Stanford Baseball Comes Up Short Against Michigan

Cardinal rally falls just short in 7-6 loss to Wolverines

Published on Feb. 15, 2026

Got story updates? Submit your updates here. ›

Stanford baseball fell to Michigan by a final score of 7-6 in their second game of the College Baseball Series in Surprise, Arizona. The Wolverines built an early 4-0 lead and held on despite a late Cardinal comeback attempt in the 9th inning.

Why it matters

This was an important early-season matchup between two strong college baseball programs. While Stanford showed fight in trying to rally back, the loss drops them to 1-1 on the young season and raises questions about their pitching depth and ability to avoid early deficits.

The details

Michigan jumped out to a 4-0 lead through the first five innings, with RBI hits from Cade Ladehoff, Evan Haeger, and Matthew Ossenfort. Stanford finally got on the board in the 5th inning on an RBI single from Ethan Hott. The Wolverines extended their lead to 7-2 in the 9th, but Stanford mounted a furious comeback attempt, scoring 4 runs in the bottom half before ultimately falling short.

  • The game took place on Saturday, February 14, 2026 in Surprise, Arizona.
  • Michigan scored 2 runs in the 3rd inning, 1 run in the 4th, and 1 run in the 5th to build a 4-0 lead.
  • Stanford scored 1 run in the 5th inning, 1 run in the 8th, and 4 runs in the 9th inning.
  • The final score was Michigan 7, Stanford 6.

The players

Cade Montgomery

The winning pitcher for Michigan, going 6.1 innings without giving up a run and striking out 5 batters.

Aidan Keenan

The losing pitcher for Stanford, going 4.1 innings and giving up 4 runs, 3 hits, and 5 walks.

Ethan Hott

A Stanford player who had a key RBI single in the 5th inning and a 3-run triple in the 9th inning to spark the Cardinal's late comeback attempt.

Cade Ladehoff

A Michigan player who hit a 2-run triple in the 3rd inning and scored 2 runs in the game.

Andrew Shaw

A Stanford pitcher who came in to relieve Liam Golden in the 7th inning and struck out 3 of the 4 batters he faced.

Got photos? Submit your photos here. ›

What they’re saying

“This was a frustrating loss in that there was a play at the plate that would have forced extra innings.”

— Ben Parker, Author (on3.com)

“At the same time, they showed a lot of fight and given that Michigan beat No. 12 Oregon State, this isn't a bad loss at all for Stanford.”

— Ben Parker, Author (on3.com)

What’s next

Stanford will look to bounce back on Sunday, February 15th when they take on No. 12 Oregon State at 11:00 AM PT.

The takeaway

While the loss is disappointing, Stanford's late comeback attempt showed the team's resilience and ability to battle back from a large deficit. However, the Cardinal will need to shore up their pitching and avoid falling behind early if they want to compete with the top teams in college baseball this season.