ROCHESTER, Mich. – The Oakland Golden Grizzlies Baseball Team is set for a roadtrip down to Texas for their 56th season with an opening three-game series weekend at Lamar at Vincent-Beck Stadium in Beaumont.
Game one against the Cardinals will have a first pitch slated for 7 p.m. ET tomorrow (Feb. 13), while games two (Feb. 14) and three (Feb. 15) will start at 6 p.m. ET and 1 p.m. ET, respectively. All games will be streamed live on ESPN+.
The 2026 #HLBASE Preseason Poll was unveiled today as Oakland found itself in fifth place. The Golden Grizzlies garnered one first place vote, as Wright State leads the poll with four first-place votes. The reigning league tournament champions Wright State sit in first, while Milwaukee, Northern Kentucky, and Youngstown State round out the poll.
2026 Under Armour #HLBASE Preseason Poll
Pl. Team – (First-place votes) Pts.
1. Wright State (4) – 24
2. Milwaukee – 18
3. Northern Kentucky – 12
4. Youngstown State – 11
5. Oakland (1) – 10
Under his first season at the helm, head coach Brian Nelson sees an opportunity and big improvement with a group of 16 newcomers and the return of veterans Jack Lux (.236 average / 25 hits / five home runs / 25 RBIs), Aidan Schuck (.279 average / 24 hits / five doubles / 10 RBIs), Sam Griffith (.246 average / 52 hits / 57 RBIs), and Carter Hain (.240 average / 54 hits / 13 doubles / five home runs / 41 RBIs), and from the pitching staff, Tanner Ware (1-4 overall / 51.0 innings / 34 strikeouts), Brody Fahnestock (4-5 overall / 39.2 innings / 23 strikeouts), and Jaxson Easterlin (22 appearances / 23.0 innings / 13 strikeouts).
Starting on the mound on opening day Friday is right-hander Brody Fahnestock, followed up by righty Jordan Dahlof, and capped by left-hander Tanner Ware pitching the series finale on Sunday.
SCOUTING THE CARDINALS
Lamar returns six pitchers and five position players from last season: Brayden Evans (.303 average / 71 hits / nine home runs / 11 doubles / 56 RBIs), Tab Tracy (.309 average / 55 hits / 39 RBIs) and Reese Beheler (.302 average / 52 hits / 30 RBIs) are some notable offensive players to watch. Chris Olivier (6-3 overall / 66.1 innings / 62 strikeouts) and Fabian Ramirez (2-1 record / one save / 34 innings / 31 strikeouts) are some of the notable arms returning to the staff for the Cardinals.
The Cardinals are 4-0 vs. the Golden Grizzlies since 2023. This is the second time Lamar is hosting Oakland for its season opener. The Cardinals swept Oakland in 2023 in three games to start the season before the Cardinals met the Golden Grizzlies in 2025 for a single game, coming away with a 15-2 victory in eight innings.
After a 40-17 record last season, Lamar's 2026 recruiting class was ranked 23rd in the nation, according to 6-4 Analytics and is expected to win another 40+ games again this season.
How to Follow Oakland Baseball: For complete information on Oakland Baseball follow the team on X at @OaklandBSB and head coach Brian Nelson at @CoachNelly11. The team is also on Instagram.
