WINONA, Minn. – The Winona State University baseball team kicks off its 2026 season with a three-game series at William Jewell College (Mo.).

The Warriors and the Cardinals will play one game each day from Friday, February 20 to Sunday, February 22 in Liberty, Missouri. First pitch is scheduled for 3:00pm on Friday, and 1:00pm on Saturday and Sunday.
 
Winona State Notes:

• The Warriors concluded the 2025 season going 22-28 overall and 18-22 in NSIC play.
• Dylan Harer and Nathan Vela were named the Preseason Player and Pitcher to Watch for WSU.
• Harer, a sophomore from Kildeer, Ill., appeared in 37 games with 26 starts. During the 2025 season, he recorded a .373 batting average, OBP of .444, OPS of 1.088, eight home runs, 27 RBIs, and went six-of-seven on stolen bases.
• Vela, a sophomore from Greenville, Wis., was a key pitcher for the Warriors as a freshman, appearing in nine games and starting four. He posted a 1-2 record, pitched 25.0 innings with a 3.24 ERA, struck out 28 batters, and finished with a 1.20 WHIP and .198 B/AVG.
• Winona State enters the 2026 season ranked tenth in the NSIC Preseason Coaches' Poll after finishing T-ninth in 2025.
• Head Coach Seth Wing heads into his fourth season in the Warrior dugout in 2026 and enters his 14th year overall as an NCAA baseball coach. Wing holds a 67-84 record in his tenure with WSU.
• Following this week, Winona State begins NSIC play with a four-game series in Parkville, Missouri against the Minot State Beavers next weekend on Saturday, February 28 and Sunday, March 1. The final game will not count towards the NSIC standings.

William Jewell Notes:

• The Cardinals are 2-1 in 2026 after winning a three-game series with Arkansas Fort Smith last weekend.
• William Jewell went 22-28 overall and 13-19 in the competitive GLVC conference a year ago. Winona State won 11-5 last season over the Cardinals in their only matchup.
• Head Coach Mike Stockton is entering his 24th season at the helm of the William Jewell program. He has amassed a career record of 705-530-1 in his tenure with the squad.
• The Cardinals slugged eight home runs in their first three games leading to a .359 team batting average to start the 2026 campaign.
• The pitching staff registered 19 strikeouts in 25.0 innings and posted a 6.84 ERA in their opening weekend.