EDWARDSVILLE – Edwardsville’s baseball squad is currently 9-1 in the Southwestern Conference, and has a chance to clinch the title in their two-game set against Collinsville this week, the final series of the season.
“We control our own destiny,” Edwardsville head coach Tim Funkhouser said, “and we’ll try to take care of business on Tuesday, and then, I think we need to win both of them to win the Southwestern Conference race outright. So, it’s one of those things where we’re just going to try to play.
“I know Collinsville’s been playing some good baseball, and we just want to keep refining our game, anyway, but to be able to be in the hunt in the last week for us – I know the conference has an additional week after that. But for us to be in the hunt at this time of year is great. And to be in the driver’s seat is another situation.”
Edwardsville plays at Columbia on Wednesday, with all games this week starting at 4:30 p.m. On Friday, Jersey, a squad having a strong season under Coach Darren Perdun, comes to Edwardsville for an anticipated matchup.
In the first game of the Tiger Classic Round Robin Tournament on Saturday, May 9, 2026, Edwardsville’s designated hitter Nick Chiarodo had two hits and three RBIs in the game, while three pitchers struck out two batters each as Edwardsville built a 4-0 lead and went on to win over Highland in the second game of the Tiger Classic round robin tournament Saturday.
The game was originally scheduled to begin at 10 a.m., but was delayed for over two hours in order to dry the field out after heavier-than-expected rain passed through the area the night before.
Saturday, the Bulldogs threatened in the opening inning, when Nolan Barber hit a one-out double to center, and Easton Carey drew a walk with two out, but a pop out ended the inning. The Tigers went to work in the bottom half, with Hunter Baugh drawing a one-out walk and a single by Jack Kirgan, with both runners moving up on a balk. Chiarodo then lifted a high infield pop fly that the shortstop lost in the sun, allowing the ball to drop for a single, driving in both Baugh and Kirgan to make it 2-0 Edwardsville.
Sean Murphy led off the Edwardsville second with a single to left, but courtesy runner Rhys Gierich was caught stealing second for the first out. After a line-out to center, Andrew McCutchen doubled, and both Baugh and Kirgan were hit by a pitch to load the bases. Tyson Wampler then grounded into a fielder’s choice, where Baugh was thrown out at third, but McCutchen scored before the tag in a rundown, making it 3-0.
In the Tigers’ fourth, McCutchen reached on an error on a bunt attempt, Baugh drew a walk, and Kirgan was hit by a pitch, loading the bases. Wampler’s sacrifice fly to left scored McCutchen to make it 4-0. Highland got on the board in the top of the fifth, starting with two-out walks to Cameron Coziar and Trent Henrichs, with an RBI infield single by Tyler Mehrtens scoring courtesy runner Nolan Houchins to cut the Edwardsville lead to 4-1.
The Tigers scored their final three runs in the sixth, starting when Baugh was hit by a pitch and then stole second as Ty Hunt drew a one-out walk. Baugh was forced at third on a grounder hit by Chiarodo, but Nathan Bukovac doubled home Hunt, sending Chiarodo to third, with a two-run double by Nolan Vojak scoring Chiarodo and Bukovac to make it 7-1 Edwardsville. The Bulldogs loaded the bases with two out in the seventh, but a force play at second ended the game with the Tigers winning 7-1.
Chiarodo led Edwardsville with two hits and three RBIs, while Bukovac had two hits and an RBI, McCutchen had two hits, Vojak came up with a hit and two RBIs, and both Kirgan and Murphy had a hit. Jax Andreas started on the mound and went two innings, allowing no runs on one hit, walking one, and striking out one. Calyx Wise pitched the third and fourth innings, and was credited with the win, allowing no runs on no hits, walking none, and fanning two. Carter Grote pitched in the fifth, allowing an earned run on one hit, walking two and striking out two, and Brady Hasquin pitched the final two innings, not allowing a run on one hit, walking one and fanning two.
Mehrtens had two hits and the only RBI for Highland, while Barber had the only other hit. Tyler Rothmann started on the mound, and was charged with the loss, going three innings, allowing three earned runs on five hits, walking two and striking out two, while Justin Klostermann threw only 0.1 innings, conceding no runs on one hit, walking none and fanning none, and Abel Lentz pitched the final 2.2 innings, giving up four runs, three earned, on two hits, walking three and striking out one.
After winning their final game over Teutopolis 6-3, the Bulldogs are now 8-19, and next play a two-game Mississippi Valley Conference series against Civic Memorial, playing at CM Monday, with the return game on Wednesday. In between, Highland goes to Columbia for a game on Tuesday, with all games starting at 4:30 p.m.
Edwardsville saw their eight-game winning streak stopped by Chatham Glenwood 5-2 in their final game, and are now 18-9 on the season, and play their final Southwestern Conference series of the season Tuesday at Collinsville, with the return game Thursday at Edwardsville. 
Dan Brannan also contributed to this story.
