HOT SPRINGS, Ark. – Despite a late-inning power surge and another 30-win campaign, the Harding baseball team saw its 2026 season come to a close on Saturday afternoon. The Bisons fell 9-4 to Northwestern Oklahoma State in an elimination game at the Great American Conference Tournament at Babe Ruth Field.
The loss marks the end of a standout season for Harding, which finished with a 30-20 overall record. This year represents the program's fifth consecutive season reaching the 30-win plateau, a testament to the consistency of the program under head coach Patrick McGaha.
The Game
Northwestern Oklahoma State (28-25) used the long ball to build an early cushion. Rangers starter Kyle Holzer turned in a resilient performance, tossing a 115-pitch complete game to stymie the Bison offense for much of the afternoon.
Harding starter Ryan Romolo (6-4) battled through early control issues, walking five across four innings. The Rangers finally broke a scoreless tie in the fourth on a two-out, two-run home run by Cole Barton. Northwestern then blew the game open in the fifth with a four-run frame highlighted by a three-run blast from Matthew Bailey, pushing the lead to 7-0.
Bison Fight Back
Refusing to go quietly, the Bisons finally broke through against Holzer in the sixth. Senior Nathan Bowie crushed a solo home run over the right-field wall to put Harding on the board. The home run was the 16th of Bowie's career and his 198th career hit, leaving him just two shy of the 200-hit milestone.
Harding's biggest threat came in the seventh inning. Phoenix West lined a single to right and Jack Opoien followed with a ground-rule double to right-center. After Johnathan Jackson drove in a run with a ground out, Bo Solley hammered an 0-2 pitch over the wall in right-center for a two-run home run. The blast cut the Rangers' lead to 9-4 and provided a spark of hope for a late-inning comeback.
However, Holzer proved too much to overcome, retiring six of the last seven Bisons to seal the win for the Rangers.
By The Numbers
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30 Wins: Harding has now recorded at least 30 wins in every season since 2021 (excluding the shortened 2020 season).
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Multi-Hit Game: Jack Opoien led the Harding offense, going 2-for-4 with his 12th double of the season.
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Bullpen Stability: Josiah Binford provided strong relief work in his final appearance, throwing two scoreless innings and striking out two.
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Career Marks: Nathan Bowie finishes the season leading the team in runs (60) and walks (41).
Season Notes
The 2026 Bisons will be remembered for several historic individual marks, including Cooper Newsom setting the new single-season RBI record (65) and Kyle Lane becoming the first pitcher in the program's NCAA era to start a season 9-0. Additionally, Logan Lacey set a new standard for consistency with a school-record 47-game reached-base streak.
