Blue Wahoos Walked off By Barons In Birmingham
May 29, 2026
The Pensacola Blue Wahoos fell 7-4 in 10 innings to the Birmingham Barons on Thursday night, failing to hold a pair of leads and surrendering a three-run walk-off homer to Anthony DePino.
A Connor Caskenette sacrifice fly and Dylan Jasso two-run double gave the Blue Wahoos a 3-0 lead in the second against Barons starter Dylan Cumming. The next three Pensacola innings would be snuffed out by ground ball double plays turned by the Birmingham infield.
Eliazar Dishmey started for the Blue Wahoos in his Double-A debut, flashing swing-and-miss stuff before running into trouble his second time through the order. He allowed a solo homer to Drake Logan in the third, and issued a pair of walks in the fourth that came in to score on a Wilfred Veras groundout and Jorge Corona RBI single to tie the game 3-3. Dishmey allowed three runs in 4.0 innings while striking out six and walking four.
Fenwick Trimble singled, took second on an error, and scored on a passed ball in the sixth inning to put Pensacola ahead once more 4-3. Kade Bragg worked 2.1 scoreless innings of relief, but Jack Sellinger surrendered doubles to DePino and Jeral Perez in the eighth to tie the game 4-4.
The Blue Wahoos were unable to bring home their placed runner in the top of the 10th against Jonathan Clark (W, 1-0), and Colby Martin (L, 1-2) was placed in a tough spot when entering in the bottom half of the frame. After a stolen base and an intentional walk, DePino launched a walk-off blast for a 7-4 final.
The Blue Wahoos continue their series against the Barons on Friday evening.
written by Erik Bremer
Wahoos Rock Rickwood In Historic Offensive Onslaught, Beat Barons 23-4
May 28, 2026
Playing for the first time at historic Rickwood Field, the oldest professional ballpark in America, the Pensacola Blue Wahoos made some history of their own in a blowout 23-4 win over the Birmingham Barons.
Playing as the Negro League’s Pensacola Seagulls, the Blue Wahoos enjoyed the pregame celebration of the ballpark’s storied past before setting single-game team records in hits (26), homers (7) and runs scored (23). Two buses of Blue Wahoos season ticket members and gameday staff who made the trip to Birmingham and were seated above the Pensacola dugout saw a game unlike any other in franchise history.
Among the many superlatives, Fenwick Trimble went 5-for-6 with a homer, finishing a triple shy of the cycle in just the fifth five-hit game in team history. Ian Lewis Jr. hit a pair of homers and drove in four, Emaarion Boyd was 4-for-6 with a double and RBI, Juan Matheus and Aiva Arquette each hit their first Double-A homers, Jay Beshears hit the team’s first grand slam of the season, and Dillon Lewis hit his team-leading 11th homer.
Every Blue Wahoos starter had at least one hit, making things easy for starting pitcher Alex Williams (W, 2-4). The righty worked 6.0 innings in a quality start, allowing four runs, three earned. Barons starter Connor McCullough (L, 0-2) labored through 2.1 innings, allowing three first-inning runs and departing in the middle of a five-run third that put Pensacola up for good.
Matheus and Lewis Jr. each went deep in the third, and Trimble and Beshears each hit their homers in the fifth. Lewis Jr., Lewis and Arquette capped the record-setting game with homers in the ninth inning, giving the Blue Wahoos a team-record seven homers overall.
Nigel Belgrave and Gabe Bierman combined to finish off the game with 3.0 scoreless innings of relief.
With the 19-run win, tied for the most lopsided in the team’s 14-year history, the Blue Wahoos are back above .500 at 24-23 with four games remaining in their road series in Birmingham.
The Blue Wahoos continue their series against the Barons on Thursday evening.
Written by Erik Bremer
‘Returning Home’: Former Aggie Standout Misti Nims Named Tate Head Softball Coach
May 27, 2026
Misti Nims has been named the next head softball coach at Tate High School.
A native of Cantonment and a 1996 Tate graduate, Nims is returning home to lead the Aggies program she once helped build as a student-athlete.
During her time at Tate, Nims was a four-year starter in softball and helped lead the Aggies to the program’s first-ever Fastpitch Softball Final Four appearance in 1995. She was also a two-year starter for the volleyball team. Following her standout high school career, she earned a softball scholarship to Pensacola Junior College, where she was an All-Academic Team member and All-Conference first baseman.
Nims continued her education at the University of West Florida, earning a bachelor’s degree in sports science and a master’s degree in health, leisure, and exercise science/physical education.
Her coaching career began in 2001 at Jefferson Davis Community College, now Coastal Alabama Community College, where she served as head softball coach for more than two decades. During her tenure, she guided the program to 14 conference tournament appearances and was named the 2015 ACCC Softball Coach of the Year. She has also produced countless NJCAA Academic All-Americans, All-Region players, and All-Conference selections while helping numerous student-athletes continue their careers at the next level. She also served as head volleyball coach from 2003-2013 before focusing solely on softball.
In 2023, Nims was named head men’s and women’s cross country coach at Coastal Alabama following a major restructuring of the athletic department. In her first three seasons, the men’s cross country program earned national rankings each year, climbing as high as No. 11 nationally. The program also captured its first race victory, produced an ACCC Runner of the Week and All-Region selection, and qualified for the national meet all three seasons.
Nims also joined the West Florida High School softball staff in 2024 as an assistant coach, helping lead the Jaguars to two district championships and a regional semifinal appearance.
“Tate softball has a proud tradition, and we are excited to welcome one of our own back home to lead the program,” said Tate Principal Laura Touchstone. “Coach Nims brings a tremendous amount of experience and passion. Her success at the collegiate level, combined with her deep roots in the Tate community, make her an outstanding fit to lead our softball program into the future. We are excited for the future of Tate softball under Coach Nims’ leadership.”
“I am very excited to lead the Aggies back into a championship program,” said Nims. “I want our athletes to be proud to wear the ‘T’ across their chest and bring back a sense of pride and tradition to being an Aggie. I want to thank Mrs. Touchstone, Coach Blackmon, and the administration for entrusting me to lead this program. I also want to thank Coach Wyatt for all her years of success and for bringing home the first state championship. I plan to build on that success, and I cannot wait to get started.”
Melinda Wyatt retired at the end of the 2026 season, after 31 years as a varsity and junior varsity coach for the Tate softball program. She served 22 of those years as head coach.
Wahoos Drop Series Opener To Birmingham
May 27, 2026
The Pensacola Blue Wahoos dropped the opener of their road series against the Birmingham Barons on Tuesday night, falling by a score of 8-4.
After an afternoon filled with a dozen roster transactions, including the arrivals of infielders Aiva Arquette and Juan Matheus from High-A Beloit, the Blue Wahoos couldn’t get their offense going as they slipped back to .500 at 23-23.
The Barons took a quick 2-0 lead against Blue Wahoos starter Jacob Miller (L, 1-3) thanks to a second-inning RBI single from Jeral Pérez and a third-inning sacrifice fly from Alec Makarewicz. Cristian Hernández tied the game for Pensacola with a two-run homer in the fourth inning.
Birmingham took the lead for good in the fourth inning, loading the bases against Miller before reliever Luis Palacios served up a go-ahead grand slam to Colby Shelton. The Barons tacked on two more in the sixth inning with a two-out, two-run double from Makarewicz against reliever Livan Reinoso.
Dylan Jasso singled home Connor Caskenette in the top of the seventh inning and brought him in again in the ninth on a sacrifice fly, but the Barons bullpen held onto the lead for an 8-4 final.
Matheus was 2-for-3 with a double in his Double-A debut, and Arquette hustled out an infield single for his first Double-A hit in a 2-for-4 night. Caskenette, making his season debut for the Blue Wahoos after appearing in 14 games in 2024, was 2-for-4 with a double. Reliever Holt Jones, also called up from Beloit, worked a 1-2-3 eighth inning with a strikeout in his debut.
The Blue Wahoos continue their series against the Barons on Wednesday afternoon as they play in “The Rickwood Game” at historic Rickwood Field in Birmingham.
written by Erik Bremer
Tate Aggies Baseball Celebrates 2026 Season, Seniors At Blue Wahoos Game
May 26, 2026
The Tate High School Aggies baseball team celebrated their 2026 season and its senior players last week at a Pensacola Blue Wahoos game.
Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Seven Unanswered Runs Earn Wahoos 9-5 Victory
May 25, 2026
The Pensacola Blue Wahoos battled from behind to pull off a 9-5 victory over the Columbus Clingstones on Sunday afternoon, anchored by productive contact and showstopping defensive plays.
Initially down 4-0 after troublesome pitching plagued the first two innings, the Wahoos (23-22) fought back with three runs in the third to threaten and four in the fifth to commandeer the series-securing game. Pensacola climbs back above the .500 mark for the second time this season against Columbus (21-23), doing so for the first time back on Wednesday.
Six Wahoos finished with two hits each on the 13-hit day, led by Fenwick Trimble who initiated the comeback with his sixth home run of the season, a three-run no-doubter that landed in the bay beyond left field. Sam Praytor had an excellent day at the plate with a 2-for-3 performance, scoring two runs and driving in one with a walk drawn. Dillon Lewis impressed with two doubles and two RBI.
Mason Vinyard (W, 2-1) earned his second win of the year with a stellar relief outing that allowed the Pensacola offense a moment to reset. Vineyard offered 4.0 innings of relief that saw just one hit, two walks and no runs allowed, picking up one strikeout.
The Wahoos got off to a rocky start in the first inning after a four-pitch walk issued to Columbus’ Luke Waddell turned into a run just a batter later. A David McCabe single into centerfield was misplayed by Dillon Lewis, and Waddell flew from first to home as the ball rolled into the deepest part of the park.
A subsequent hit-by-pitch and a walk would load the bases, and a fielder’s choice allowed McCabe to plate the second run of the evening for the Clingstones. Pensacola second baseman Payton Green stopped the bleeding however, leaping up to snag a line drive and turn the inning over.
Two more runs came across in the second inning for the visiting side. A two-out triple by Waddell into the right field corner pushed home Kevin Kilpatrick Jr. from second base, and Waddell would race home on a wild pitch to pad the Clingstones’ lead, 4-0.
Pensacola righted the ship in the bottom of the third. Sam Praytor registered the team’s first hit of the evening with a line drive into center field, followed by a well-executed bunt single by Emaarion Boyd. This set the table quite well for Trimble to launch a towering, three-run home run over left field, instantly making it a one-run ballgame.
The warmed Wahoo bats caught fire in the fifth. Cristian Hernandez and Trimble knocked consecutive singles into center off of Columbus’ Blake Enlow (L, 1-2), paving the way for Dillon Lewis to power a one-hop double off the wall in the left to score both runners and strip the lead, 5-4. Pensacola added a pair of insurance runs as line drive into left from Payton Green scored Lewis, and a previously walked Jay Beshears jogged home after Enlow balked.
The Clingstones got one back in the seventh after Patrick Clohisy got on base with a single, later stealing his way to third and scoring on a groundout to first base. It’d be false hope however, as the Wahoos answered back and more in the following half-inning. Dylan Jasso doubled to the wall in left, and Praytor sent him home with a double of his. Praytor would later score all the way from second base on a wild pitch, wrapping up the scoring for the home side, 9-5.
The Blue Wahoos will take Monday off before hitting the road for a series with the Birmingham Barons, the Double-A affiliate of the Chicago White Sox, beginning on Tuesday.
Registration Closes Monday For Molino Ballpark Flag Football Summer League
May 24, 2026
There’s still time to register for the Molino Ballpark Summer Flag Football League. The seven-week season will run on Friday nights from June 12 through July 31.
The co-ed league is open to ages 5–6, while separate boys’ and girls’ leagues are available for ages 7–14. Depending on the final registration numbers, some divisions may become co-ed.
The division formats and game times are structured as follows:
- Ages 5–8 (5v5): 30 minutes of practice followed by a 30-minute game.
- Ages 8–10 (5v5 or 6v6): 45 minutes of practice followed by a 30-minute game.
- Ages 11–14 (5v5 or 6v6): 45 minutes of practice followed by a 30-minute game.
The registration fee is $110 per player and includes a team jersey and a mouthguard. The final deadline to sign up is Monday May 25. Parents can register their children online by visiting www.molinoballpark.com. For more information, click here.
Milbrandt Fans 12, Extends Scoreless Streak In Dominant Blue Wahoos Win
May 24, 2026
The Pensacola Blue Wahoos beat the Columbus Clingstones 4-0 on Saturday night behind another overpowering start from their ace, Karson Milbrandt.
Milbrandt (W, 4-1), the reigning Southern League Pitcher of the Week, struck out a career-high 12 Columbus batters over 6.0 scoreless innings. He extended his scoreless innings streak to 23.0 innings, tied for the second-longest for a starting pitcher in Blue Wahoos franchise history, and lowered his league-leading ERA to a miniscule 1.06 that is the best in all of Minor League Baseball. It marked his fifth consecutive start of 6.0 innings, and got the Blue Wahoos back to the .500 mark at 22-22.
Cristian Hernández gave the Blue Wahoos an early 1-0 lead with a solo homer in the first inning off Clingstones starter Lucas Braun (L, 0-2). Fenwick Trimble added an RBI single in the third inning, and Ian Lewis Jr. doubled home a pair in the sixth for a 4-0 lead.
That would be more than enough for Milbrandt, the team’s top prospect and #9 prospect in the Marlins organization per MLB Pipeline. One week after tying a career high with 11 strikeouts in a win over Chattanooga, he bested his own mark with a dozen strikeouts to give him a league-leading 63 in 42.1 innings on the season.
Milbrandt’s 23.0 consecutive scoreless innings dating back to the second inning of his May 2 start now tie him with Deck McGuire for the fourth-longest scoreless streak in Blue Wahoos history, and another scoreless inning in his next appearance would surpass Tony Cingrani for the franchise record among starting pitchers. Reliever Lee Hyde, who worked 31.0 consecutive scoreless innings across 27 appearances in 2013, holds the all-time franchise record.
Jack Sellinger (S, 1) worked the final 3.0 innings to earn his first Double-A save, finish off the four-hit shutout and secure a series split for the Blue Wahoos, with a chance to win the series outright in Sunday’s finale.
The Blue Wahoos wrap up their series against the Clingstones on Sunday afternoon.
written by Erik Bremer
Late Lead Slips Away As Blue Wahoos Fall To Columbus Clingstones
May 23, 2026
The Pensacola Blue Wahoos fell to the Columbus Clingstones by a final score of 6-5 on Friday night, allowing four late runs to spoil what had been a dominant pitching performance.
With the loss, the series between the Wahoos (21-22) and Clingstones (21-21) is even at 2-2, following Columbus’ 4-3 win on Thursday night. The Wahoos fell to third place in the South Division standings of the Southern League.
Pensacola scored five runs on 11 hits while drawing five walks, while Columbus plated six runs on five hits and collected eight walks – despite having only one hit through the first seven innings. Notable on the night was Pensacola’s Gage Miller, who went 3-for-3 with a run driven in. Emaarion Boyd, Garret Forrester and Fenwick Trimble contributed two hits each and plated four of the team’s five runs.
In his third start of the year, Luis Palacios offered 3.2 strong innings in his longest outing in May at the Double-A level. He gave up no hits while allowing one earned run and four free bases, collecting five strikeouts. As a whole, the Wahoos pitching staff generated 14 strikeouts against the Clingstones offense.
Boyd got the scoring started in the bottom of the second, ripping a single through the right side to drive in Forrester. The Wahoos kept up the pressure just an inning later, with Trimble and Dillon Lewis getting aboard on back-to-back singles and advancing on an overthrow by the Clingstones’ right fielder. Forrester delivered, pushing a two-out single into right field to extend Pensacola’s lead to 3-0.
Columbus answered back in the top of the fourth with an RBI groundout to Payton Green at shortstop. With two outs and runners on the corners, Forrester prevented any further damage by throwing out the runner at second base.
Yet, the Clingstones stayed persistent. Another groundout by Columbus’ Kevin Kilpatrick Jr. drove in another run in the fifth, cutting the Wahoos’ lead in half at 4-2.
Pensacola’s pitching staff held off Columbus in the following innings, sitting down the batters in order in the sixth and seventh. The Blue Wahoos extended their lead in the bottom of the seventh as Gage Miller powered a single up the middle to score Forrester from second base.
However, it seemed the Clingstones’ bats warmed up at just the wrong time. With the bases loaded in the top of the eighth, reliever Colby Martin let up an Archer Brookman single into right field to score two runners and bring the lead within one, 5-4. Pitcher Owen Hackman (W, 1-1) walked away with the win, giving up a double but inducing two groundouts and a flyout from the Wahoos in the bottom of the eighth.
Columbus would tie the game in the top of the ninth against Nigel Belgrave (L, 1-4) with a Patrick Clohisy RBI double into right, and Lizandro Espinosa followed with a go-ahead RBI single. Pensacola went down in order to Columbus’ Luis Vargas (S, 1) in the following half inning to cement the loss, 6-5.
The Blue Wahoos continue their series against the Clingstones on Saturday.
written Maddy Branning
UWF Announces First Division 1 Season Schedule
May 22, 2026
University of West Florida football has released its 2026 schedule with a slate of five home games and six away games in the first season as NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision members. In anticipation of the new era of Argo football as members of the United Athletic Conference, season ticket renewals are now available for current ticket holders.
“This new era of Argonaut Athletics reflects the momentum and vision that continues to elevate UWF, and we look forward to seeing Argo Nation rally behind our team throughout this inaugural FCS season,” said UWF President Manny Diaz Jr.
The schedule combines established FCS programs, conference matchups and longtime regional opponents as UWF prepares for its first season at the DI level.
“We are looking forward to the 2026 UWF Football Season which will bring new opponents at the Division I level both on campus and on the road,” said head coach Kaleb Nobles. “We really wanted to give our team an opportunity to play a near full schedule of DI opponents during our first FCS season and we feel that this gives our entire program an opportunity to showcase the work that we put in to play great football each week. With our transition to the DI level, we spoke with a large number of teams across the country to set up what we feel like is a great schedule this year. We look forward to a great season in our first year in the UAC and on the DI level.”
SCHEDULE BRINGS IN NEW OPPONENTS AND REIGNITES OLD RIVALRIES
The Argos will open the season with a headliner matchup against Southern Illinois on Aug. 27 at Pen Air Field. The visiting Salukis went 7-5 in the 2025 season including a win over No. 11 ranked Illinois State to close out the regular season. Kick off is scheduled for 6 p.m. CT for the Thursday night opener.
UWF will then hit the road for its first-ever UAC game on Sept. 5 against Central Arkansas. Kickoff is scheduled for 6 p.m. CT.
Following a bye week, the Argos return home to host UAC member Austin Peay on Sept. 19 during Family Weekend at UWF. Kick off is scheduled for 6 p.m. CT.
UWF will then have two straight weeks on the road with games against Southeast Missouri State on Sept. 26 and Abilene Christian on Oct. 3. UAC co-champion Abilene Christian was 7-1 in the conference last year and made a run into the FCS playoffs where they defeated Lamar in the first round before falling to Stephen F. Austin. Gametime for Southeast Missouri State is to be determined, while kickoff against ACU is scheduled for 7 p.m. CT.
The Argos return home for two consecutive games against familiar NCAA Division II opponents Northeastern State on Oct. 10, and West Alabama during UWF’s Homecoming on Oct. 17. UWF played both opponents in the 2025 season picking up wins against each team on the road. The Argos defeated Northeastern 31-24 and West Alabama 23-16.
The Argos will travel to Eastern Kentucky on Oct. 24 with gametime still to be determined followed by North Alabama on Nov. 7 at 6 p.m. CT. UWF and North Alabama have faced off three times in program history with the Argos holding a 2-1 record against the Lions.
On Nov. 14 at 2 p.m. CT, UWF will close its home schedule with FCS powerhouse Tarleton State. The Texans finished 12-2 in 2025, including a double overtime win over FBS Army, and advanced to the second round of the FCS playoffs before losing to Villanova.
In the final game of the season, UWF will look to reignite its past rivalry with former Gulf South Conference team West Georgia. The Argos will travel to Carrollton, Georgia, on Nov. 21 for the 2 p.m. CT game. The teams have played eight times in program history with the Argos holding a 5-3 advantage in the series.
As part of the NCAA Division I three-year reclassification process, UWF will be eligible to compete for a UAC Championship, but will not be eligible for FCS playoffs until the University completes the transition requirements and achieves active DI membership status in Fall 2029.
PURCHASE TICKETS FOR THE INAUGURAL FCS SEASON
Current season ticket holders can begin renewing season tickets beginning May 21 and have through July 10 to complete the renewal process. Ticket holders will receive an email from HomeTown Ticketing with step-by-step instructions and a unique renewal code.Emails will be sent from the University of West Florida Box Office at fansupport@hometownticketing.com.
New season ticket sales will begin on June 1. If you are interested in purchasing season tickets, fill out the Season Ticket Interest Form. Single game tickets will go on sale Aug. 1.
Due to the ongoing construction of Darrell Gooden Stadium, all seating for the 2026 season will be located on the east side of Pen Air Field.
Fans will also experience the addition of a new state-of-the-art video board located near the north endzone, further enhancing the gameday atmosphere for the Argos’ inaugural FCS season.