Friday, February 14
Long Beach, Calif.
8 p.m. CT
Northwestern
at
Long Beach State
‘Cats Head West to Open 2025 Season at Long Beach State
2/13/2025 6:00:00 PM | Baseball
EVANSTON, Ill. – Northwestern baseball opens its 2025 campaign and year two of the Ben Greenspan era as it travels to Long Beach State for a three-game series from Friday, Feb. 14 through Sunday, Feb. 16.
Probable Pitchers
Friday, 2/14: LBSU - RHP Kellan Montgomery vs. NU - LHP Crawford Wade
Saturday, 2/15: LBSU - RHP Josh Donegan vs. NU - RHP Garrett Shearer
Sunday, 2/16: LBSU - TBA vs. NU – TBA
The 'Cats return the bulk of their lineup from 2024 and rank in the top two in the Big Ten in percentage of returning production in every major offensive category. Northwestern returns at least 75% of its total hits, runs, runs batted in, home runs and extra-base hits in the lineup this season. Northwestern leads the Big Ten in percentage of returning production in the following categories: Runs (75.6%), HRs (90.3%), and XBH (79.4%).
Last season, Northwestern posted an eight-win improvement from 2023, and finished with nine road non-conference wins, its most in a season since at least 2000. Under Greenspan, the Wildcats improved dramatically defensively, posting a .980 fielding percentage, which led the Big Ten and ranked 10th nationally. The 'Cats had just 37 errors of 1,847 chances. The year before Greenspan arrived on campus, Northwestern was 13th in the league in fielding.
OF Jackson Freeman, C Bennett Markinson, and INF Owen McElfatrick were all named to the 2025 Big Ten Preseason Players to Watch List. Markinson was also rated by D1Baseball as a Top 50 Catcher in the country. RHP Matthew Kouser and UTL Carter Danz were named to D1Baseball's Big Ten Impact Freshmen List.
Freeman looks to build on a breakout rookie campaign where he led the team with 11 home runs, the most by a Wildcat first-year since at least 1981. In addition to long balls, Freeman, an All-Big Ten Freshman Team selection, led the team in triples (3) and RBI (39).
OF Jack Lausch joins Northwestern baseball from the Northwestern football program. A standout dual-sport athlete at Brother Rice High School in Chicago, Lausch was rated as the No. 1 outfielder in Illinois and the No. 23 outfielder in the country by Perfect Game. He was named a top 250 prospect in the 2022 MLB Draft, according to Baseball America. The Chicago native started 10 games at quarterback for the Northwestern football team in 2024. He completed 159-of-296 passes for 1,714 yards (53.7%), while rushing 87 times for 213 yards and two touchdowns. Lausch is NU's first baseball-football dual-sport athlete since right-handed pitcher and quarterback/punter Dan Kubiuk played for both programs in 2015-16.
In 2024, Markinson led all Wildcats and ranked 12th in the Big Ten, batting .337. The Tarzana, Calif. native was ranked the No. 44 catcher in the country in D1Baseball's Preseason Top 50. Last year, Markinson ranked 18th nationally as toughest to strike out among qualified hitters (12.6 ABs/K). The catcher closed 2024 with a 10-game hit streak and 19-game reached-base streak.
Graduate student INF Vince Bianchina has been voted as the recipient of the Paul Stevens Life Teammate Award for the 2025 season. The Paul Stevens Life Teammate Award is presented annually to the senior who best embodies the spirit of a Life Teammate - a leader on the field, in the locker room and in the community, as voted by their teammates. As the recipient of the 2025 Paul Stevens Life Teammate Award, Bianchina will wear No. 13 for the 2025 season, commemorating the life of Will Trautwein, son of former Northwestern Baseball player John Trautwein. The Will To Live Foundation is dedicated to preventing teen suicide by improving the lives and the 'Will To Live' of teenagers everywhere through education about mental health and encouraging them to recognize the love and hope that exists in each other.
Fresh off a 25-29-1 2024 campaign, Long Beach State was tabbed to finish eighth in the Big West Preseason Poll. RHP Kellen Montgomery was selected to the All-Big West Preseason Team. Montgomery, who is slated to start Friday night's season opener, went 3-4 with a 3.95 ERA in 2024. LBSU head coach TJ Bruce will be managing his first game at the helm of the Dirtbags.
Friday night's game will mark the first meeting between LBSU and NU in series history. Northwestern is seeking back-to-back Opening Day victories for the first time since 2008-09.
Northwestern will travel to Cary, N.C. next weekend for a four-game road swing. The 'Cats will square off with Indiana for a non-conference tilt on Friday, before a Saturday doubleheader against Harvard and Fordham. NU will face Fordham again on Sunday to close out the weekend.
Probable Pitchers
Friday, 2/14: LBSU - RHP Kellan Montgomery vs. NU - LHP Crawford Wade
Saturday, 2/15: LBSU - RHP Josh Donegan vs. NU - RHP Garrett Shearer
Sunday, 2/16: LBSU - TBA vs. NU – TBA
The 'Cats return the bulk of their lineup from 2024 and rank in the top two in the Big Ten in percentage of returning production in every major offensive category. Northwestern returns at least 75% of its total hits, runs, runs batted in, home runs and extra-base hits in the lineup this season. Northwestern leads the Big Ten in percentage of returning production in the following categories: Runs (75.6%), HRs (90.3%), and XBH (79.4%).
Last season, Northwestern posted an eight-win improvement from 2023, and finished with nine road non-conference wins, its most in a season since at least 2000. Under Greenspan, the Wildcats improved dramatically defensively, posting a .980 fielding percentage, which led the Big Ten and ranked 10th nationally. The 'Cats had just 37 errors of 1,847 chances. The year before Greenspan arrived on campus, Northwestern was 13th in the league in fielding.
OF Jackson Freeman, C Bennett Markinson, and INF Owen McElfatrick were all named to the 2025 Big Ten Preseason Players to Watch List. Markinson was also rated by D1Baseball as a Top 50 Catcher in the country. RHP Matthew Kouser and UTL Carter Danz were named to D1Baseball's Big Ten Impact Freshmen List.
Freeman looks to build on a breakout rookie campaign where he led the team with 11 home runs, the most by a Wildcat first-year since at least 1981. In addition to long balls, Freeman, an All-Big Ten Freshman Team selection, led the team in triples (3) and RBI (39).
OF Jack Lausch joins Northwestern baseball from the Northwestern football program. A standout dual-sport athlete at Brother Rice High School in Chicago, Lausch was rated as the No. 1 outfielder in Illinois and the No. 23 outfielder in the country by Perfect Game. He was named a top 250 prospect in the 2022 MLB Draft, according to Baseball America. The Chicago native started 10 games at quarterback for the Northwestern football team in 2024. He completed 159-of-296 passes for 1,714 yards (53.7%), while rushing 87 times for 213 yards and two touchdowns. Lausch is NU's first baseball-football dual-sport athlete since right-handed pitcher and quarterback/punter Dan Kubiuk played for both programs in 2015-16.
In 2024, Markinson led all Wildcats and ranked 12th in the Big Ten, batting .337. The Tarzana, Calif. native was ranked the No. 44 catcher in the country in D1Baseball's Preseason Top 50. Last year, Markinson ranked 18th nationally as toughest to strike out among qualified hitters (12.6 ABs/K). The catcher closed 2024 with a 10-game hit streak and 19-game reached-base streak.
Graduate student INF Vince Bianchina has been voted as the recipient of the Paul Stevens Life Teammate Award for the 2025 season. The Paul Stevens Life Teammate Award is presented annually to the senior who best embodies the spirit of a Life Teammate - a leader on the field, in the locker room and in the community, as voted by their teammates. As the recipient of the 2025 Paul Stevens Life Teammate Award, Bianchina will wear No. 13 for the 2025 season, commemorating the life of Will Trautwein, son of former Northwestern Baseball player John Trautwein. The Will To Live Foundation is dedicated to preventing teen suicide by improving the lives and the 'Will To Live' of teenagers everywhere through education about mental health and encouraging them to recognize the love and hope that exists in each other.
Fresh off a 25-29-1 2024 campaign, Long Beach State was tabbed to finish eighth in the Big West Preseason Poll. RHP Kellen Montgomery was selected to the All-Big West Preseason Team. Montgomery, who is slated to start Friday night's season opener, went 3-4 with a 3.95 ERA in 2024. LBSU head coach TJ Bruce will be managing his first game at the helm of the Dirtbags.
Friday night's game will mark the first meeting between LBSU and NU in series history. Northwestern is seeking back-to-back Opening Day victories for the first time since 2008-09.
Northwestern will travel to Cary, N.C. next weekend for a four-game road swing. The 'Cats will square off with Indiana for a non-conference tilt on Friday, before a Saturday doubleheader against Harvard and Fordham. NU will face Fordham again on Sunday to close out the weekend.
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