PREVIEW: Bears Hit the Road for Key Four-Game Stretch

Tuesday, March 31

USAFA, Colo.

3:00 p.m. MDT

University of Northern Colorado

Air Force

Lexie Martin | UNC Athletics

3/30/2026 10:50:00 AM | Baseball

By: Elian Soto, Assistant Director of Strategic Communications

GREELEY, Colo. - Northern Colorado baseball hits the road this week for a four-game stretch, beginning with a midweek match up before resuming to conference play over the weekend.

The Bears open the trip on Tuesday, March 31, traveling south to face Air Force at Erdle Field. The midweek clash presents an opportunity for UNC to reset against a Mountain West opponent. Following the single-game stop in Colorado Springs, the Bears will continue their road swing to Tulsa, where they resume Summit League play with a three-game series against Oral Roberts.

NOTES ABOUT THE BEARS: The Bears feature a balanced offensive attack, hitting .275 as a team with a .364 on-base percentage and 158 runs scored through 29 games. Logan Pruski leads the way at .352 with a team-best .441 OBP, while Zeke Minic (.344) and Sam Pease (.321) provide consistent production. Jaden Stone adds to the top of the lineup with a .306 average and a team-high 24 runs scored. Mason Griffin anchors the power, leading the Bears with four home runs and a .479 slugging percentage, while also driving in 18 runs alongside Pruski. UNC shows depth throughout the lineup with contributions from Brandon Sanchez and Jake Bullard, and they pressure defenses with 36 stolen bases on the year. As a group, Northern Colorado relies on getting on base, gap power, and aggressive base running.

SCOUTING AIR FORCE: Air Force sits at 10-5 overall with a 5–1 conference mark and a perfect 4–0 record at home. Offensively, the Falcons are hitting .296 as a team with a strong .408 on-base percentage and nearly nine runs per game, led by high-impact hitters like Bradshaw, Niednagel, Hanoian, and Garrish who combine contact, discipline, and power. They apply pressure with aggressive base running and consistent traffic on the bases. Air Force holds a 7.26 team ERA, with opponents hitting .298 with 30 home runs. Defensively, they are solid overall with a .968 fielding percentage.

ALL-TIME SERIES VS. AIR FORCE
Overall Series: AF Leads 34-30 (since 2003)
Last Meeting: UNC 9, AF 7 (April 29, 2025, in Greeley)
Current Trend: In their last 10 match ups, the Bears hold a 6-4 record.

SCOUTING ORAL ROBERTS: ORU currently holds 14–11, 6–0 in conference is a balanced group that wins with depth and situational execution. Offensively, the Golden Eagles are hitting .252 as a team with solid on-base ability (.358 OBP), led by Makani Tanaka .323, .563 SLG and Martell Davis .304, while Cooper Combs adds pop 4 HR, 15 RBI. On the mound, the staff holds 4.74 ERA with a strong bullpen core. Jack Hill 1.66 ERA, Weston Rouse 2.05, and Braydon Sanford 2.31 have been reliable late-game arms. Defensively, the team is steady with .982 fielding.

ALL-TIME SERIES VS. ORAL ROBERTS
Overall Series: ORU Leads 1-18 (since 2022)
Last Meeting: ORU 8, UNC 7 (May 11, 2025, in Tulsa)
Current Trend: The largest margin of victory for the Bears was 18-10 on April 13, 2025

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