The 2026 Milwaukee Panthers baseball team represented University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee during the 2026 NCAA Division I baseball season. The Panthers played their home games at Franklin Field as a member of the Horizon League. They were led by third-year head coach Shaun Wegner.

The 2026 season was the most successful postseason in Milwaukee program history. The program won a school record two NCAA tournament games and advanced to the regional final for the first time in program history. It was Milwaukee's first NCAA tournament victory since 1999, and their first season in the NCAA tournament since 2010.

Background Milwaukee is coming off a 2025 season that saw the program finish with a 24–35 overall record and a 16–13 record in the Horizon League. The Panthers were the three seed in the 2025 Horizon League baseball tournament, where they went 3–2 in the tournament, before losing to Wright State in the Horizon League championship.

Preseason Coaches poll The coaches poll was released on February 12, 2026. Milwaukee was selected to finish second in the conference.

Horizon League coaches poll 1 Wright State 24 (4) 2 Milwaukee 18 3 Northern Kentucky 12 4 Youngstown State 11 5 Oakland 10 (1)

Awards and honors Preseason Horizon League awards and honors Preseason All-Horizon Team Gavin Theis 18 RHP Graduate Tate Schmidt 3 INF Sophomore

Game log 2026 Milwaukee Panthers baseball game log (27–33) Regular Season (22–31) February (2–7) Date TV Opponent Rank Stadium Score Win Loss Save Attendance Record HZN February 13 SECN+ at No. 2 LSU* Alex Box StadiumBaton Rouge, LA L 5–15 Guidry (1–0) Andrews (0–1) — 11,582 0–1 — February 14 SECN+ at No. 2 LSU* Alex Box Stadium L 3–5 Moore (1–0) Ehmke (0–1) Fontenot (1) 11,078 0–2 — February 15 SECN+ at No. 2 LSU* Alex Box Stadium L 7–21 Schmidt (1–0) Arnold (0–1) — 10,753 0–3 — February 20 ACCNX at * Jack Coombs FieldDurham, NC L 3–20 Weaver (2–0) Weckler (0–1) — 437 0–4 — February 21 ACCNX at Duke* Jack Coombs Field L 8–10 Mastroiann (2–0) Ehmke (0–2) DiGiacomo (1) 526 0–5 — February 21 ACCNX at Duke* Jack Coombs Field W 9–6 Ishida (1–0) Lemke (0–2) — 526 1–5 — February 22 ACCNX at Duke* Jack Coombs Field L 1–6 Leon (1–0) Peterson (0–1) — 359 1–6 — February 27 at * Braun StadiumEvansville, IN W 12–9 Kuhnke (1–0) Young (0–1) — 381 2–6 — February 28 at Evansville* Braun Stadium L 1–2 Hansmann (1–0) Ehmke (0–3) Graham (2) 376 2–7 — March (3–14) Date TV Opponent Rank Stadium Score Win Loss Save Attendance Record HZN March 1 at Evansville* Braun Stadium L 2–4 Reed (2–1) Peterson (0–2) Byberg (1) 304 2–8 — March 3 B1G+ at * U.S. Bank StadiumMinneapolis, MN L 4–14 Sperry (2–0) Mueller (0–1) Ryerse (1) 1,255 2–9 — March 4 B1G+ at Minnesota* U.S. Bank Stadium L 2–6 Capomaccio (1–0) Ishida (1–1) — 1,472 2–10 — March 6 at * Capaha FieldCape Girardeau, MO L 2–8 Pennington (3–0) Theis (0–1) Kranawetter (2) 197 2–11 — March 7 at Southeast Missouri* Capaha Field L 2–9 Mertens (2–2) Ehmke (0–4) — 200 2–12 — March 8 at Southeast Missouri* Capaha Field L 2–12 Carroll (2–1) Peterson (0–3) — 228 2–13 — March 10 B1G+ at Purdue* Alexander FieldWest Lafayette, IN L 1–17 Klug (3–1) Arnold (0–2) — 1,224 2–14 — March 13 at Bill Aker BallparkHighland Heights, KY W 16–9 Theis (1–1) Wilson (1–1) — 108 3–14 1–0 March 14 at Northern Kentucky Bill Aker Ballpark L 1–14 Miramontes (1–2) Ehmke (0–5) — 134 3–15 1–1 March 15 at Northern Kentucky Bill Aker Ballpark W 16–10 Ishida (2–1) Lange (0–2) — 86 4–15 2–1 March 17 at * Alfred D. Boyer StadiumMacomb, IL Canceled (inclement weather) March 20 at Nischwitz StadiumDayton, OH L 4–8 Thompson (2–1) Andrews (0–2) — 274 4–16 2–2 March 21 at Wright State Nischwitz Stadium L 3–8 Paige (1–4) Hrin (0–1) Bilo (1) 317 4–17 2–3 March 22 at Wright State Nischwitz Stadium L 5–6 Zielinski (1–0) Kuhnke (1–1) — 280 4–18 2–4 March 27 * Franklin FieldMilwaukee, WI L 2–6 Buckley (1–5) Theis (1–2) — 249 4–19 — March 28 Butler* Franklin Field W 10–3 Peterson (1–3) Thomas (0–4) — 279 5–19 — March 29 Butler* Franklin Field L 7–8 Hagen (2–0) Weckler (0–2) Sherrard (1) 281 5–20 — March 31 at * Curtis Granderson StadiumChicago, IL L 5–12 Lessman (1–1) Arnold (0–3) — 43 5–21 — April (10–6) Date TV Opponent Rank Stadium Score Win Loss Save Attendance Record HZN April 3 ESPN+ Franklin Field L 3–5 Gebhardt (2–1) Watson (0–1) — 207 5–22 2–5 April 4 ESPN+ Youngstown State Franklin Field L 4–7 Messmore (1–5) Weckler (0–3) Smith (1) 213 5–23 2–6 April 5 ESPN+ Youngstown State Franklin Field W 5–1 Peterson (2–3) Mikos (0–5) — 178 6–23 3–6 April 7 Iowa* Franklin Field Canceled (RPI concerns) April 10 ESPN+ at Oakland Baseball FieldAuburn Hills, MI W 12–4 Theis (2–2) Donley (1–1) — 76 7–23 4–6 April 11 ESPN+ at Oakland Oakland Baseball Field L 5–6 Donley (2–1) Weckler (0–4) Sehlke (1) 107 7–24 4–7 April 12 ESPN+ at Oakland Oakland Baseball Field W 12–0 Peterson (3–3) Green (1–2) — 102 8–24 5–7 April 13 at * Theunissen StadiumMount Pleasant, MI W 9–6 Riel (1–0) Tarnowski (0–1) Kuhnke (1) 155 9–24 — April 16 ESPN+ Northern Kentucky Franklin Field W 6–5 Ishida (3–1) Take (2–1) — 197 10–24 6–7 April 17 ESPN+ Northern Kentucky Franklin Field W 14–4 Ehmke (1–5) Miramontes (2–4) — 229 11–24 7–7 April 18 ESPN+ Northern Kentucky Franklin Field W 15–9 Ishida (4–1) Gill (1–2) — 243 12–24 8–7 April 21 * Franklin Field W 9–8 Riel (2–0) Nelson (0–1) Kuhnke (2) 179 13–24 — April 24 ESPN+ Wright State Franklin Field W 10–7 Kuhnke (2–1) Paplanus (1–3) — 253 14–24 9–7 April 25 ESPN+ Wright State Franklin Field W 4–0 Ehmke (2–5) Paige (2–6) — 279 15–24 10–7 April 26 ESPN+ Wright State Franklin Field L 2–13 Lax (7–0) Peterson (3–4) — 263 15–25 10–8 April 28 B1G+ at * Rocky & Berenice Miller ParkEvanston, IL L 8–10 Bridges (2–0) Ishida (4–2) Shearer (1) 231 15–26 — April 29 ACCNX at * Frank Eck StadiumSouth Bend, IN L 2–16 Clark (1–0) Vander Loop (0–1) — 113 15–27 — May (7–4) Date TV Opponent Rank Stadium Score Win Loss Save Attendance Record HZN May 1 YouTube at * Earl Wilson StadiumLas Vegas, NV L 4–14 Marton (2–3) Weckler (0–5) — 800 15–28 — May 2 YouTube at UNLV* Earl Wilson Stadium W 4–1 Ehmke (3–5) Lane (1–4) Kuhnke (3) 624 16–28 — May 3 YouTube at UNLV* Earl Wilson Stadium L 7–8 Gomberg (1–4) Weckler (0–6) — 571 16–29 — May 5 ESPN+ * Franklin Field W 6–4 Arnold (1–3) Boynton (0–8) Kuhnke (4) 2,414 17–29 — May 6 ESPN+ at UIC* Curtis Granderson Stadium W 12–6 Vander Loop (1–1) Buss (0–5) Weckler (1) 138 18–29 — May 8 at Youngstown State 717 Credit Unoim FieldYoungstown, OH L 11–13 Gebhardt (4–3) Theis (2–3) Wemer (1) 3,886 18–30 10–9 May 9 at Youngstown State 717 Credit Union Field L 3–4 Messmore (2–6) Ehmke (3–6) Heflin (1) 222 18–31 10–10 May 10 at Youngstown State 717 Credit Union Field W 12–8 Peterson (4–4) Mikos (0–9) Kuhnke (5) 308 19–31 11–10 May 12 at Northern Illinois* Ralph McKinzie FieldDeKalb, IL Canceled (inclement weather) May 14 ESPN+ Oakland Franklin Field W 12–11 Kuhnke (3–1) Cooper (0–2) — 259 20–31 12–10 May 15 ESPN+ Oakland Franklin Field W 8–4 Ehmke (4–6) Rosenblitt (1–4) Arnold (1) 234 21–31 13–10 May 16 ESPN+ Oakland Franklin Field W 14–8 Vander Loop (2–1) Glassman (0–5) — 317 22–31 14–10 Postseason (5–2) (3–0) Date TV Opponent Rank Stadium Score Win Loss Save Attendance Record HZNT May 21 ESPN+ vs. (3) Northern Kentucky (2) Nischwitz Stadium W 14–2 Ehmke (5–6) Miramontes (4–3) — 467 23–31 1–0May 22 ESPN+ at (1) Wright State (2) Nischwitz Stadium W 12–8 Peterson (5–4) Paige (3–7) Kuhnke (6) 443 24–31 2–0May 23 ESPN+ vs. (5) Oakland (2) Nischwitz Stadium W 5–4 Kuhnke (4–1) Paplanus (1–5) — 580 25–31 3–0 (2–2) Date TV Opponent Rank Stadium Score Win Loss Save Attendance Record NCAAT May 29 ESPN+ at No. 5 (1) Auburn* (4) Plainsman ParkAuburn, AL W 13–8 Peterson (6–4) Marciano (5–6) — 6,408 26–31 1–0May 30 ESPN+ vs. (2) * (4) Plainsman Park W 13–6 Ehmke (6–6) Gray (5–2) — 6,104 27–31 2–0May 31 ESPN+ at No. 5 (1) Auburn* (4) Plainsman Park L 1–8 Cormier (2–0) Kunhke (4–2) — 6,090 27–32 2–1June 1 ESPN+ at No. 5 (1) Auburn* (4) Plainsman Park L 3–8 Sanders (5–1) Weckler (0–7) — 8,228 27–33 2–2 Legend:      = Win      = Loss      = CanceledBold = Milwaukee team member   * Non-conference gameRankings are based on the team's current ranking in the D1Baseball poll.

Postseason Horizon League tournament

Horizon League baseball tournament(1) Wright State Raiders(2) Milwaukee Panthers(3) Northern Kentucky Norse(4) Youngstown State Penguins(5) Oakland Golden Grizzlies

NCAA Auburn Regional

NCAA Auburn Regional(1) Auburn Tigers(2) UCF Knights(3) NC State Wolfpack(4) Milwaukee Panthers

References

External links MKE Panthers baseball