McLean County Times

The Illinois Wesleyan baseball team secured a series sweep against Wheaton College in the College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin on April 19, 2025. In a doubleheader, the Titans first edged out the Thunder 6-4 and followed up with an 11-8 comeback win. With these victories, the Titans improved their overall record to 19-12 and 11-4 in conference play, while Wheaton fell to 12-20 overall and 5-8 in conference matchups.

In game one, starting pitcher Cole Benson from Oak Park showed a strong performance, lasting 7.2 innings and notching four strikeouts for Illinois Wesleyan. Luke Costello came in as relief to seal the win, earning the save with three strikeouts over 1.1 innings. Senior Justin Gadomski from Schaumburg and junior Gage Wolfe from Bloomington both had impactful offensive contributions, each going 3-for-5. Gadomski hit two doubles, scored once, and had an RBI; Wolfe also added a double and two RBIs to his name. Illinois Wesleyan out-hit Wheaton 10-9 and managed three doubles and five RBIs in the game.

The Titans started strong, scoring four runs in the first inning, beginning with Gadomski's double, followed by an RBI single from Jimmy Gurgone and a bases-loaded walk by Tristan Figus. Wolfe then hit a two-RBI double, giving the Titans a 4-0 lead. Although Wheaton scored a run in the second inning and threatened in the eighth with three runs, the Titans maintained their grip, finishing with a 6-4 win.

Game two saw a different trajectory, with Cole Shamhart starting for the Titans and being relieved by Jack Flagg and Jake Pullam, who secured the win and save, respectively. Freshman Ben Ford excelled at the plate, going 4-for-5 with two RBIs and two runs scored. The Titans out-hit Wheaton 15-12 and capitalized on four errors by the Thunder.

The Titans began scoring early again in game two, gaining a 1-0 lead in the first. Additional runs followed in the third through a Gadomski hit and a Wheaton error. Wheaton rallied back in the bottom of the third with seven runs, but the Titans continued to chip away, eventually gaining the edge in the eighth inning. Ford, Wolfe, and Swanson played critical roles in reclaiming the lead for Illinois Wesleyan. The Titans secured the win with added runs, ending with an 11-8 victory.

The Titans are scheduled to face Millikin University on April 22 at Jack Horenberger Field, with the game starting at 5 p.m.