Portland Pilots Baseball began their 2026 season with a 9-3 win over the Purdue Boilermakers in Sugar Land, Texas. The Pilots scored all nine of their runs in the final three innings after trailing for much of the game.
Jonas Salk led Portland’s offense, going 2-for-4 with a double and three RBIs. Nolan Miller also contributed two hits and drove in two runs. Brady Bean finished with two hits, two walks, an RBI, and a double. Trey Swygart added two hits, including a double, one RBI, two walks, and was hit by a pitch.
The team drew 11 walks during the game. This marks only the ninth time since 2000 that Portland has reached at least 11 walks in a single contest.
Kaden Segel started on the mound for Portland, pitching 4.1 innings and allowing three runs on five hits while striking out two batters. Trey Newmann came on in relief and threw 3.2 scoreless innings with six strikeouts to earn the win. Logan Anderson pitched the final inning to close out the victory.
Purdue took an early lead by scoring three runs—one each in the second and third innings via an RBI double and single respectively—and another run off a wild pitch in the fifth inning.
Portland began its comeback with a sacrifice fly in the seventh inning before adding eight more runs across the eighth and ninth innings. In the eighth frame, they tied and then took their first lead through a combination of walks, hit by pitches, and singles—including an RBI single from Salk.
In the ninth inning, Portland extended its advantage as Salk and Cole Katayama-Stall delivered RBI doubles for three runs while Bean and Miller each contributed RBI singles.
Carter Stewart and Dakota Chun both recorded their first collegiate hits during Friday’s game; Stewart went 1-for-3 while Chun was 1-for-4. Both players made their college debuts along with Leo Cote, Isaac Pfeifer, and Troy Osborne.
This win marks Portland’s third consecutive victory against teams from the Big Ten Conference.
The Pilots will face Purdue again tomorrow at 9 a.m. PST. Fans can access live stats or audio streams at PortlandPilots.com. Tickets for upcoming home events are available at PortlandPilots.com/Tickets or through the Portland Pilots App. Group packages can be arranged by emailing pilotsboxoffice@up.edu.
Supporters interested in contributing to University of Portland Athletics can do so online; donations help student-athletes compete athletically and academically within intercollegiate sports environments—all gifts are tax deductible.
For updates on University of Portland athletics programs visit PortlandPilots.com or follow them on social media platforms including Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.
