The 2026 Bulldog Baseball Program - One for the Record Books
- RoMoAthletics
- 11 hours ago
- 5 min read
May 22nd, 2026
After allowing a few days to pass for the initial pain of the season ending loss to a talented Eureka program, I was able to catch up with Coach Ken Hohe to reflect on this past season.
Heading into the season, there were big expectations for this senior laden ball club. They boasted 8 seniors with a ton of experience. Six of those seniors had signed to play baseball at the next level, including a Big 10 signee in highly touted centerfielder and speedster, Colton Petersmith.
Angelo State signee, Jenson Thomas, returned to lead the pitching attack for the Bulldogs. There was no question about Thomas’ ability to be the Ace of the program, but a big question heading into the season was whether they could get consistency in the arms to make it through a season.
A Team or Not A Team
While the 16th century playwright, William Shakespear, might not have a lot to do with sports in America, his famous line of “to be or not to be” sums up the beginning of the Bulldog Baseball season.
The start of the season was full of ups and downs. Moments of brilliance on the mound followed by a lot of walks. Pin point pitching placement to limit hits, but then allowing runners to reach base with 6 error games.
The season began with a 6-1 start where they put up a lot of runs to counter the quantity of errors that were showing up. They were not close to reaching their potential, but were still finding ways to win. There was a lot of excitement about this squad.
They then dropped 6 of their next 8 games,
There were questions. There was doubt. What type of team were they going “to be”.
Coach Hohe called a senior only meeting at the conclusion of the Missouri River Festival in Jefferson City, after they went 1-3 with 17 errors in those 3 losses.
The lone win came in the last game against St. Charles West which was a 10-0 2-hit shutout, where the Bulldogs only had 1 error.
The Bulldogs had decided what type of team they were going “to be” and proceeded to go on the historic 18 consecutive wins playing baseball at the level we expected to see. They showed the type of players they were. The type of team they were. They showed that they are Bulldogs.
2026 Varsity Bulldogs - By The Numbers
When talking with Coach Hohe about the team, he had a very succinct response, “I think the numbers for this team speak for themselves.”
The Numbers
26 Wins - School Record
18 Game Win Streak - School Record
8 Shutouts
6 Games Allowing 1 Run
4 No-Hitters
3 2-Hit Games
2 1-Hit Games
1 Perfect Game
Coach Hohe went on to point out that it wasn’t just a special season but a special group of players and coaches with 6 seniors going on to play at the next level.
“I also think this group was super tight and enjoyed being around each other on and off the diamond. They were a great group that found ways to win and have fun while doing it.”
We will recap the season and the historic run with Coach Hohe on an upcoming Inside the Huddle show.
It’s Called a Program
While it was clearly a special season for the Varsity team, success was found throughout the program. The program as a whole went 50-24 with all three teams being over .500 combining for a .675 winning percentage.
“All of our coaches worked their tails off this season,” said Coach Hohe. “Those guys are a huge part of our success and I don’t think they get enough of the credit.”
The Young Guns - Bulldog Freshmen Team
The Freshmen team was led by Coach Brian Owens and Coach Andrew Lott. Before they played their first game they lost 4 of their players as they moved up to the Junior Varsity Team.
But this team came together and finished their season 12-9. After a slow start as they were adjusting to school ball and a new line-up, this group finished the season going 10-1. In Coach Hohe’s words, “they caught fire once they got their footing.”
In a season full of Bulldog highlights, one of the best happened when the Freshmen team finished a long weekend by winning the Rolla C-Team Tournament. The freshmen squad had to battle back, scoring 6 runs in the bottom of the 7th, and a walkoff RBI by Ty Jenkins gave them the 13-12 victory over Capital City.
The varsity Bulldogs, who had returned from the Missouri River Festival, stuck around to cheer on the young Bulldogs. When the freshmen team won in dramatic fashion, the older boys mobbed the players and celebrated with the cooler dump. Ironically, the Varsity had ended their skid earlier that day with a win in the last game of the festival which kick-started their win streak.
You can read about the tournament win from the April 13th article BY CLICKING HERE
On Deck - The Junior Varsity Bulldogs
Coach Aaron Noellsch was at the helm of the Junior Varsity squad guiding them to a 12-7 season. Coach Hohe was impressed with how Coach Noellsch was able to move players around to not only be successful, but to grow their game and understand how they can impact the team.
When you graduate 8 seniors, you need to have a group of kids ready to step up not just in ability, but with an understanding of roles and how they fit into the roles that they are needed to play at that time.
“Coach Noellsch did a great job of alternating a number of key spots including catcher and pitcher finding ways to put our guys in the best position to be successful,” said Hohe. “Many nights we played 9th and 10th graders against legit JV teams with a lot of juniors and not only competed but won.”
On their way to the 12-7 record, the JV team recorded 3 shutouts and had 5 games where they allowed only 1 run. That included 3 no-hitters, 4 1-hit games, & 2 2-hit games.
2025 Assistant Baseball Coach of the Year - Zach Studdard
A critical piece of the Bulldog Baseball program is found in 2017 RHS alum, Coach Zach Studdard. Studdard was recognized by the Missouri Baseball Coaches Association (MHSBCA) as the 2025 Assistant Baseball Coach of the Year by the Missouri.
His fingerprints can be found on the success of this season's pitching staff. “Coach Studdard was awesome this year with our pitchers. He called every varsity pitch to the season and probably 95% of our JV pitches,” said Hohe.
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