ABILENE — Abilene Christian baseball opened the 2026 campaign with a 7-1 victory over St. Thomas at Crutcher Scott Field at Bullock Brothers Ballpark on Friday.
Evan Whiteaker earned the win in his first appearance as Wildcat, pitching four relief innings of one-hit ball.
Zandt Payne drove in three runs to fuel ACU's scoring.
The Wildcats and the Tommies continue the series with a Saturday doubleheader, beginning at 1 p.m. at Crutcher Scott Field at Bullock Brothers Ballpark.
Whiteaker notched a pair of strikeouts after entering in relief of starter
Brett Lanman, who issued a strong effort of his own in five innings. ACU's Saturday starter last season, he surrendered just one run on three hits and a walk with two punchouts.
ACU registered five hits but capitalized on eight walks, three hit batters and a St. Thomas error. Payne, last year's leader in batting average, went 1 for 4 with a bases-loaded walk.
Sam Hardcastle crossed the plate three times, while Rutgers transfer
JT Thompson scored a pair of runs.
The Tommies got on the board first with an RBI single in the third inning. The Wildcats answered in the fifth as Payne sent a single through the left side to plate Hardcastle.
Brady Gray put ACU in front for good in the sixth with an RBI single to score
Nick Arias.
The Wildcats built themselves a cushion in the seventh inning, where a
Diego Cardenas single, pinch-hit
Maddox Miesse single and
Braden Regala walk loaded the bases. Payne delivered with a walk to bring a run home, and
Grant Watkins later reached on an error that scored another.
ACU kept its foot on the gas with a three-run eight inning. Two walks and a hit batter juiced the bags for a Regala walk and a Payne groundout to put three runs on the board.
