Was on GUs campus this weekend.  Saw Coach Obi at the alumni game.  Scouting the new GU boys whilst being a good alumnus no doubt.  Very happy for Westmin.  Got a good one. 

My Christmas wish is coming true!   

Brandon Mahler - Consensus 1st team (ABCA and d3baseball)*
Jake Mahler - 2nd team AA (ABCA)

Wild season for the brothers from Vernon Hills, IL.

*ABCA POY still in play?

Great outcome for CUC members, on 1st team all region selections. 

C and Region player of the year - Brandon Mahler
3B - Jake Mahler (Coaches)
3B - Joe Lukancic (d3baseball)

With no other catchers showing up as Region POYs and his stats being very high in the national rankings in so many major categories, I think that this paves the way for Brandon to be 1st team all-american and possibly National POY.  I was interested to see that the Denison C/OF Lutte was catagorized as OF in their regional awards.  He had a great season also, although he played in less games and had less power than Mahler. 

For the 3Bs  I think that Jake Mahler and Lukancic both could threaten for All-American honors.  Lukancic had a higher batting average by .60 points, but on base was much closer (Lukancic +.24) while Mahler outslugged him by .140.  Mahler with 138 total bases to Lukancics 127 (despite having 3 extra games). 

All three dudes were amazing and I am optimistic that the region (and NACC) could be very well represented with AA honors.   

Back to Back to Back SLIAC All-Sports trophies for Greenville.  Champions in 10 of 14 sports.  Really sucked at newly restarted men's golf to keep it somewhat close. 

Hats off to All the coaches and players at GU. 

Obviously does not include their top-10 in the NCAA (all levels) men's gymnastic program. 

BigPoppa - any projections for the Midwest Region player of the year?   

I think you are correct on Bunch. 

As per Lyon:

Men's Basketball Head Coach Departure

Former men's head basketball coach Rodney Mayes left the program because he accepted a new coaching opportunity at another university and become the new head men's basketball coach for the Albany State University Golden Rams.


Women's Basketball Head Coach Departure(s)

In May 2025, Former women's head basketball coach Casey Fowler left Lyon to accept the head women's basketball coaching position at Texas A&M International University (TAMIU), a NCAA Division II program.

His long time assistnat Michael Peckham took is role as HC at Lyon. 

As of May 15, 2026 Peckham has taken his old role as assistant under Fowler at TAMIU. 

The Head job is currently being advertised...
https://lyon.bamboohr.com/careers/319
 

SLIAC Career Coach Wins Standings:

coach/ school / # career wins / year started at SLIAC school

Gray / Spalding / 378 / 98/99
Bunch / Webster / 362 / 02/03
Barber / Greenville / 350 / 99/00
Wilde / Eureka / 221 / 07/08
*Hopkins / MUW / 124 / 26/27
Kirby / Blackburn / 63 / 19/20
Dominguez / Principia / 10 / 24/25
Ogomo / Westminster / 0 / 26/27
Orr / Lyon / 0 / 26/27

*New MUW coach announced 5/15/26

I am just glad someone read it.  Good luck to Aurora in the regional. 

Final CUC update for me.  2026 was really a good one for the Cougs.  FInished 3rd in the NACC and made the last three standing in the tournament.  Two huge standouts for the COUGS were Brandon Mahler and his twin Jake. 

Final stats for the soon to be all americans 

Brandon Mahler, C (Sr.)
.472/.567/.883
OPS of 1.450
77 hits
144 total bases
34 XBH (17 Doubles, 1 Triple, 16 HR)
69 RBI
28:9 walk to K

Brandon Mahler's D3 Standings of of May 10
Average - 6th
Doubles - T-44th
Hits - T-4th
HR - T-4th
HR/G - T-10th
OBP - 8th
RBI - T-4
SLUG - 4th
Total Bases - 2nd

Jake Mahler 3B (Sr.)
.420/.505/.762
Hits - 76
Total Bases - 128
XBH - 28 (10 doubles, 2 triples, 16 HRs)
Runs - 57
RBI - 59

Jake Mahler's D3 Standings of of May 10


Hits - T-7th
HR - T-4th
HR/G - T-10th
RBI - T-24th
Runs - T-37th
SLUG - 29th
Total Bases - 5th

Please powers that be, make both of these amazing players all-americans. 

And Brandon deserves serious consideration for D3 player of the year.  Just for fun, he was getting the Barry Bonds treatment this weekend. In the last two knockout games of the NACC tournament Brandon Mahler was intentionally walked 6 times. 
 

TWIN BROTHERS ALL AMERICAN ALERT:

End of Regular Season Mahler Brothers update.

Brandon Mahler (C):
.473/.557/.900 (31 XBH, 16 HR, 135 total bases, 66 RBI*)

D3 ranking:

batting average - 7th
OBP - 21st
Slug -  4th
Hits - 4th
Total bases - 2nd
HR - 3rd
RBI - 4th


Jake Mahler (3B):
.398/.479/.717 (24 XBH, 14 HR, 119 total bases, 49 RBI)
hits - 22nd
HR - 8th

*CUC School record

Brandon is nearing or has surpassed NACC single season records in the following categories:
HR - 17 Seris in 48 games and Bushnell in 42 (BM currently at 16 thru 39 games)
SLUG record .847 (BM currerntly at .900)
RBI - 70 for Sartori in 47 games (BM currently at 64 thru 39 games)
Total Bases - 145 Rotzell in 45 games (BM currently at 135 thru 39 games)

Many of the NACC counting records are held by guys that played on teams that made deep post season runs.  For example the CUC names on the list like Silva and Mercado, both played on teams that made the D3 world series and in one year played 55 games.  CUC has played 39 headed into the conference tournament. 

Obi Ogomo (GU '11 and '18) has been named head coach of Westminster.  Obi is loved in Greenville.  He most recently has been at Depauw and while there was the lead recruiter of a close family friends son.  They indicated he was GREAT in the recruiting processs.  The Barber coaching tree looking nice these days.  Good luck to Obi and Westmin. 

The Mahler Bros keep raking. 

After 32 games:

Brandon Mahler
.476/.571/.897 (13 HR, 26 XBH, 54 RBI, 6ks, OPS 1.468)

Jake Mahler
.401/.484/.745 (13 HR, 21XBH, 43 RBI, OPS 1.229)

All-americans?

Mahler Bros Update

After 29 games:

Brandon Mahler, C
.464/.568/.893 (12 HR 48 RBI) 5ks on the season

Jake Mahler, 3B
.413/.479/.762 (12 HR, 40 RBI)

CUC sits at 10-5 in the NACC and squarly in the NACC tournament hunt.

Greenville University (d3) is one of only 15 universities in the country to host NCAA mens gymnastics is having a tremendous year.  They are ranked 9th in the country headed into the NCAA championships.  They just won the ECAC conference meet.  And have won meets this year against the following opponants:

- University of Illinois
- Cal Berkley
- Army*
- Navy*
- Air Force
- William and Mary*
- Springfield*
- Simpson*

*ECAC conference

Stand out performers are Jackson Clapper (Jr) ECAC gymnast of the year and Kyler Hinson (So.) ECAC newcomer of the year.