MILWAUKEE – The Panthers wrapped up its 2026 regular season with 22 wins including a 14-10 record in the Horizon League. The mark was good enough for second place in the league standings, as Milwaukee enters postseason play with its highest seed since 2016.
 
The playoffs get underway for Milwaukee on Thursday morning, when the Panther take on third-seeded Northern Kentucky at 10:00 a.m. (CT) at Nischwitz Stadium in Dayton, Ohio.
 
With a win in Thursday's game, the Panthers advance in the winner's bracket to a Friday matchup. However, a loss on Thursday drops Milwaukee into the loser's bracket, setting up a second game on Thursday evening at 6:00 p.m. (CT).
  
All postseason games will be streamed on ESPN+, with links for the broadcasts and live stats of all games available at MKEPanthers.com.

THE MATCHUPS & GAME LINKS
Thursday, May 21 at 10:00 a.m. (CT) | No. 2 Milwaukee vs. No. 3 Northern Kentucky | Nischwitz Stadium | Dayton, Ohio | ESPN+ / Live Stats
» With Win vs. Northern Kentucky | Friday, May 22 at 11:00 a.m. (CT) | No. 2 Milwaukee vs. No. 1 Wright State/No. 5 Youngstown State/No. 6 Oakland |  ESPN+ / Live Stats
» With Loss vs. Northern Kentucky | Thursday, May 21 at 6:00 p.m. (CT) | No. 2 Milwaukee vs. No. 1 Wright State/No. 5 Youngstown State/No. 6 Oakland | ESPN+ / Live Stats
» Remaining Schedule | To Be Determined | Championship Bracket 
 
LEADING OFF
» After falling one game shy of the 2025 Horizon League Championship, Milwaukee returns to Nischwitz Stadium vying for its first conference title since 2010.
» The Panthers finished the 2026 season in second place in the Horizon League standings with a 14-10 record, its best finish in the standings since 2016. Milwaukee has won the championship three times as the second seed, including the 2010 title.
» Postseason play begins against Northern Kentucky on Thursday morning, the Panthers went 5-1 against the Norse in 2026.
» Milwaukee and Wright State were tied for the Horizon League lead with five All-League First Team selections apiece, the three position players were the most since 2019, while the Panthers earn their second-straight Reliever of the Year honoree with Camden Kuhnke.

MILWAUKEE VS. WRIGHT STATE (2-4)
Milwaukee went 0-3 at Nischwitz Stadium in mid-March but were able to bounce back and take 2-of-3 at home in late April.

Dominic Kibler led the offensive charge against Wright State with seven hits in 19 at bats for a .368 average, he connected on two home runs and drove in five runs against Raider pitching. Meanwhile, Charlie Marion held the team lead with seven RBIs against Wright State with a .280 average. Collectively, the Panthers had a .238 average against the Raiders in 2026.

Missing the start in Dayton while returning from injury, Aric Ehmke did not disappoint in his one start against Wright State at Franklin Field. Ehmke turned in seven scoreless against the Raiders with four strikeouts. Gavin Theis struck out eight batters over 12 innings against WSU for a 4.50 ERA. Aiden Fishnick, Tyler Andrews, Riley Golden, and Lucast Watson all posted sub-3.00 ERAs versus the Raiders.

MILWAUKEE VS. NORTHERN KENTUCKY (5-1)
The Panthers began Horizon League play in Highland Heights, Ky. in mid-March, taking the first and third games of a three-game set. The Norse had a forgettable trip to Wisconsin, losing all three games to Milwaukee at Franklin Field.

Milwaukee as a team hit just .303 against Northern Kentucky during the 2026 season, but out-homered the Norse by an 11-1 difference this year. Dylan O'Connell led the Panthers with 14 hits vs. NKU, including four doubles and two home runs for a .519 average, he was tied for the team lead with Joey Spence as the duo each collected 10 RBIs against the Norse. O'Connell was 8-for-8 in stolen base chances and Grant Ross was 4-for-4 in attempts.

On the mound, Gavin Theis pitched to a 2.38 ERA over 11 1/3 innings against Northern Kentucky, striking out eight batters over that span. Cullen Riel and Tyler Andrews did not allow a run in relief against the Norse, both amassing 2 2/3 innings. Aiden Fishnick and Lucas Watson both posted identical 2.70 ERAs over their 3 1/3 innings apiece versus NKU.

MILWAUKEE VS. YOUNGSTOWN STATE (2-4)
A thorn in the side for Milwaukee, Youngstown State swept both ends of a doubleheader in early April in Milwaukee before the Panthers were able to salvage the series finale on Apr. 4. When visiting Niles, Ohio, the Penguins once again took the first two games of the series before Milwaukee spoiled the sweep attempt with a win in game three.

The Panthers hit just .249 as a team against Youngstown State this season, tallying 50 hits in 201 at bats. Bradyn Horn and Charlie Marion did their part collecting eight hits apiece against the Penguins. Horn led Milwaukee with seven RBIs, while Marion and Dominic Kibler each drove in six against YSU. Despite just three hits and two walks, Dylan O'Connell was 7-for-7 in stolen base attempts, as the Panthers were 18-for-22 against the Penguins offensively.

Aric Ehmke posted a 3.00 ERA versus Youngstown State, recording 12 strikeouts over as many innings in his two starts. The winning pitcher in both wins against the Penguins was Riley Peterson, who struck out 15 batters over 13 innings and allowed just seven hits for a .152 batting average against. Cullen Riel threw two shutout innings and Camden Kuhnke tossed five innings over two relief appearances with a 3.60 ERA.

MILWAUKEE VS. OAKLAND (5-1)
Milwaukee took 2-of-3 from Oakland in Rochester, Mich. in mid-April, and closed Horizon League play at Franklin Field this past weekend with a three-game sweep over the Golden Grizzlies.

Milwaukee's offense took it to Oakland pitching this season, hitting at a .338 clip collectively, with five players hitting north of .315. Dominic Kibler and Charlie Marion led the way with 11 RBIs each against the Golden Grizzlies, while Joey Spence drove in nine. Dylan O'Connell was caught just once in Horizon League play, going 6-for-7 against Oakland in six games.

On the mound, Riley Peterson pitched six scoreless in Michigan and threw one scoreless frame in the regular season finale on May 16. Mason Weckler pitched well in two relief outings, amassing six innings with five strikeouts. Aric Ehmke, Gavin Theis, and Alex Vander Loop all went at least six innings this year against Oakland and recorded wins. Six different relievers took the mound for Milwaukee and did not allow an earned run including Camden Kuhnke, Cullen Riel, Braden Theis, Tyler Andrews, Riley Golden, and Tristan Arnold.

ON THESE DATES
May 21 – 4-7 Record; Streak: Won 1; Last Win: 2025 vs. Purdue Fort Wayne (15-4)
May 22 – 12-2 Record; Streak: Won 3; Last Win: 2025 vs. Northern Kentucky (8-6)
May 23 – 6-9 Record; Streak: Won 1; Last Win: 2025 vs. Wright State (12-6)

UP NEXT
Five Horizon League teams will enter the 2026 Horizon League Baseball Championship this weekend at Wright State, but only one team will be playing beyond this weekend.

Wright State seeks a second-straight Horizon League title, while Milwaukee seeks its first title since 2010. Northern Kentucky last won in 2023, while Youngstown State was last champion in 2014. Oakland has not yet hoisted the baseball championship trophy since joining the league in 2013-14.

FIVE ON FIRST TEAM
Dominic Kibler, Camden Kuhnke, Charlie Marion, Dylan O'Connell, and Gavin Theis were all selected to the Horizon All-League First team as announced on May 19. The five first-team selections are a new program record, breaking the previous mark of four set in 2025, 2013, 2009, 2001, and 2000.

BACK-TO-BACK FIRST TEAM
With his selection to the All-League First Team, Gavin Theis became the first player to earn multiple All-League First Team selections since AJ Blubaugh, who earned consecutive selections in 2021 and 2022.

RELIEVER OF THE YEAR
Camden Kuhnke was named the Horizon League Reliever of the Year, becoming the fourth individual to earn the award and fifth overall winner. Kuhnke makes it back-to-back selections, following the award being given to Logan Snow in 2025. It marks the first time Milwaukee has had back-to-back seasons with the reliever of the year since AJ Blubaugh won in both 2021 and 2022.

O'CONNELL ON THE RUN
With 40 stolen bases on the season, Dylan O'Connell set the single-season record by a Milwaukee player. Luke Meeteer previously owned the record with 37 stolen bases during the 2015 season.

O'Connell enters postseason play fourth in NCAA Division I in stolen bases, trailing Terence Grines of UT Martin (65), Freddy Rodruguez of Memphis (43), and Harrison Feinberg of Northeastern (42).

With four stolen bases against Oakland on Apr. 12, O'Connell tied the Milwaukee program record for steals in a game. He later stole five bases in Thursday's game against Northern Kentucky to set a new single-game record. His five stolen bases in a game are the third-most in all of Division I baseball this season, with Alex Laird of Bowling Green recording seven of Akron on Apr. 3, and Terence Grines recording six against Western Illinois on May 3.

TEAM STEALS
Milwaukee has 121 stolen bases on the season as a team, more than any other Panther team in a single season dating back to its inaugural Division I season in 1991. The previous mark was held by the 2016 Panthers with 103 stolen bases that year.

TEAM HOME RUNS
The Panthers now finished the regular season with 55 home runs as a team, which is tied for fifth-most in a year in program history, and one short of the team's 56 homers a season ago. The program record is 77 set back during the 1999 campaign.

IN-LEAGUE HOME RUNS
Milwaukee had 30 home runs in Horizon League games this season, the fifth-most in conference games over the past 21 seasons. The most by Milwaukee in league play was 35 during the 2019 season, the Panthers have hit at least 25 home runs in league game five times with 35 in 2019, 33 in 2006, 30 in 2025 and 2026, and 27 in 2021.

POWER RACE
Milwaukee has slugged 55 home runs this season as a team, led by Dominic Kibler and Charlie Marion with 11 each.

Breakdown by class:
• Seniors: 18 (Marion 11, Ross 4, Spence 2, Bozak 1)
• Juniors: 21; (Kibler 11, O'Connell 8, Holmes 2)
• Sophomores: 14; (Hadley VI 7, Horn 4, Palkowski 2, Schmidt 1)
• Freshmen: 2; (Glusick 2)

Milwaukee has hit three grand slam this season: Hadley VI, Feb. 21 at Duke; Kibler, Mar. 28 vs. Butler; Kibler, Apr. 13 at Central Michigan.

KIBLER SLAMS
With a grand slam in the team's win over Central Michigan, Dominic Kibler now has two grand slams this season after hitting one against Butler on Mar. 28. He is the first Panther with multiple grand slams in a single season since Carson Hansen in 2024, when he had slams against Northern Kentucky at home on both Apr. 26, and in game two of a doubleheader on Apr. 27.

MULTI-HOME RUN GAMES
Milwaukee had back-to-back weekends with a player recording a multi-home run game, Joey Spence (March 13 at Northern Kentucky) and Charlie Marion (March 22 at Wright State). Marion later added another two-homer performance on Apr. 28 at Northwestern.

Spence became the 72nd player in program history to accomplish the feat, with Marion becoming the 73rd and 74th as Marion became the first Panthers with multiple multi-homer games in a season was Nate DeYoung in 2022.

IN EXTRA INNINGS
Milwaukee was 3-0 in extra innings in 2026 (1-3 in 2025) and holds an 20-19-1 record in extra-inning games since 2015.

SHUTOUT WINS
On Apr. 12, the Panthers recorded their first shutout win of the season with 12-0 seven-inning victory at Oakland. It was the team's first shutout win since their previous series finale at Oakland, when Milwaukee finished the regular season with an 11-0 victory over the Golden Grizzlies on May 17, 2025. Milwaukee recorded its second shutout of the season against Wright State on Apr. 25, which was the first time that the Raiders had been shutout in a Horizon League contest since May 19, 2022.

EXTRA-BASE HITS
Milwaukee recorded at least one extra-base hit in all but two games this season to lead all Horizon League programs. The exceptions were games on Mar. 10 at Purdue and Mar. 14 at Northern Kentucky.

During the regular season, Northern Kentucky was held without an extra-base hit on three occasions, followed by Oakland and Youngstown State (four times each), while Wright State was held without an extra-base hit five times in 2026.

WINNING STREAK
Milwaukee posted an eight-game winning streak beginning with the series finale against Oakland on Apr. 12 through the team's Apr. 25 win at home against Wright State. The eighth-game streak was tied for the fourth longest winning streak in program history. Milwaukee had a record 13-game winning streak in 2002, while recording a pair of nine-game winning streaks during the 2001 campaign.

COMEBACK WINS
Milwaukee erased an 8-0 first-inning deficit against Northern Kentucky on March 15 and did so again on Apr. 21, trailing St. Thomas by an 8-0 score through 6 1/2 innings, before scoring nine unanswered between the seventh and eighth innings to win, 9-8. The two are now tied for the second-largest comebacks in the last 20 seasons (since 2007).

The largest came on Apr. 15, 2015, when the Panthers trailed Chicago State 10-1 before outscoring the Cougars 14-1 the rest of the way, including an 11-run seventh inning, to win 15-11.

LONGEST GAMES SINCE 2004 (BY INNING)
Since 2004, Milwaukee has played seven games of 13+ innings of play and is 5-2 in those contests:
• March 20, 2016 at Illinois State – Win, 4-1 (18 Innings)
• March 15, 2026 at Northern Kentucky – Win, 16-10 (14 Innings)
• May 22, 2010 vs. Youngstown State – Win, 8-7 (14 Innings)
• May 21, 2008 vs. Cleveland State – Win, 10-7 (14 Innings, Horizon League Tournament)
• March 3, 2017 at Evansville – Win, 7-5 (13 Innings)
• May 16, 2024 vs. Wright State – Loss, 4-2 (13 Innings)
• May 15, 2008 vs. Youngstown State – Loss, 5-4 (13 Innings, Miller Park)

HOME COOKING
Over the last 21 seasons (2005-25), Milwaukee has taken "home field advantage" to another level, posting winning home records in all but two seasons (8-14 in 2022; 0-0 in 2020). The Panthers went unbeaten at home in 2013 (13-0) and have posted three straight 12-7 home records (2023-25). In 2026, Milwaukee finished 12-5 in home games.

ATTENDANCE RECORD
In the team's home win over Valparaiso on May 5, the Milwaukee baseball team set a program attendance record with 2,414 in attendance for the game. The previous mark was set last season against Northern Illinois at 2,234.