The Rockhurst baseball team opens the 2026 season at home this weekend against 23rd-ranked Davenport at Bourke Field. The three-game series was moved from Nashville, Tennessee to Kansas City due to a forecast of rain in the Nashville area.

"I like this team. We have a lot of energy in practice. We have a lot of new faces and we have more competition for jobs than we did last year," said head coach Gary Burns, who is going into his 33rd season at Rockhurst.

The Hawks, who lost 17 players, return six position players who started a minimum of 13 games last season. The pitching staff returns four pitchers who threw over 18 innings last year.

Michael Laudando returns for his fourth season at Rockhurst. He batted .367 with 16 extra-base hits and 44 RBI while posting a 7-3 record and 5.07 ERA on the mound in earning first team All-GLVC utility honors in 2025.

Joining Laudando in the rotation will be junior Brendan Rodis, Central Missouri transfer Jacob Merithew and freshman Keller Costello. Trent Clemons, Garrison Mertz, Landon Carr, Ryan Hamann and Meade Rutherford will carry the bullpen load.

"I like the depth of our starting rotation and bullpen. It's great to have Mike (Laudando) as our number one starter and number three hitting in the lineup," Burns said. "This is a good group. It's a matter of coming together as a unit."

The infield returns experienced players in Dakota Hanna, Michael Novak, Peyton Clerk and Avery Garmon. Afton Koch and Braeden Barbee will see action in the infield and outfield. The outfield will be led by a pair of newcomers in Josh Syfert, Colton Wemhoff and Luke Schultz. Luke Feucht, Tyler Strongman and Matt Bolinger will handle the catching duties.

The Hawks will play their first seven games at home before playing six games in a Florida tournament. Rockhurst begins conference play at Southwest Baptist on March 6. The regular season ends on May 2 at home against William Jewell.

Indianapolis and Illinois Springfield were picked first and second in the GLVC Preseason Coaches Poll. The Hawks, who finished 25-23 last year, finished 11th in the GLVC poll.