CARMEL, Ind. – The Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference (HCAC) baseball teams competed in week seven of the 2026 season.
 
Athletes of the Week:
Pitcher of the Week:
Drew Bowles (Lexington, Ky.) Transylvania University | Pitcher | Junior - Drew Bowles delivered a strong outing on the mound in a 19–0 win over Berea, tossing five innings while allowing just two hits and two walks, and striking out eight. He continues to lead the conference with a 2.14 ERA.

Notable Performances:

• Rhet Heckman (Spencer, Ind.) Anderson University | Pitcher | Freshman - Rhet Heckman recorded a seven-inning complete-game win against Mount St. Joseph. He posted a 1.29 ERA, a 1.29 WHIP, and a .240 opponent batting average. Heckman struck out five batters, issued three walks, and allowed one run on six hits.
• Ayden Spriggs (North Lewisburg, Ohio) Bluffton University | Third Base | Senior - Ayden Spriggs hit .417 with two RBI and four runs scored in three games for Bluffton. He also drew three walks and slugged .750, thanks to a home run and a double.
• Jayce Emmitt (Columbus, Ind.) Bluffton University | Pitcher | Freshman - Jayce Emmitt did not allow any runs in 2 2/3 innings of relief across two appearances over the weekend. He struck out two and held opponents to a .222 batting average.
• Noah Wagster (Fairfield, Ohio) Earlham College | Infield | Sophomore - Noah Wagster had a strong week at the plate, helping Earlham sweep Bluffton to take the top spot in the HCAC standings. The sophomore infielder went 9-for-14 with three runs scored and two RBI. Wagster posed a problem for opposing pitching on the basepaths, going 6-for-6 on steal attempts.
• Cayman Huntsman (Lebanon, Ind.) Earlham College | Pitcher | Junior - Cayman Huntsman earned a win over Bluffton this weekend, tossing 5 2/3 scoreless innings with five strikeouts. Huntsman allowed just five hits in the outing.
• Alex Billman (Fishers, Ind.) Franklin College | Catcher | Sophomore - Alex Billman was rock solid at the plate and behind it during a doubleheader split with Manchester at Kokomo. In game one, he went 2-for-4 with a run and two RBI, one of those on a bases-loaded walk that put the go-ahead run on base in the top of the ninth inning. Billman added two more hits as the Grizzlies won the nightcap, hitting an RBI double and scoring a run.
• John Girard (Richmond, Ky.) Hanover College | Pitcher | Senior - John Girard led Hanover to a 9-7 victory in game one against Rose-Hulman. The senior pitched six complete innings allowing just one earned run on seven hits. He added four strikeouts, throwing just 90 pitches through six.
• Jack Shaeffer (West Lafayette, Ind.) Hanover College | Pitcher | Freshman - Jack Shaeffer was clutch at the plate for Hanover as it claimed game one against Rose-Hulman, 9-7. The first-year went 2-for-4 with four RBI and two home runs. He added a clutch home run in the eighth inning that ultimately became the game's final run.
• Joel Kennedy (Mooreland, Ind.) Manchester University | Designated Hitter/First Base | Senior - Joel Kennedy had a productive weekend against Franklin. Kennedy went 3-for-8 at the plate, smashing two home runs and drove in four RBI.
• Andrew Clements (New Albany, Ind.) Mount St. Joseph University | Designated Hitter/First Base | Senior - Andrew Clements had a big series against Anderson this weekend. For the series he was 5-for-8 with two runs scored, a double, a triple, and two walks. For the weekend his on-base percentage was .727.
• Nolan Miller (Cincinnati, Ohio) Mount St. Joseph University | Pitcher | Junior - Nolan Miller pitched eight innings, allowing only five hits and one earned run, while striking out seven against Anderson. After a 45 minute lightning delay during the seventh inning, he returned to pitch a perfect eighth to keep the Lions in the game. 
• Jackson Harms (Irving, Texas) Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology | Outfield | Sophomore - Jackson Harms hit 2-4 at the plate in Rose-Hulman's 9-7 loss to Hanover. He matched his season-high with four RBI, while recording one run, one double, and one home run.
• Chris Hedinger (Jasper, Ind.) Transylvania University | Outfield | Junior - Chris Hedinger put together a strong week at the plate for Transylvania. Against Spalding, Hedinger went 2-for-4 with two runs scored, four RBI, and a home run. He followed in the Berea doubleheader by drawing a walk and scoring a run in game one, before going 3-for-4 with two runs, three RBI, and a double in game two.

Looking Forward:
HCAC Baseball Standings

Around the League:
HCAC Baseball Schedule