Harvard’s Offense Heats Up, Baseball Takes Third Place in 2026 Beanpot

Harvard’s baseball team stunned offensively to bring home a monster 17-12 win against the University of Massachusetts in the third-place game of the 2026 Baseball Beanpot. Although the Minutemen put up an impressive 12 runs, they could not hold off the Crimson, which was absolutely dominant at Boston College’s Eddie Pellagrini Diamond.

Coming off of a loss at Northeastern last Tuesday in the semifinal round of Beanpot and a split series at Yale last weekend, Harvard showed up ready to prove itself as a formidable team.

The Crimson (6-19, 5-6 Ivy) kept the bases crowded from the beginning of the game, with a fielding error from UMass (9-18, 5-13 A10) and RBIs from sophomore left fielder Gavin Smith, junior catcher Dominic Brancel, and captain Gio Colasante. With a four-run lead, Harvard set the tone for its shining offensive performance.

In the second inning, the Crimson continued to excel. Capitalizing on a second fielding error from the Minuteman, a second RBI from Smith, and senior center fielder Max Lane’s first RBI of the day, Harvard was able to extend its lead to seven.

UMass junior pitcher Jack Levine stepped in for the starter, junior pitcher Bobby McDonough, after a devastating defensive opening for the Minutemen.

UMass scratched numbers onto the board for the first time in the bottom of the third with a two-run RBI single from freshman infielder Ty Fox. This was the end of Crimson senior pitcher Brian Dowling’s strong three-inning start, who senior pitcher Jack Smith replaced.

The Minutemen seemed to find their footing in the fourth inning, putting up five runs including an RBI from senior infielder Sam Hill, a two-run RBI from junior infielder Braden Sullivan, and two runs scored on passed balls and wild pitches.

In response, Harvard turned to its bullpen, sending sophomore pitcher Daniel Sams to the mound to relieve J. Smith. The sophomore effectively shut down UMass’s batters to swiftly end the inning.

The Crimson continued its strong showing on offense in the fifth, as senior third baseman Jordan Kang slammed a three-run homer. Junior shortstop Jack Rickheim continued the momentum, tallying an RBI single. Harvard earned another RBI from Lane in the top of the seventh. After an impressive relief stint from Sams, the Crimson sent junior pitcher Ryan McHugh to the mound.

Harvard’s towering ten-run eighth inning kept fans on the edges of their seats. Smith and Lane each hit their second and third respective RBIs for the day, followed by an RBI sacrifice fly from Kang. The winning runs were scored on a two-run RBI double to center field from sophomore utilityman Cullen Stone to end another noteworthy offensive inning.

As the Minutemen were able to get runners on first and second base, the Crimson brought in freshman left-handed pitcher Brett Gable. The rookie initially struggled, giving up Fox’s second RBI of the game, a two-run RBI from Hill, and a two-run RBI from sophomore designated hitter Gavin OBrien. With the offensive surge, UMass was able to narrow the deficit to 17-12.

Gable was impressively unfazed by his struggles in an intense eighth inning and finished out a truly impressive game for Harvard, preventing the Minutemen from securing the comeback and holding the score at 17-12.

The Crimson hopes to keep this fire burning to defeat Dartmouth this upcoming weekend in a pivotal three-game home series. Currently, only one and a half games separate fourth-place Harvard and last-place Cornell in the Ivy League standings. With only four teams ultimately earning bids to the conference tournament, every game counts for the Crimson, which hopes to punch a ticket to the postseason.