Belgrade Baseball Splits Season-Opening Road Games

Head coach sees both positives and areas for improvement in early-season results.

Mar. 30, 2026 at 3:40am

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A cubist-style painting depicting a Belgrade baseball game, with the players and field broken down into overlapping geometric shapes and planes in the team's official colors.Belgrade's baseball team looks to build momentum after a season-opening split on the road.Belgrade Today

Belgrade's high school baseball team split a pair of non-conference road games to start the 2026 season, leaving head coach Joel Barnett with a mixed assessment of the team's early performance. While pleased with some aspects, Barnett also identified key areas that need improvement as the season progresses.

Why it matters

Belgrade's baseball program is a source of community pride, and how the team performs in the early part of the season often sets the tone for the rest of the year. A strong start can build momentum, while struggles out of the gate can be difficult to overcome.

The details

In the season opener, Belgrade lost a close game on the road. However, the team bounced back the next day to earn a victory in the second game of the series. Barnett noted that the team showed promise in certain facets of the game, such as pitching and defense, but struggled at times with their offensive execution.

  • Belgrade's baseball team began its 2026 season with a road trip on March 29.
  • The team split the two-game series, losing the opener but winning the second contest.

The players

Joel Barnett

Belgrade's head baseball coach, who is in his fifth season leading the program.

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What they’re saying

“We saw a lot of good things out there, but there's definitely room for improvement as well. The guys battled hard, and that's what I'm most proud of.”

— Joel Barnett, Head Coach

What’s next

Belgrade will look to build on the split when they return home for their next series of games, scheduled for April 5-6.

The takeaway

Belgrade's baseball team has shown promise in the early going, but the coaching staff knows there is work to be done to get the team firing on all cylinders as the season progresses. The split on the road provides a solid foundation to build upon.