Simpson and Central Baseball to Meet for First Time in 2026

The Storm and Dutch square off in a key American Rivers Conference matchup.

Apr. 14, 2026 at 4:00pm

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A cubist, geometric painting depicting the action of a baseball game, with sharp, overlapping planes of color representing the two teams in motion.The upcoming clash between Simpson and Central baseball teams promises an intense, high-stakes conference matchup.Pella Today

The Simpson College baseball team is heading to Pella, Iowa to take on the Central College Dutch in their first meeting of the 2026 season. The Storm are coming off a series win against Wartburg and have won four of their last five games, putting them in third place in the American Rivers Conference (ARC) with an 8-4 conference record. Meanwhile, the Dutch have dropped two of their last three games against Luther College and sit in fourth place in the ARC with an 8-7 conference record.

Why it matters

This matchup between the Storm and Dutch represents an important conference clash, as both teams look to improve their positioning in the ARC standings. With Simpson surging and Central boasting a powerful offense, this game could have significant implications for the playoff race.

The details

The Storm have five everyday starters hitting over .300, including Drew Carlson who recently surpassed 100 career hits and drove in three runs in his last outing. The Dutch, meanwhile, have provided a lot of offensive firepower with 38 home runs on the season, just one behind conference leader Loras. Central has three everyday starters averaging over .300, led by Max Steinlage who is hitting .361 on the year.

  • The game is scheduled for 3 p.m. on April 14, 2026.
  • Coverage will begin at 2:55 p.m. on the KNIA3 live stream.

The players

Drew Carlson

A key offensive contributor for the Simpson Storm, having surpassed 100 career hits.

Max Steinlage

The leading hitter for the Central Dutch, batting .361 on the season.

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The takeaway

This matchup between the third-place Storm and fourth-place Dutch represents an important conference clash, as both teams look to improve their positioning in the ARC standings and make a push towards the playoffs.