For the first time in their 2026 campaign, the UConn baseball team (4-7) will make their regular-season debut in Storrs on Wednesday afternoon to take on the New Haven Chargers.
Connecticut comes into this matchup on a two-game losing skid after losing to UNC Wilmington twice this past weekend. Despite winning the first game in the series last Friday, 5-2, the Huskies couldn’t continue that momentum, losing 1-2 and 2-7 on Saturday and Sunday.
In the Huskies’ win on Friday, junior Nater Wachter’s RBI single in the ninth inning to put Connecticut up 3-2 was integral for the Huskies to slide past UNC Wilmington for the first game. After Wachter’s at bat, Jackson Marshall sealed the deal for the Huskies when the bases were loaded with a walk to put the score 5-2.
Despite Connecticut losing the next two games, both Saturday and Sunday’s games between both squads went down to the wire.
Pitcher Cayden Suchy attained a new career high with 12 strikeouts in seven innings pitched, last set by former UConn righthanded pitcher Ian Cooke who struck out 14 batters on April 12, 2024.
The game ended in extra innings with a bunt from UNC Wilmington’s Brady Thompson, laying a bunt to bring a run in. Pitcher Oliver Pudvar had a strong outing in Sunday’s game, going five innings with seven strikeouts and only allowing one run.
As far as the Huskies’ matchup goes this week, this is the first both of the programs will face one another in history.
On the Chargers’ squad, the Huskies pitching staff should keep tabs on Bobby Herzman and Shaun Callahan. Both Herzman and Callahan are boasting batting averages of .400 and .368 on the season, respectively.
In order to get back into the win column, the Huskies will need to rely on their heavying hitters, including Tyler Minick and Chris Polemeni, as New Haven’s lowest ERA for their pitching staff is 3.00, then 8.53.
Even with early season struggles for the program, the Huskies will rely on their hitting to get back in the win column as they await more and more touch opponents.
First pitch between these two foes is scheduled for 3:05 p.m. from Elliot Ballpark in Storrs. If Husky fans are unable to make it to the ballpark, they can tune in to the game on UConn+.