long.
The bottom of the fifth was an explosion of offense as shortstop Jackson Westmoreland singled up the middle to kick things off. Santoyo earned a base as he was hit in the next at-bat.
Where did the explosion come from? None other than the captain, Craska. He hit a 373-foot home run over deep right field…that perhaps is still bouncing around soon-to-be Bobby Wallace Field at Bank Independent Stadium…to make it 3-0.
Senior Justin Battle replaced Davenport for the sixth inning and picked up where he left off. He started the inning in a 1-2 count and got the batter swinging on the final pitch before the umpire signaled a catcher's interference to award the base.
Battle shrugged it off and decided to keep the runner at first to end the inning as he struck out the next three batters as the first two were caught looking.
Fans rose to their feet as the seventh inning stretch played on the state-of-the-art video board inside the ballpark; most are glad they did, as they were glued to their seats in the bottom of the inning.
The Lions boasted two hit batters in Nunnally and Craska to open their side of the inning — Coleman stepped up again for a single to juice the diamond before a LePage walk plated one, 4-0.
SIUE motioned to the bullpen for a new arm to go the rest of the way.
Nash Rippen stepped up to the plate and went six pitches before being walked to plate another one. Redshirt freshman Cayden Sheffield stepped up with a single right past the Cougars first baseman to add another, 6-0.
With the bases still loaded, Westmoreland sent a heater down the third base line to push two more across for the 8-0 lead.
Landon Scruggs closed out the final two innings of work for the Lions but the Cougars snuck one in the top of the ninth to avoid the shutout, 8-1.
Pitchers of Record
W – Luke Davenport (1-0)
L – Spencer Stearns (0-1)
S – N/A
COMING UP NEXT
North Alabama plays again tomorrow at 2 p.m. against SIUE to close out the three-game series.
For more information on North Alabama Athletics, visit www.roarlions.com and follow UNA Athletics on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
