by Scott DCamp
Sports Editor
The Northland baseball team wrapped up the 2026 season by taking three of four games from playoff-bound Minnesota North College – Hibbing in games played Friday and Saturday.
The Pioneers swept the home portion of the four-game series, taking both games of Friday’s doubleheader at Pioneer Field with strong pitching performances by Kyle Robinson and Brandon Castilleja.
Robinson got the start in game one and went the distance in the Pioneers 6-2 win. He allowed two runs, one of which was earned, on eight hits while striking out two. He did not walk a batter.
Castilleja also pitched a complete game in Friday’s nightcap, allowing four runs (three earned) on seven hits. He also did not walk a batter and finished the afternoon with five strikeouts.
Josiah Montelongo led the Pioneers at the plate in game one, going 2-for-4 with a home run, run scored and four RBI. Right fielder Rhett Sommerfeld went 2-for-3 at the plate and scored three runs.
In game two, the Pioneers broke a 4-4 tie with five unanswered runs to claim the 9-4 win. Austin Amesquita was the Pioneers’ RBI leader with three runs batted in. Montelongo led off for the Pioneers, went 3-for-4 at the plate, and scored three runs. Tristan Oriold-Marek also had a multi-hit game for the Pioneers going 2-for-3 with an RBI.
The series shifted to Hibbing Saturday where the Pioneers’ two runs in the top of the seventh to take the opener 8-6. Amesquita hit a one out single and scored the go-ahead run on a one-out double by Luis Mares. Mares would later advance to third on an error before scoring on an RBI single by Jeremiah Vallejo.
Seth LeFebre picked up the win on the mound for the Pioneers after allowing two runs on three hits, with six strikeouts in three innings of work.
The Pioneers had a chance to sweep the four-game series but were doomed by a 10-run fourth inning in the 17-10 loss to the Cardinals.
The Cardinals led 1-0 after one inning was complete. The score was 4-1 afer two, but the Pioneers kept battling to make it 5-4 after three.
The Pioneers took a brief 7-5 lead with three runs in the top of the fourth, but the Cardinals answered with the 10-run fourth to take a 15-7 lead.
The Pioneers plated a run in the fifth and two in the top of the sixth to get within five, before the Cardinals closed the door with two more runs in the bottom of the sixth.
Krosecky and Lopez hit home runs for the Pioneers in the 17-10 loss.
With the loss, the Pioneers finished the season 18-32 overall and 8-12 against MCAC North opponents. MNC-Hibbing improved to 12-21 overall with the win, while upping its division record to 11-9.
May 1 Game 1
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 R H E
MNCH 0 0 0 1 1 0 0 – 2 8 2
NCTC 0 4 1 0 1 0 X – 6 9 1
Batting
MNC-Hibbing AB R H RBI BB SO
ss David Cano 4 0 0 0 0 1
2b Takato Yokokawa 4 1 1 0 0 0
c Riley Nunn 3 0 1 0 0 0
1b Ethan Aranda 3 0 2 1 0 0
rf Yuma Koda 3 0 0 0 0 1
dh Dakota Banks 3 1 1 0 0 0
3b Joseph Nuncio 2 0 1 0 0 0
cf Andrew Gomez 2 0 0 0 0 0
lf Rheghon Larson 3 0 2 0 0 0
Totals 27 2 8 1 0 2
Highlights – 2B: Ethan Aranda, Dakota Banks, Rheghon Larson (2); RBI: Ethan Aranda; GIDP: Andrew Gomez; E: Takato Yokokawa, Quincy Cook; DP: Takato Yokokawa, Ethan Aranda, Joseph Nuncio.
Northland AB R H RBI BB SO
cf Josiah Montelongo 4 1 2 4 0 0
2b Jeremiah Vallejo 4 0 1 0 0 1
1b Jacob Krosecky 3 0 1 0 1 0
c Joel Fernandez 3 0 1 0 0 0
ss T. Oriold-Marek 3 0 0 0 0 0
rf Rhett Sommerfeld 3 3 2 0 0 0
dh Luis Lopez 1 1 0 0 1 0
lf Austin Amesquita 2 0 1 1 1 1
3b Luis Mares 2 1 1 1 0 0
p Kyle Robinson 0 0 0 0 0 0
Totals 25 6 9 6 3 2
Highlights – HR: Josiah Montelongo; RBI: Josiah Montelongo (4), Austin Amesquita, Luis Mares; Sac: Luis Lopez; GIDP: Luis Mares; SB: Rhett Sommerfeld; CS: Josiah Montelongo; E: Luis Mares ; DP: Jeremiah Vallejo, Jacob Krosecky (2), Tristan Oriold-Marek, Kyle Robinson.
Pitching
MNC-Hibbing IP H R ER BB SO
Landon Wood – L 2.0 5 4 4 2 2
Quincy Cook 4.0 4 2 1 1 0
Northland IP H R ER BB SO
Kyle Robinson – W 7.0 8 2 1 0 2
May 2 Game 2
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 R H E
MNCH 0 1 0 0 3 0 0 – 4 7 1
NCTC 3 0 0 1 1 4 X – 9 9 1
Batting
MNC-Hibbing AB R H RBI BB SO
ss David Cano 4 1 1 3 0 1
2b Takato Yokokawa 4 0 0 0 0 1
dh Riley Nunn 3 0 1 0 0 1
1b Ethan Aranda 3 0 1 0 0 0
rf Yuma Koda 3 0 0 0 0 0
c Dakota Banks 3 0 1 0 0 0
lf Brayan Rodriguez 2 1 1 0 0 0
3b Joseph Nuncio 2 1 1 0 0 1
cf Rheghon Larson 3 1 1 1 0 1
Totals 27 4 7 4 0 5
Highlights – 2B: Riley Nunn; HR: David Cano; RBI: David Cano (3), Rheghon Larson; GIDP: Yuma Koda; E: David Cano; DP: David Cano (2), Takato Yokokawa, Ethan Aranda, Joseph Nuncio, Rheghon Larson.
Northland AB R H RBI BB SO
lf Josiah Montelongo 4 2 3 0 0 0
2b Jeremiah Vallejo 1 1 0 0 1 0
dh Joel Fernandez 2 2 1 2 1 0
1b Jacob Krosecky 2 1 0 2 2 0
rf Rhett Sommerfeld 3 1 1 1 1 0
ss T. Oriold-Marek 3 0 2 1 0 1
c Austin Amesquita 3 0 1 3 0 1
cf T. Montgomery 3 0 0 0 0 0
Orwin Richardson 1 0 0 0 0 0
lf Jaedon Layne 0 0 0 0 0 0
3b Luis Mares 2 2 1 0 0 0
Totals 24 9 9 9 5 2
Highlights – 2B: Luis Mares; RBI: Joel Fernandez (2), Jacob Krosecky (2), Rhett Sommerfeld, Tristan Oriold-Marek, Austin Amesquita (3); Sac: Tristan Oriold-Marek; Sac Fly: Joel Fernandez, Austin Amesquita; GIDP: Orwin Richardson; SB: Rhett Sommerfeld; E: Jeremiah Vallejo; DP: Jeremiah Vallejo, Jacob Krosecky, Tristan Oriold-Marek.
Pitching
MNC-Hibbing IP H R ER BB SO
Logan Figga – L 3.0 6 4 4 3 1
Moises Acosta 2.0 3 5 4 2 0
Hunter Monson 1.0 0 0 0 0 1
Northland IP H R ER BB SO
B. Castilleja – W 7.0 7 4 3 0 5
May 2 Game 1
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 R H E
NCTC 0 0 0 6 0 0 2 – 8 5 1
MNCH 2 0 0 2 2 0 0 – 6 10 3
Batting
Northland AB R H RBI BB SO
2b Jeremiah Vallejo 3 1 1 2 1 0
lf Rhett Sommerfeld 2 0 0 1 3 0
1b Jacob Krosecky 3 0 0 1 0 1
dh Joel Fernandez 3 1 0 0 1 0
ss T. Oriold-Marek 4 1 1 0 0 0
c Austin Amesquita 4 1 1 0 0 0
3b Luis Mares 3 2 2 1 0 0
cf T. Montgomery 2 1 0 1 0 0
cf Josiah Montelongo 2 0 0 0 0 0
rf Adrian Leon 2 1 0 0 1 0
Totals 28 8 5 6 6 1
Highlights – 2B: Tristan Oriold-Marek, Luis Mares; RBI: Jeremiah Vallejo (2), Rhett Sommerfeld, Jacob Krosecky, Luis Mares, Thomas Montgomery; SB: Jeremiah Vallejo, Adrian Leon; E: Thomas Montgomery.
MNC-Hibbing AB R H RBI BB SO
ss David Cano 4 1 1 0 0 2
2b Takato Yokokawa 4 0 0 0 0 2
3b Jasiel Arocho 4 1 2 1 0 0
dh Riley Nunn 4 2 2 2 0 1
1b Ethan Aranda 4 0 1 0 0 0
rf Yuma Koda 3 0 2 1 0 0
3b Joseph Nuncio 0 0 0 0 0 0
lf Brayan Rodriguez 2 1 1 0 0 0
lf Andrew Gomez 1 0 0 0 0 0
c Dakota Banks 1 0 0 0 0 0
rf Seth Edgren 2 1 1 2 0 1
cf Rheghon Larson 3 0 0 0 0 2
p James Handsel 0 0 0 0 0 0
Totals 32 6 10 6 0 8
Highlights – 2B: Jasiel Arocho (2), Riley Nunn, Ethan Aranda; HR: Riley Nunn, Seth Edgren; RBI: Jasiel Arocho, Riley Nunn (2), Yuma Koda, Seth Edgren (2); SB: David Cano; E: Jasiel Arocho, Ethan Aranda, Dakota Banks.
Pitching
Northland IP H R ER BB SO
Zyon Koolman 4.0 7 4 4 0 2
Seth LeFebre – W 3.0 3 2 1 0 6
MNC-Hibbing IP H R ER BB SO
James Handsel – L 3.1 2 6 5 3 1
Yuma Koda 3.0 2 2 2 3 0
Jasiel Arocho 0.2 1 0 0 0 0
May 2 Game 2
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 R H E
NCTC 0 1 3 3 1 2 0 – 10 10 3
MNCH 1 3 1 10 0 2 X – 17 13 1
Batting
Northland AB R H RBI BB SO
2b R. Sommerfeld 5 1 2 1 0 2
ss T. Oriold-Marek 4 1 2 1 1 0
1b Jacob Krosecky 3 1 1 3 1 1
dh Luis Lopez 4 1 1 1 0 1
rf Kai Garlick 4 1 1 0 0 2
c Landen Bauer 3 2 1 1 1 0
3b Seth LeFebre 3 0 1 1 0 0
lf Orwin Richardson 2 1 0 0 0 2
Brandon Castilleja 0 0 0 0 1 0
cf Jaedon Layne 2 2 1 0 0 1
Nathan Minton 1 0 0 0 0 1
Totals 31 10 10 8 4 10
Highlights – 2B: Seth LeFebre; HR: Jacob Krosecky, Luis Lopez; RBI: Rhett Sommerfeld, Tristan Oriold-Marek, Jacob Krosecky (3), Luis Lopez, Landen Bauer, Seth LeFebre; Sac: Seth LeFebre; SB: Tristan Oriold-Marek, Kai Garlick, Landen Bauer, Orwin Richardson; E: Orwin Richardson, Brandon Billington (2).
MNC-Hibbing AB R H RBI BB SO
ss David Cano 3 1 0 1 1 1
2b Takato Yokokawa 3 3 2 2 2 1
c Riley Nunn 3 2 0 1 0 1
3b Jasiel Arocho 4 2 3 4 0 0
1b Ethan Aranda 4 2 1 1 0 1
dh Logan Figga 2 3 2 1 3 0
rf Seth Edgren 4 2 3 1 0 1
lf Andrew Gomez 5 0 1 3 0 2
cf Rheghon Larson 2 2 1 0 3 0
Totals 30 17 13 14 9 7
Highlights – 2B: Takato Yokokawa, Jasiel Arocho (2), Seth Edgren; HR: Takato Yokokawa, Jasiel Arocho; RBI: David Cano, Takato Yokokawa (2), Riley Nunn, Jasiel Arocho (4), Ethan Aranda, Logan Figga, Seth Edgren, Andrew Gomez (3); Sac Fly: David Cano; SB: Takato Yokokawa, Seth Edgren (2), Rheghon Larson; E: Jasiel Arocho.
Pitching
Northland IP H R ER BB SO
B. Billington – L 2.2 6 5 5 4 4
Noah Perrin 0.1 1 3 3 0 1
Natanael Garcia 0.0 0 3 3 1 0
Jeremiah Vallejo 2.0 3 4 4 4 2
Oriold-Climenhaga 1.0 3 2 1 0 0
MNC-Hibbing IP H R ER BB SO
Jaiden Walton – W 5.0 7 8 6 1 6
Hayden Willett 0.0 2 2 2 2 0
Jasiel Arocho 2.0 1 0 0 1 4