BREWTON, Ala. — The Jones College Bobcats opened their 2026 baseball season with a doubleheader sweep at Coastal Alabama-North on Wednesday. The Bobcats won Game 1 8-1 and Game 2 8-4, with standout performances from their pitching staff and hitters.
Jones pitchers struck out 28 batters and allowed four earned runs across the two games. Starter Caden Freeman earned the win in relief, with Brayson Graham and Colton Smith combining for 13 strikeouts. Smith pitched 3.2 innings and struck out seven, earning the victory. Trevor Hodges recorded his first collegiate save with 3.1 innings of scoreless relief.
At the plate, Chase Russell and Brayson Graham each homered. Russell’s shot in the fourth gave Jones a 2-0 lead, and Graham’s homer followed three batters later to extend the advantage. In Game 2, Dylan Champagne and Sanders Ainsworth delivered two-run singles in the seventh inning, helping push the final score to 8-4. Tucker Carlson hit a solo home run for Coastal Alabama-North in the fifth inning.
Jones built a 3-0 lead in Game 2 before Coastal Alabama-North nearly rallied. A controversial infield fly call in the sixth inning nearly cost Jones but was followed by a run scored on a balk. Talan Theriot then delivered a two-run single to tie the game at 3-3. The Bobcats responded with a five-run seventh inning, including two bases-loaded walks, to secure the win. Coastal Alabama loaded the bases in the bottom of the seventh, but Russell struck out three of the final four batters to preserve the victory.
The Bobcats are set to host third-ranked East Central in a doubleheader Monday at 2 p.m. The games will be played at home with tickets costing $8 online or $10 at the gate. The doubleheader will also stream live at jcbobcats.com/watch.
