Springstead Eagles Baseball Wins Third Straight, Improves to 4-6

A turbulent offseason stripped the Springstead Eagles of their coach, their standout shortstop, and several projected starters. Friday night at Central, the youngest roster in recent program memory looked nothing like a team still finding its footing.

Pitchers Jacob Giannie and Matthew Opolski-Roe combined on a four-hitter and struck out 15 batters in a 7-2 road victory, giving the Eagles their third consecutive win and third of the week. Springstead improved to 4-6 on the season.

"We're a very young team, and, hopefully, this helps us gain some confidence going forward," head coach Brett Baudendistel said.

The win capped a dominant stretch that began Tuesday with a 10-0 defeat of Central and continued Thursday with a 13-3 victory over Anclote. In all three games, the Eagles posted lopsided margins despite carrying only one senior on the roster and starting three freshmen.

Springstead seized control early Friday. Smith singled to knock in two runs in the second inning, staking the Eagles to a 2-0 lead. Then the fourth inning became a statement.

Opolski-Roe led off with a double down the right-field line. Freshman Keegan Bequette reached on an error. Smith then laced a double to drive in a run, and Giannie added a sacrifice fly to push the lead to 4-0. Sophomore catcher Caleb Brandenburg followed with a run-scoring double, and junior Masen Harvey capped the inning with an RBI single to make it 6-0. The Eagles pounded out seven hits in the game overall.

Opolski-Roe, who contributed on both sides of the ball throughout the night, tripled to left-center field in the fifth and scored on a wild pitch to add an insurance run.

The context behind the streak makes it more meaningful. Springstead made a playoff run last season, but the program entered 2026 having lost several key starters to graduation. Former coach David Cazanas departed. Standout shortstop Nathaniel Sabino left for a baseball academy in Orlando. Several other projected starters transferred to different schools. Baudendistel was not hired until just before the season began, and the Eagles stumbled out of the gate before stringing together this three-game run.

With the confidence of three straight wins now behind them, Springstead's youth-laden roster has given the program a reason to believe the rebuilding year is turning a corner.