Rocky Mount, N.C. - N.C. Wesleyan opened play at Bauer Field in its 2026 home opener on Thursday afternoon, splitting a doubleheader against Penn State–Harrisburg in front of strong home crowds.
In game one, the Battling Bishops earned an 8-4 victory behind timely hitting and a strong pitching performance. Wesleyan jumped out early in the first inning when Hayes Hillier reached and later scored on a sacrifice fly from Schumata Brown before Maison Nance launched a solo home run to give the Bishops a 2-0 lead. After Penn State–Harrisburg trimmed the margin, Wesleyan responded with a two-run fourth inning highlighted by a two-RBI single from Mason Hannah. Nance continued his big afternoon with a two-run homer in the fifth to extend the lead, and the Bishops added two more runs in the sixth on RBI opportunities from Brown as they pulled away. Nance finished with two home runs and three RBIs, while Hannah drove in two. On the mound, Chase Chappell earned the win, tossing five innings with six strikeouts, and Aaron Holley secured the final four innings in relief to seal the home-opening victory.
In the nightcap, Wesleyan battled but fell just short in a 4-3 decision. Brady Williams tripled and scored in the first inning to give the Bishops an early spark, and Hayes Hillier added a sacrifice fly in the third after a triple from Caleb Elias to make it 2-0. Penn State–Harrisburg answered with a three-run fifth inning and added another run in the sixth to take the lead. The Bishops threatened late, as Maison Nance doubled in the ninth and later scored on a sacrifice fly by Quintrel Pearson to cut the deficit to one, but Wesleyan was unable to complete the comeback. Caleb Elias and Nance each collected key extra-base hits, while Colby Lewis struck out seven over 4.1 innings in the start. Despite the setback in game two, the Bishops showcased offensive power and resilience throughout their home-opening doubleheader at Bauer Field.
