Posted: Jan 21, 2026
Baseball opens 2026 at LSU-Alexandria, Louisiana Christian
Wiley University baseball opens the 2026 season with a doubleheader at Louisiana State University-Alexandria on Thursday and a twin-bill at Louisiana Christian University on Friday.
Thursday's first pitch is at 2 p.m. and Friday's games will start at 11 a.m. Live video and statistics links are listed in the baseball schedule on wileyathletics.com. This is the ninth straight season the Wildcats have opened on the road. Under head coach Kendrick Biggs, who is entering his 10th season, they are 4-5 in season openers and haven't won since 2023.
The Wildcats will have several new faces on the roster as catcher Jaziel Martinez, first baseman Ivan Del Villar, second baseman Amir Mason and leadoff hitter and center fielder Eddie Garza are the only returning starters in the field. Nick Rodriguez is the only pitcher returning with multiple starts.
Martinez, who split time behind the plate with seniors Brendan Mendoza and Anthony Castaneda, will be the primary option this season. He hit .346 in 22 games with eight runs and 17 RBI. Del Villar earned All-Historically Black Colleges and Universities Athletic Conference (HBCUAC) for the third straight season. He hit .354 and ranked second in the conference with 10 home runs. Mason battled an injury early in the season, but still hit .330 with 27 runs and 20 RBI. He earned a spot on the 2025 HBCUAC All-Tournament Team. At the leadoff position, Garza had a career season with a .339 batting average, 10 doubles, two home runs and 18 RBI.
Rodriguez successfully transitioned into the starting rotation last season, posting an 8-3 record, 5.77 earned run average and struck out 64 batters in 78 innings. He was one of three pitchers to beat the 2025 regular season champion Talladega College.
Biggs and his assistants Nikaylen Morrison, Rodrerick Sherman, Cole Silliman and graduate assistants Jacob Perez and Anthony Castaneda brought in several recruits, with 10 on the active roster this weekend. Camron McCoy and Kaleb Gilner bring valuable playing experience and could help fill the gaps by the departures of last year's seniors - which included power hitters Ryan Ready, Jhan Carlos Javier and Smauri Abram.
Middle infielder Laker McPherson, who played in 18 games, and outfielder Ajari Camp, who appeared in 32 games, should see more playing time this season. Mario Perez and Skyler Nelson, who spent time on both varsity and junior varsity, are poised to have a more significant role this season.
On the mound, Ethan Jones posted a 3.55 ERA in 14 appearances during his freshman season. He was solid in his first career start, which helped the Wildcats advance in the 2025 HBCUAC Championship. He will look to be a weekend starter this season. Juan Pena threw 25 1/3 innings in relief, picking up two wins and a save. He will look to help close out games and provide the occasional spot start. Estavan Baca, Kadin Resendez, Case Butterfield, Corey Grant and Bernardo Cortez will get an early opportunity to prove themselves.
The Wildcats meet the Generals for the third straight season. They took two out of three games at Coker Field last season, for only their second series win. Wiley trails 33-12 in the series. This will be the fifth straight season, the Wildcats meet up with Louisiana Christian. It has lost all eight meetings with only two games decided by less than five runs.
For more coverage on the Wildcats visit https://wileyathletics.com/sports/bsb/index
About Wiley University Athletics
Wiley University sponsors 13 varsity sports: women's volleyball, men's and women's soccer, men's and women's cross country, men's and women's basketball, men's and women's indoor track and field, men's and women's outdoor track and field, baseball and softball. It competes in the Historically Black Colleges and Universities Athletic Conference (HBCUAC).
Wiley University sponsors 13 varsity sports: women's volleyball, men's and women's soccer, men's and women's cross country, men's and women's basketball, men's and women's indoor track and field, men's and women's outdoor track and field, baseball and softball. It competes in the Historically Black Colleges and Universities Athletic Conference (HBCUAC).
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