As the final out was recorded at Babb field in Baltimore, Maryland, the typical emotions poured out from the home sideline. The Blue Jays of Johns Hopkins skipped across the grass with glee, eager to revel in their fourth straight Centennial Conference championship. On the visitor’s side, frustration and despair would be expected, in the wake of a crushing loss. But a glance at Ursinus’s bench would show heads held high, even in the midst of a disappointing result.
“Built on toughness, growth, and belief, the 2026 Ursinus Bears showed what it means to stay on course,” Head Coach Kyle Lindsay told Ursinus Athletics postgame. That same toughness was reflected as the team sauntered off the field, a testament to the character of a team that will be hard to forget.
The Bears entered the season projected to finish just eighth in the conference, after failing to reach the playoffs since 2017. The expectation was yet another season of inconsistency from a young roster, hardly a threat to the rest of the conference.
Instead, Ursinus rocketed out to a hot start, led by one of the best offenses in the conference. The deadly top of the lineup, led by Brandon Sullivan ‘27, Matthew Callahan ‘28, Luke Kopec ‘28, and Brett Barrett ‘29, took the league by storm, rolling to a 7-game win streak to begin March.
Questions still remained, however, about how the team would handle Centennial Conference opponents. The Bears had gone just 5-13 in consecutive years in conference, failing to rise to the challenge against their toughest opponents.
The road wasn’t always easy, but the Bears were able to escape conference play with a 9-9 record, their best in almost a decade. The team battled in multiple one-run losses, including against tough opponents like Johns Hopkins, hinting at potential for better play come postseason time.
Even making the postseason was a serious accomplishment for the program. The team, however, eyed more. The “belief” Coach Lindsay referenced was on full display in the team’s first-round game against Gettysburg, taking down a veteran team with ease. Callahan and Sullivan were key contributors, while Jamie O’Neill ‘29 and Alex Grehawick ‘28 looked strong on the mound. Ursinus sent a message: they were not scared of the moment, no matter how large.
The Bears’ next game in the double-elimination playoff tournament proved to be a test of that message. Ursinus fell 8-7 to Johns Hopkins, hitless in the final two innings of the loss. The team would have to respond, with another loss knocking them out of the postseason tournament, and needing multiple wins to rally to the championship game.
It was Ursinus’s upperclassmen talent which helped them rise to the challenge, taking down both Washington College and McDaniel in shocking fashion. Dan Bass ‘26 delivered one of his best career performances when it mattered most, pitching a complete game against Washington. Max Shilstone ‘26 then allowed just 3 runs in 7 innings against McDaniel, before an insurance run by Shane Beaver ‘26 sealed a win for the Bears. When it needed them most, the team’s leadership rose to the challenge, leading them to their third ever championship appearance.
The ending was far from what Ursinus had hoped for. After multiple competitive games throughout the regular season, the Blue Jays took the lead and never looked back, blasting their way to an 11-2 victory. With a strong season in the books though, the Bears look to continue to build in 2026, having established themselves as a team to watch for in years to come. Lindsay accredited the team’s seniors, in a postgame interview with Ursinus Athletics, for helping mold this team into form.
“They have laid the foundation of who we are, and where we’re headed,” he said.