MONTGOMERY, Ill. --- The Aurora University baseball team (No. 5 NCBWA/D3baseball.com, No. 7 ABCA/Collegiate Baseball) saw a record-setting season come to an end with a pair of losses to Baldwin Wallace University (No.12 NCBWA/D3baseball.com, No. 10 ABCA/Collegiate Baseball) in an NCAA Division III Baseball Super Regional at Jim Schmid Field.

The Spartans finished the year 42-6 overall after dropping the first two games in the best-of-three series by 6-5 and 16-6 scores.

Game 1 (Friday) --- No. 10/12 Baldwin Wallace 6, No. 5/7 Aurora 5
Game one of the 2023 NCAA Division III Baseball Super Regional between the Spartans of Aurora University and Baldwin Wallace University saw yet another well played NCAA contest between two programs on Jim Schmid Field on Friday afternoon. AU fell to Baldwin Wallace 6-5. AU starting pitcher Jack Fisher tied an AU single season record for strikeouts with 104 now, tying alum Rob Fontana and his mark set in the 2004 season.

Postgame Interview: View now

HOW IT HAPPENED
- The Spartans appeared to have the offense rolling early with singles from Jacob Ambuel and Justin Sartori in the first but a double play ended the threat on a ball that Jett Wedekind scalded to the BW third baseman.
- After having runners on in each of the first three innings, the Spartans broke through in the fourth. 
- Josh Reinhardt doubled with one out and scored on a single from Tyler Patton to give Jack Fisher a 1-0 lead.
- AU added on in the fifth with Ambuel drawing a two-out walk and scoring on a Sartori home run to left to push the AU lead to 3-0 after 4.5 innings.
- BW tied the game 3-3 in the bottom of the inning with three singles and a hit by pitch.
- In the sixth, the Spartans loaded the bases with a single from Dominick Curcio, a walk and an error.
- Spencer Ruch followed with a two-run single for a 5-3 lead and forced a BW call to the pen.
- Nico Bermeo singled to load the bases once again but the BW reliever kept the AU damage to two and a 5-3 lead.
- AU maintained the 5-3 lead going to the bottom of the 8th.
- After two quick outs, BW got a single and double to cut the AU lead to one at 5-4 and AU called to the pen and Carlos Garcia.
- A walk put two runners on ahead of a double down the right field line which scored a pair for a 6-5 BW lead.
- In the ninth and as the visitors in game one of the best of three series, the Spartans got a walk from Wedekind and with two outs, Curcio hit a shot that was snared by the BW first basemen for the final out.

SPARTAN LEADERS
HITTING
HITS: Justin Sartori and Spencer Ruch (2)
HOME RUN: Justin Sartori (1)
DOUBLE: Josh Reinhardt (1)
RUNS: Justin Sartori, Jacob Ambuel, Josh Reinhardt, Dominick Curcio and Tyler Patton (1)
RUNS BATTED IN: Justin Sartori and Spencer Ruch (2)

PITCHING:
APPEARANCES (innings): Jack Fisher (7.2) and Carlos Garcia (0.1)
DECISIONS: Carlos Garcia (loss, 3-1)
STRIKEOUTS: Jack Fisher (2)

Game 2 (Saturday) --- No. 10/12 Baldwin Wallace 16, No. 5/7 Aurora 6
The 2023 Aurora University baseball season will go down as one of the most memorable and successful seasons in the long standing tradition of AU baseball despite coming to an end sooner than hoped with a 16-6 loss to Baldwin Wallace. The Spartans set numerous records along the year including a new standard for wins with 42.

HOW IT HAPPENED
- The Spartans trailed 4-0 after three innings.
- In the fourth, AU went to Bryce Miller in relief of starter Justin Zimmerman and BWU scored five runs after two quick outs with six singles and a walk.
- AU answered in the bottom of the fourth with Tyler Patton driving in Justin Sartori with the first run on a sac fly. Sartori had reached with his second single of the game.
- With Jett Wedekind (single) on second and Josh Reinhardt (walk) on second, Derek Angelo pinch hit and hit a ball down the third base line that was misplayed and went down the left field line with Wedekind scoring and Reinhardt appearing to score. But the umpire crew ruled that the ball was unable to be played by the BW left fielder despite the ball being clearly in play and the fielder throwing in. Reinhardt was made to go back to third and negated a third AU run.
- After four innings, AU trailed 9-2.
- BW added three runs in the fifth to take a 12-2 lead.
- The Spartans appeared to have a rally going in the bottom of the inning with Sartori singling for a third time on the day to score Bermeo and moved Jacob Ambuel to third. But a double-play ball allowed Ambuel to score but curtailed the larger AU rally.
- AU trailed 12-4 after five innings.
- In both the fifth and sixth innings, Wedekind hosed would be base stealers from BW at second base.
- The Spartans added a run in the sixth with Patton (walked) scoring on a Nico Bermeo single making the score 12-5.
- In the seventh, BW hit their first home run of the weekend, a three-run shot to go up 15-5.
- BW added a run in the ninth and set up an incredible bottom of the ninth inning. 
- With one out, Wedekind hit the first pitch thrown his way over the left field fence in his final at bat as a Spartan. The home run is his 279th hit of his career which is the most ever by a Spartan.

SPARTAN LEADERS
HITTING
HITS: Justin Sartori (3), Jett Wedekind and Nico Bermeo (2)
HOME RUN: Jett Wedekind (1)
DOUBLE: Spencer Ruch (1)
RUNS: Jett Wedekind (1)
RUNS BATTED IN: Jett Wedekind, Justin Sartori, Nico Bermeo, Tyler Patton and Derek Angelo (1)

PITCHING:
APPEARANCES (innings): Justin Zimmerman (3.0), Bryce Miller (0.2), Sam Harvey (1.1), Jacob Welbes (1.2), CJ Cazares (1.1) and Nick Malmberg (1.0)
DECISIONS: Justin Zimmerman (loss, 10-2)
STRIKEOUTS: Justin Zimmerman and Bryce Miller (1)