NEWBERRY, SC – The No. 21 ranked Francis Marion University baseball program achieved program history with a 14-1 start to the 2026 campaign following a 5-3 victory at Newberry College on Tuesday evening (Feb. 24) in non-conference action.
The Patriots are officially off to the best start in program history, eclipsing the previous mark held by the 2017 squad (13-1). Francis Marion also extended its winning streak to 12-straight while holding a 4-1 mark on the road this season.
Francis Marion returns to Sparrow Stadium on Friday. Feb. 27, to begin a three-game series against No. 2 ranked North Greenville University at 4 p.m. in Conference Carolinas play. The two sides will play a doubleheader on Saturday with the first pitch scheduled at 1 p.m.
Redshirt freshman right-handed pitcher
Owen Powell (2-0) earned the win on the mound after surrendering three runs (two earned) on five hits with three strikeouts and three walks in 5.1 innings pitched (77 pitches). He retired the initial five batters he faced while forcing seven flyouts and six groundouts in his second career start.
Junior righty
Mason Huffstickler captured his second save of the year following a stellar appearance out of the bullpen. He tossed 3.2 scoreless frames (49 pitches) with just two hits allowed and five strikeouts.
At the plate, the Patriots had four players record multiple-hit games, led by redshirt junior first baseman
Charlie Bussey III, who finished 2-for-5 with three runs batted in. Redshirt junior catcher
Zander Buchan reached base three times after going 2-for-2 with one walk and one run scored. Senior second baseman
Jimmy Koza tallied two hits, one RBI, and one run scored, while senior third baseman
Will Dorrell extended his on-base streak to 58 games after going 2-for-5 with one RBI and one run scored.
After two scoreless frames, the Patriots jumped out to a 3-0 lead after tallying four hits in the top of the third. Following back-to-back singles, Dorrell laced an RBI single through the right side before Bussey III belted a two-run double into left-center. The Wolves looked to answer in the bottom half of the inning, but stranded runners on the corners.
In the top of the fifth, freshman shortstop
Logan Davis led off with a double to right-center before Bussey III delivered an RBI single to left-center to stretch the lead to 4-0. In the bottom half of the inning, Newberry cut the deficit to 4-2 with back-to-back RBI singles.
Francis Marion loaded the bases with zero outs to begin the top of the sixth before Koza hit an RBI single to right-center to regain a three-run lead, 5-2. The Wolves ultimately escaped the bases-loaded jam with two strikeouts and a fielder's choice. Newberry countered in the sixth after capitalizing on a leadoff error to close the gap to 5-3.
Huffstickler closed the door on the Newberry offense in the final three innings after retiring nine of 10 batters to secure the 5-3 win.
