Miami Gardens, Fla. - The St. Thomas University Baseball Team kicks off its 2026 campaign with a three-game series against McPherson College at Paul Demie Maineri Field, starting with a doubleheader on Friday, January 23 at 3:00 pm. Opening Day festivities are set to start Friday at 2:45, with the two sides wrapping up the series on Saturday, Jan. 24 at 1:00 pm.
INSIDE THE MATCHUP:
St. Thomas (27-25, 13-15 Sun Conference in 2025) vs McPherson (27-26, 20-16 Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference in 2025)
Dates: Friday, Jan. 23 (3:00 PM game 1\6:00 PM game 2) | Saturday, Jan. 24 (1:00 PM)
Location: Miami Gardens, Fla. | Paul Demie Maineri Field
Media: Live Stats | Live Video | Tickets
Probable Starters
Game 1 (Friday, January 23 @ 3PM) - Daniel Norris (LHP) vs.
Juan Fernandez (RHP)
Game 2 (Friday, January 23 @ 6 PM) - Kadin Gehring (RHP) vs
Diego Evans (RHP)
Game 3 (Saturday, January 24 @ 1 PM - Dario Alvarez (RHP) vs
Ismael Cordoba (LHP)
Series History
The Bobcats and Bulldogs have only matched up once before, in the 2022 NAIA Opening Round: Miami Gardens Bracket. In the elimination game, St. Thomas walked off McPherson 5-4 in the 11th inning to advance to the Opening Round Finals. Current Volunteer Assistant Coach Chris Schoeller opened the scoring in that game, with a solo home run in the 4th inning. Joey Thompson tied the game with a 2 RBI double in the 11th, and then walked it off advancing home on a wild pitch. 2022 was the last Opening Round the Bobcats have participated in, and the Bulldogs last made the Opening Round in 2023.
Juan Fernandez Gets the Opening Day Nod
In his second season with the Bobcats, Juan Fernandez will make his first Opening Day start in a Bobcats' uniform. The 2025 First Team All-Sun Conference pitcher had a great year in Sun Conference play, having a 1.65 Conference ERA in 49 innings. Fernandez threw 5 7-inning complete games in conference play. Fernandez looks to build off last year's success heading into his senior season.
Scouting McPherson
The Bulldogs, led by Head Coach Chris Dawson, traveled approximately 1,330 miles from McPherson, Kansas, to Miami Gardens, Florida. McPherson returns two All-KCAC players. Marcus Patton, an infielder from Ypsilanti, Michigan, was on the Third Team All-KCAC. Patton hit .403 in 2025 with 7 home runs. RHP Francisco Paradis, a native of Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic, also returns to the Bulldogs. Paradis had a 3.43 ERA last season, striking out 32 batters in 21 innings. McPherson also brings back a power bat in Colt Sussex-Uphold, who hit .426 with 11 HR. LHP Daniel Norris will get the Opening Day start for the Bulldogs. Norris had a 7.52 ERA in 46.2 innings last season.
Bobcats Return 5 of 7 All-Sun Honorees
Headlined by Opening Day Starter Juan Fernandez (First Team), the Bobcats have 5 All-Sun honorees returning to the team. Behind the plate, Second Team All-Sun Catcher Eddie Novoa returns, who hit .377 in conference play. Luis Morera, who was a redshirt freshman last season, was Second Team All-Sun last year at 3B, and had a .360 conference average. Erick Ballenilla, who hit .362 with 4 HR in Sun Conference play, was Second Team All-Sun as a SS. Daytan Biegel, who was tied for the highest Bobcats' conference average at .392, was also a Second Team All-Sun as an outfielder. Head Coach Jorge Perez is looking for these players to carry over their production into this season.
New Power Hitting Corner Infielders
The Bobcats have 23 new faces on their 2026 varsity roster, many who have had impressive resumes on their former teams. Two of those newcomers play in the corner infield. Edwin Toribio, a Tennessee Wesleyan University and College of Central Florida transfer, had a very impressive junior college resumes over the past few seasons. A member of the College of Central Florida 20203 NJCAA Division I National Championship team, Toribio was a Second Team All-American that season. In 2023, Toribio hit .403 with 20 home runs. The next season, Toribio hit .356 with 16 home runs. Also, El Paso Community College transfer Alan Nava will be another power bat the Bobcats look to rely on. Nava hit .399 with 8 home runs in his first season at El Paso CC, earning Western Junior College Athletic Conference First Team honors. Last season, Nava hit .374 with 14 home runs, which was good for the 3rd most home runs in El Paso CC history. The Bobcats hope to see this power translate to the four-year level.
Up Next
The Bobcats welcome Oakland City University for a three-game series, starting on Friday, Jan. 30 at 6:00 PM and continuing with a doubleheader on Saturday, Jan. 31 at 1:00 pm.
