Former Wisconsin Standouts Help UW-Milwaukee Baseball Team To Stunning Victory in Opening Round of NCAA Tournament

Twenty-three Wisconsin high school players on roster as Panthers upset No. 4-ranked Auburn to earn first tournament victory since 1999.

Former Franklin standout Charlie Marion (22) of the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee baseball team celebrates a home run versus Auburn in a first-round NCAA Tournament regional game on May 29, 2026. | Jake Crandall/ Advertiser / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The exhilarating postseason run continued for the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee baseball team on Friday.

Fourth-seeded UW-Milwaukee hit two, three-run home runs as it defeated high-powered top-seeded No. 4-ranked Auburn 13-8 in the opening round of the NCAA Tournament at Plainsman Park in Auburn, Alabama.

Historic Upset in Auburn

It was the eighth consecutive victory for the determined Panthers, who improved to 26-31 overall on the season.

The stunning upset took on historical significance as it was only the second NCAA Tournament victory in program history and the first since 1999.

The Horizon League champion Panthers will face the winner of the rain-suspended North Carolina State-University of Central Florida matchup in the second round of the double-elimination regional Saturday at 7 p.m.

Wisconsin Talent Leads the Way

An impressive group of homegrown former high school talent occupy 23 spots on UW-Milwaukee's 34-player roster, including former Muskego standout Bradyn Horn and Franklin star Charlie Marion.

Horn and Marion Deliver the Big Blows

Horn, a sophomore left fielder, and Marion, a senior right fielder, each hit momentum-shifting three-run homers to fuel the Panthers' 16-hit offensive attack.

Former Muskego standout Bradyn Horn (20) celebrates his first-inning home run as the UW-Milwaukee baseball team defeated Auburn 13-8 in the opening round of the NCAA Tournament on May 29, 2026. | Jake Crandall/ Advertiser / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Senior catcher Joey Spence from West Bend East, redshirt senior third baseman Ross Grant from Pewaukee, and sophomore first baseman John Hadley IV from Sun Prairie East each contributed three hits.

Peterson Shuts the Door

Junior left-hander Riley Peterson from Verona was the winning pitcher, allowing five earned runs on five hits while striking out four and walking none over the final five innings.

Former Verona standout Riley Peterson (39) was the winning pitcher as the UW-Milwaukee baseball team defeated Auburn 13-8 in the opening round of the NCAA Tournament at Auburn, Ala. on May 29, 2026. | Jake Crandall/ Advertiser / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Panthers Embrace the Moment

UW-Milwaukee head coach Shaun Wegner was impressed with his team's ability to respond to the enormous challenge on the biggest stage of the season.

“We talked after we were able to beat Wright State (in the Horizon League Tournament) about how the job’s not finished," said Wegner, in a post-game interview with ESPN as referenced by John G. Schumacher of the UWM Report. "A lot of people are going to say we’ve got house money, we’ll play free, we’re not expected to win. Yeah, all those things are true, but what we’re trying to build here is a belief in a system, and these guys have bought into it. It’s the start of something special here in Milwaukee.”

Note: The complete list of former Wisconsin high school players is listed below including names in alphabetical order, high school, current class, and positions in parentheses.

Tyler Andrews, Whitefish Bay, sophomore (P)

Tristan Arnold, Mukwonago, redshirt sophomore (P)

Aiden Fishnick, Barneveld, redshirt junior (P)

Max Glusick, Sun Prairie East, freshman (UTL)

John Hadley IV, Sun Prairie East, sophomore (1B/OF)

Connor Harvie, Waterford, freshman (C)

Bradyn Horn, Muskego, sophomore (OF)

Dominic Kibler, New Berlin West, junior (C/OF)

Camden Kuhnke, Hortonville, junior (P/3B)

Turner Kuhnke, Hortonville, freshman (C)

Ryan Lemm, Janesville Craig, freshman (C/OF)

Charlie Marion, Franklin, senior (OF)

Matthew Mueller, Brookfield Central, senior (P)

Dylan O' Connell, Eau Claire Memorial, junior (OF)

Cade Palkowski, Oak Creek, sophomore (OF)

Riley Peterson, Verona, junior (P)

Grant Ross, Pewaukee, redshirt senior (INF)

Tate Schmidt, Greendale, junior (INF)

Joey Spence, West Bend East, senior (C/1B)

Braden Theis, Lake Country Lutheran, freshman (P)

Gavin Theis, Lake Country Lutheran, graduate student (P)

Alex Vander Loop, Kimberly, redshirt freshman (P)

Peter Visconti II, Kenosha St. Joseph, freshman (UTL)

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-- Jeff Hagenau | jeffreyhagenau@gmail.com