Westfield, Ind. - DePauw opened the 2025 season with a pair of games at Grand Park and came away with a split including an 8-6 win over 14th-ranked Case Western Reserve and a 6-3 defeat to Monmouth (Ill.). The win was the first career victory for DePauw head coach Jordan Niespodziany.

The Tigers jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the Case Western game as they took advantage of two first-inning errors.

The Spartans countered with two in the bottom of the sixth as Dane Camphausen singled home Nate Arterburn and Tyler Stillson drove in Jack Anderson with a base hit.

Nate Hulen led off the DePauw seventh with a walk and moved to second on Bryson Dorsey's sacrifice and to third on Tyler Walkey's single. Hulen later scored on a wild pitch.

Franco Alonso's solo homer in the seventh trimmed the DePauw lead to 4-3, but the Tigers matched that in the top of the eighth with a solo run as Louis Florida singled home Carter Knoll who led off with a double.

The Tigers added three runs in the top of the ninth with Dorsey leading off with a triple before Aidan Howard was hit by a pitch. Max Bond singled home Howard and Grady Johnson plated Howard with a single. Knoll's double brought home Bond and extended DePauw's lead to 8-3.

The Spartans loaded the bases in the bottom of the ninth as Stillson singled before Nick Harms walked and Alonso singled. Jay Smith's single brought home Stillson and Arterburn's single scored Alonso and Harms. The Tigers turned a double play to wrap up the win.

DePauw totaled 10 hits as Bond, Knoll, Florida and Walkey each had two. The Spartans totaled nine hits including Alonso's two.

Pearse Riendeau picked up the win after going six innings and allowing four hits while striking out eight and walking just one. Finn O'Meara pitched two-thirds of an inning and collected the save. Kyle Gearding took the loss.

In the Monmouth game, the Fighting Scots took a 1-0 lead in the first as Alexander Dye drove in Daniel Lummus with a single.

The Tigers evened the score in the fourth as Knoll drew a one-out walk, moved to third on Florida's double and scored on Chase Stratman's grounder.

DePauw took a 3-1 lead in the bottom of the seventh as Walkey led off with a walk and stole second before Howard and Bond walked to load the bases. Johnson followed with a two-run single.

Zach Almague led off the eighth with a walk and pinch-runner Jacob Blunck moved to second on a wild pitch. Lummus delivered a triple that scored Blunck and then came home on a wild pitch to tie the score at 3-3.

Aidan Parkin walked with one out in the ninth before Aiden Scott doubled him home. After Jonas Buckle was hit by a pitch, Blunck singled home Scott. Gabe Zeigler singled home Blunck and Buckle to make it 6-3.

Bond and Florida each had two of DePauw's eight hits. Lummus and Dye each had two of Monmouth's nine hits.

Nate Tencza started and went six innings and struck out nine without allowing a walk. Jamison Lewis suffered the loss in relief. Owen Wolfe earned the win and Nick Villa picked up the save.

DePauw returns to action on Friday, Feb. 28, when it face Sewanee at 3  p.m. CST in the opening game of a four-game series.