Ridgewater Baseball Aims for Region XIII Tournament

Head coach Tyler Hebrink hopes to continue the team's postseason success despite losing key players from last season.

Published on Feb. 27, 2026

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Ridgewater College's baseball team, led by fifth-year head coach Tyler Hebrink, is looking to make another run to the Region XIII tournament in 2026. The Warriors are coming off an 18-17 season in 2025 where they were 14-4 in the Minnesota College Athletic Conference's Central Division. Hebrink is relying on a strong pitching staff, led by returning starters Joe Liebl, Dominic Rose, and Brennan Fictum, to help the team achieve its goals of winning the conference and advancing to the college World Series.

Why it matters

Ridgewater has made the Region XIII tournament in each of Hebrink's playable seasons as head coach, despite having his first two seasons canceled due to COVID-19. Continuing this trend of postseason appearances is crucial for the program's success and reputation, especially with the loss of several key players from last year's team.

The details

Hebrink's pitching staff will be anchored by returning starters Liebl, Rose, and Fictum, who all had strong freshman campaigns in 2025. Liebl, an All-MCAC Central Division First Team selection, posted a 5-2 record with a 3.67 ERA and 47 strikeouts in 49 innings. Rose and Fictum also had solid seasons as freshmen, with Rose going 5-3 with a 5.28 ERA and Fictum posting a 3-2 record. The Warriors will also get a boost from the return of sophomore utility player Nolan Eischens, who missed all of 2025 due to a back injury. Eischens was an All-Region XIII First Team pick and an All-MCAC First Team selection as a freshman in 2024, batting .471 with 48 hits, 35 runs, and 33 RBIs.

  • Ridgewater opens the season with a doubleheader against Owens Community College at 8 a.m. on Saturday, February 28, 2026 at NorthEast Regional Park in Davenport, Florida.
  • The Warriors finished the 2025 season with an 18-17 record and were 14-4 in the Minnesota College Athletic Conference's Central Division.

The players

Tyler Hebrink

The fifth-year head coach of the Ridgewater baseball team, who has led the Warriors to the Region XIII tournament in each of his playable seasons despite having his first two seasons canceled due to COVID-19.

Joe Liebl

A left-handed pitcher who was an All-MCAC Central Division First Team selection as a freshman in 2025, posting a 5-2 record with a 3.67 ERA and 47 strikeouts in 49 innings.

Dominic Rose

A right-handed pitcher who is committed to NCAA Division II Southwest Minnesota State University, and had a 5-3 record with a 5.28 ERA and 30 strikeouts in 44.1 innings as a freshman in 2025.

Brennan Fictum

A right-handed pitcher who was 3-2 in 35.1 innings as a freshman in 2025.

Nolan Eischens

A sophomore utility player who was an All-Region XIII First Team pick and an All-MCAC First Team selection as a freshman in 2024, batting .471 with 48 hits, 35 runs, and 33 RBIs. He missed the 2025 season due to a back injury.

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What they’re saying

“We want to win the conference, go to the region tournament and have a chance to play for the college world series. That's what I envisioned wholeheartedly when I got this job.”

— Tyler Hebrink, Head Coach (Yahoo Sports)

“Offensively, Nolan is just so advanced compared to anybody else in this league. He's also going to pitch and be really good on the mound and play catcher as well. He's going to do a lot of different stuff for us.”

— Tyler Hebrink, Head Coach (Yahoo Sports)

“Blake came on for us in the second half of last season. I think he'll have a monster year for us this spring.”

— Tyler Hebrink, Head Coach (Yahoo Sports)

What’s next

The judge in the case will decide on Tuesday whether or not to allow Walker Reed Quinn out on bail.

The takeaway

Ridgewater's baseball team, led by veteran coach Tyler Hebrink, is poised for another strong season as they aim to continue their streak of Region XIII tournament appearances. With a deep pitching staff and the return of key offensive contributors, the Warriors have the talent to compete for a conference title and a spot in the college World Series.