Foresters claim easy victory at NBCWS

2026 NBC WORLD SERIES

FORESTERS OPEN NBC WORLD SERIES WITH MERCY-RULE SHUTOUT

Vista’s Noah Waldeck works five scoreless innings as 10-time champions blank Great Bend; Blackfins and BTL Hornets also prevail

By ECS staff

WICHITA, Kan. — On a hot, humid and windy Friday at Wichita State’s Eck Stadium, the Santa Barbara Foresters looked every bit like a 10-time National Baseball Congress champion.

Santa Barbara opened the 92nd NBC World Series with an emphatic 8-0 mercy-rule victory over the Great Bend Bat Cats, receiving RBI from seven different players and allowing only four hits over seven scoreless innings.

The Foresters’ roster includes three players from San Diego County: Noah Waldeck (Tri-City Christian), San Diego native and UC San Diego infielder Addison Klepsch, and San Diego native Joey Wittig (Maranatha Christian), a right-handed pitcher from Louisiana Tech.

Waldeck immediately gave the local contingent a performance worth following.

The 6-foot-5 right-hander from Vista threw five scoreless innings, allowing two hits while striking out five and walking two. Great Bend put its leadoff hitter aboard several times, but Waldeck repeatedly escaped without permitting a run.

His defense supplied early assistance. Kurt Ippolito made a diving catch to prevent a run in the first inning, and Sawyer Farr doubled a runner off first after catching a line drive in the second.

Catcher Zane Becker helped Waldeck escape another threat in the fifth by back-picking a runner at first base.

Santa Barbara took the lead in the first when Chris Newstrom singled home Carter Rutenbar, who had opened the inning with a single. The Foresters extended the advantage to 2-0 in the third after Brady Janusek tripled to the warning track and scored on Rutenbar’s second hit.

The game remained close until Santa Barbara sent 10 batters to the plate during a five-run sixth inning.

Klepsch began the outburst with an RBI single. Ippolito, Becker, Janusek and Rutenbar also drove in runs as the Foresters extended their advantage to 7-0.

Daniel McAuliff, a late addition from Pittsburgh, made his Foresters debut in relief of Waldeck and worked two scoreless innings.

Donovan LaSalle ended the game in the bottom of the seventh. After entering as a pinch-runner and remaining as the designated hitter, LaSalle lifted a wind-aided drive over the center-field wall for a solo home run that activated the eight-run mercy rule.

Santa Barbara collected 10 hits. Rutenbar went 2-for-3 with two RBI, while Caleb Hoover also had two hits. The Foresters turned two double plays and did not allow Great Bend to mount a sustained threat.

Santa Barbara will meet the BTL Hornets at 10 p.m. Pacific Saturday in a matchup between the two opening-game winners in Pool C. The game will be streamed free on the NBC World Series YouTube channel.

BLACKFINS RALLY PAST TPA TEXAS

Patrick Klinkenberg delivered the go-ahead single in the eighth inning as the Seattle Blackfins rallied past TPA Texas, 6-5.

Klinkenberg opened the scoring with a solo home run, while Camden Raymond went 2-for-4 with three RBI. Raymond homered to tie the game in the fifth and delivered another game-tying hit with an 0-2 double in the seventh.

Reidar Vane allowed only one hit over five scoreless relief innings, helping Seattle overcome deficits of 4-1 and 5-4. The Blackfins also turned three double plays.

BTL HOLDS OFF LIBERAL

The BTL Hornets built a five-run advantage and survived a late rally to defeat the Liberal Bee Jays, 7-5.

Levi Robertson held Liberal to two runs, one earned, on three hits over seven innings. Clayton Anderson went 3-for-4 with two RBI, while Quinn Groebl also drove in two runs.

Liberal scored three late runs to close the deficit, but the Hornets stopped the comeback and joined Santa Barbara atop Pool C.

FRIDAY’S RESULTS

• Seattle Blackfins 6, TPA Texas 5
• BTL Hornets 7, Liberal Bee Jays 5
• Santa Barbara Foresters 8, Great Bend Bat Cats 0
• Junction City Brigade 7, Oklahoma Lookouts 0

SATURDAY’S SCHEDULE

• Noon Central/10 a.m. Pacific — San Diego Stars vs. Hays Larks
• 3 p.m. Central/1 p.m. Pacific — Alaska Goldpanners vs. Tess’s Army
• 6 p.m. Central/4 p.m. Pacific — TPA Texas vs. Hutchinson Monarchs
• 9 p.m. Central/7 p.m. Pacific — Lonestar Baseball Club vs. Seattle Blackfins
• Midnight Central/10 p.m. Pacific — BTL Hornets vs. Santa Barbara Foresters

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