Hubbard Baseball Aims to Defend NE8 Title

Eagles look to repeat as conference champions after losing key players to graduation.

Mar. 21, 2026 at 4:05am

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Hubbard's baseball team is facing high expectations after winning the Northeast 8 Conference and a district championship last season. Despite losing several key players to graduation, including their starting catcher and a top pitcher, the Eagles are determined to defend their titles. Led by returning ace Braydon Songer and a core group of seniors, Hubbard hopes to overcome the challenge of being the 'hunted' this year in the competitive NE8 conference.

Why it matters

Hubbard's baseball success last season marked a major milestone for the program, which had never won a district title before. As the reigning champions, the Eagles will now have a target on their backs as they try to become the first team in the NE8's history to win the conference title in consecutive years, a feat no team has accomplished since South Range's early dominance.

The details

Hubbard lost 12 players to graduation, including four-year starting catcher Johnny Reyes and pitcher Gabe Rusnak, who formed a formidable one-two punch with Songer last season. However, the Eagles return several key players, including Songer, who is expected to anchor the pitching rotation again after a historic year in 2025. Songer will be joined by fellow seniors Colten Smith, Jonny Adamson, Logan Elavsky and Bobby Thompson, who will help 'set the tone' for the team. Sophomore Maddox Pieton is also expected to step up and fill Rusnak's role on the mound.

  • Hubbard's season opener is scheduled for March 28 against Springfield.
  • The Eagles won the Northeast 8 Conference title in 2025 with an 11-1 record in league play.

The players

Braydon Songer

Hubbard's ace pitcher, who broke multiple school records last season with a 0.33 ERA, 100 strikeouts and eight wins.

Maddox Pieton

Sophomore pitcher who the Hubbard coach believes can effectively replace the graduated Gabe Rusnak on the mound.

John Schiraldi

Hubbard's head baseball coach, who led the team to its first-ever district championship in 2025.

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What they’re saying

“You won a league championship, you won a district championship. People, when they see Hubbard on their schedule, they're going to circle that, and you're going to get everybody's best shot now.”

— John Schiraldi, Head Coach

“I think Maddox is ready to step right into that role. He's looked really good. He got innings for us as a freshman last year, and [his] velo's up, he's bigger, stronger than he was. He actually reminds me of Gabe his sophomore year.”

— John Schiraldi, Head Coach

What’s next

Hubbard will open its season on March 28 against Springfield, kicking off a challenging schedule that also includes matchups with Austintown Fitch, Ursuline, Warren G. Harding, Warren JFK and other strong Northeast Ohio programs.

The takeaway

Hubbard's baseball team faces high expectations after a breakthrough 2025 season, but the Eagles have the talent and experience to defend their Northeast 8 Conference and district titles. Led by ace pitcher Braydon Songer and a core group of seniors, Hubbard is determined to make history by becoming the first NE8 team to win consecutive league championships.