Baseball | 02.06.2026

LEWISTON, Idaho – Jeremiah Robbins returns to the helm of LC State Baseball for his seventh season overall after a seven-year hiatus but the goal has not changed: raise the Red Banner at the end of the season. The 2026 Warrior roster features 19 returners and a talented group of newcomers with their sights set on national title number 20.
 
In the time Robbins was away, the quality of baseball in the Cascade Conference has skyrocketed. For the first time in the short history the CCC has sponsored baseball, the Warriors were picked to finish second in the conference behind No. 10 British Columbia, a team that advanced to the Avista NAIA World Series last season. LC State checked in at No. 21 in the NAIA Preseason Top 25.
 
"We are very excited as we head into the 2026 season," Robbins said. "We open the season with quality opponents that will prepare us for the CCC season. The players have been working very hard and are ready to compete."
 
The players Robbins and the rest of the group will look to for leadership include Bulla Ephan, Noah Weintraub and Evan Canfield. Ephan has been part of the program for five years, following the footsteps of his father and brother, and earned the CCC's Gold Glove as a catcher in 2025. The senior hit .307 last season and threw out seven would-be base stealers.
 
Weintraub had a strong start to his junior campaign in 2025 but fell victim to injury at the beginning of conference play. Despite missing time, the outfielder totaled 50 hits throughout the year and scored 30 runs. Canfield, the ace of the pitching staff, made 12 starts last season and led the team with 64.2 innings pitched. He recorded a 6-2 record with a 3.76 ERA.
 
"Returning Bulla Ephan, Noah Weintraub and Evan Canfield is huge for the Warriors," Robbins explained. "They have established themselves as the leaders on the team. Whenever you return a group that has played a significant role the previous year, it helps tremendously."
 
Also on the list of returning players is All-Cascade Conference reliever Jackson Cloud. The senior led the Warriors with four saves in 2025 and held a 3.40 ERA in 47.2 innings pitched. Izzy Madariaga is back after being a key piece of the LC State infield last season. He hit .321 and slugged .575 in 30 games.
 
LC State has 22 new faces on its roster this season with a variety of experience. The newcomers range from graduate transfers from the NCAA Division I level, to a freshman just out of high school.
 
Names to watch include Brandon Nguyen, an outfielder from Glendale CC who hit .360 with 10 triples during his career there. Ryan Prescott and Kason O'Neil will compete for LC State in the batter's box as well as on the mound as true two-way players. Prescott joins the Warriors out of Walla Walla CC while O'Neil is a transfer out of the College of Southern Idaho.
 
On the mound, new arms Mason Goodson and Jordan Lennartson will be looked to for an immediate impact. Goodson maintained a 3.69 ERA at Bellevue CC while Lennartson was named First-Team All-NWAC with a 2.26 ERA at Umpqua CC.
 
"The 2025 team was a large group of seniors," Robbins said. "A lot of newcomers have embraced the challenge to continue the Warrior legacy. Brandon Nguyen has stepped into a huge role for us as our leadoff hitter. He's a dynamic player. Ryan Prescott and Kason O'Neil have established themselves as legitimate two-way guys that will help us on the mound and in the batter's box. Mason Goodson and Jordan Lennartson will add depth to our pitching staff. Overall, we are very excited about the first-year group that chose to be a part of LC State Baseball."
 
LC State opens the 2026 season at home with a doubleheader against NCAA Division III Whitworth on Feb. 7. The Warriors wrap up early non-conference play against Texas A&M-Texarkana Feb. 13-14 at Harris Field.
 
Cascade Conference play starts on Feb. 20 when the Warriors head north of the border to take on UBC for a four-game set in Vancouver, B.C., then travel to Portland to take on Warner Pacific (Ore.). LC State returns home for a three-game series against Bushnell (Ore.). The first three games of each series will count towards CCC records.
 
The Warriors open full CCC action, with all four games in a series counting toward the conference records, on Mar. 14 at Oregon Tech. LC State will host three straight home weekends starting Mar. 20 against Corban (Ore.), College of Idaho and UBC. The Warriors take on Eastern Oregon and Bushnell on the road before a break from conference play for a twin bill at NCAA Division II Central Washington on Apr. 21.
 
The regular season will conclude with a four-game series against Warner Pacific at Harris Field Apr. 24-26.
 
"The CCC will be very good from top to bottom," Robbins said. "It's going to be a dogfight for the title in 2026."
 
The CCC tournament is set for May 1-4 at the site of the regular season champion. The Warriors will host an NAIA Opening Round, presented by Avista, May 11-14, and the Avista NAIA World Series is set for May 22-30 at Harris Field.
 
UP NEXT
LC State hosts Whitworth on Feb. 7 in a doubleheader starting at 10 a.m. Game one will be nine innings and game two will be a shortened seven innings.
 
Stay up to date with all things Warrior Athletics at lcwarriors.com and on social media @LCWarriors.